Studio Art Minor
The minor in studio art emphasizes core competencies of
creativity and proficiency in two- and three-dimensional media. Students are required to specialize in at least one medium, and are encouraged to develop their work into the advanced level. Because the minor offers a condensed experience in the creation of visual form, it serves as an ideal complement for students in the communications, music, or theater majors—but also appeals to students majoring in the sciences and other disciplines.
Required courses:
ART 103 Visual Thinking| This course introduces concepts and skills that are essential for artists, art historians, and art educators. The focus is on building foundational principles (such as the visual elements in works of art) and studio art methodologies (such as the creative process, problem solving, and critiques). Students in the course will work individually and collaboratively on a variety of studio projects, will undertake a semester-long creative journaling project, visit galleries and museums in the region, and interact with visiting professional artists and art historians. Prerequisite: Limited to art and art history majors and minors. 3 credits. |
| This course focuses on the principles of three-dimensional design and the properties of various sculptural materials, including plaster, clay, metal, and wood. Students learn techniques of modeling, carving, mold-making, metalworking, and assemblage through a variety of projects in which individual ideas are explored, executed, and refined. 3 credits. |
One additional course from the following:
ART 205 Drawing I: Material and Form| The primary goal of this course is learning to draw as a way of seeing and recording visual information from the world around us. Students are trained in the techniques of sighting, measuring, and perspective by drawing from objects, interior spaces, and human form. Assignments also require students to create images independently from a variety of sources, in addition to working in a drawing journal for the duration of the course. Charcoal, graphite, pastel, and ink are the primary media. 3 credits. |
| Emphasizing human anatomy and movement, this course teaches important figurative skills for the aspiring artist, illustrator, or art teacher. Important components include proportion, light and shadow, and thematic development in addition to expressive use of various drawing media. Historical and contemporary figurative art is used to illuminate and inspire the development of individual approaches to drawing. Prerequisite: ART 205 or by permission. 3 credits. |
Two additional studio art courses, one of which must be at the 300 or 400 level.
ART 211 Darkroom Photography| The technical, aesthetic, and conceptual elements of photography as a contemporary art form are the basis of this course. Students are introduced to the mechanics of the Single Lens Reflex camera, processes of film development and black-and-white printing, compositional and aesthetic principles, and thematic explorations of subject matter. Issues of photographic history and contemporary photography are also examined. SLR camera with manual mode required. 3 credits. |
| Emphasizing human anatomy and movement, this course teaches important figurative skills for the aspiring artist, illustrator, or art teacher. Important components include proportion, light and shadow, and thematic development in addition to expressive use of various drawing media. Historical and contemporary figurative art is used to illuminate and inspire the development of individual approaches to drawing. Prerequisite: ART 205 or by permission. 3 credits. |
| This course introduces the physical, visual, and conceptual properties of painting through a variety of projects created in the medium of oil paint. Students learn concepts of color space, paint weight, and pictorial structure by undertaking paintings in genres such as still life, self-portraiture, landscape, and interior. Issues from the history of painting are used to explore the philosophical underpinnings of the medium. Prerequisite: ART 103 or 205. 3 credits. |
| This course explores the unique properties of wet media such as acrylic, gouache, ink, and watercolor. Individual development is emphasized through projects designed to both refine representational ability and expand the expressive parameters of painting. Prerequisite: ART 103 or 205. 3 credits. |
| Students explore a number of essential ceramic techniques, such as pinch-, coil-, and slab-construction, wheel-throwing, and a range of low-temperature surface treatments. The course focuses on fundamental principles of sculptural and functional design, with reference to ceramic history and contemporary uses of the medium. 3 credits. |
| In this course students experience a variety of techniques and approaches from the history of printmaking, including relief printing and intaglio, while exploring contemporary graphic aspects of the medium such as hand-made posters and monotypes. Prerequisite: ART 103 or 205. 3 credits. |
| This course introduces students to the foundations of digital photography as an art form. Technical aspects, including lighting, shutter speed, and composition, are developed based on examples from historical and contemporary photography. A variety of subjects are photographed and processed using computer software, with an emphasis on the development of personal motifs and approaches to the art of photography. Digital Single Lens Reflex camera required. 3 credits. |
| Drawing as a way of telling stories is the focus of this course, which builds upon representational skills in the creation of visual narratives suitable for aesthetic and commercial applications. Both the history of drawing and contemporary illustration are incorporated as sources for individual development. Prerequisite: ART 205 or 217. 3 credits. |
| This course introduces students to the visual and tactile properties of pastel and explores the expressive potential of the medium through a variety of techniques, from non-directional mark-making to edge-building. Attention is paid to the history of pastel and to basic rules of conservation and framing. Prerequisite: ART 205 or by permission. 3 credits. |
| This course will build upon established principles of composition, light, and technique using film-based and digital photography. Rather than choosing one medium over the other, students will experiment with both film and digital photography, exploring connections between the two and establishing a personal style or approach through one or the other (or both). Topics may include narrative, portraiture, and the development of a personal visual approach to creating images. Prerequisites: ART 211 or ART 231. 3 credits. |
| This course offers an intensive exploration of three-dimensional object making, extending beyond fundamental techniques to more advanced areas of development within the fields of contemporary art and design. Themes include the body, the environment, and performance. Prerequisites: ART 209 or by permission. 3 credits. |
| In this course students continue the development of artistic skills and conceptual approaches to painting. Projects include portraiture, abstraction, and the development of a painted series in which a theme or motif is used as the basis for a consistent group of paintings. Emphasis is on process, technique, and individual conceptual investigation. Prerequisites: ART 219 or 221. 3 credits. |
| This course extends the art medium of ceramics through the development of more advanced skills and ideas. Students pursue an individual style in various projects by developing new concepts and techniques. Students are required to seek out influences through research, and to reference historical and contemporary examples in their own work. Critiques at different stages of each project maximize the potential of each artwork. Students also play a role in the organization and management of the ceramics studio, learning to perform important functions from recycling clay to firing kilns. Prerequisite: ART 223. 3 credits. |
ART 390
ART 405 Advanced Studio| For junior or senior students who have completed foundation and intermediate-level courses in studio art and are ready to work independently while receiving faculty guidance and feedback. Working in a medium of one's choice (for example, ceramics or painting or photography), students create and present a resolved body of work. The course can be repeated so that students can undertake different creative projects or work continuously on a sustained project, either one of which is essential for future work as an artist or art educator. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or by permission; limited to art and art history majors and minors. 3 credits. |
One studio art or art history course
Choose one course from the list above or any art history course from the department catalog.