A ART 105 Drawing Foundations (4)
An introductory studio course in drawing, intended for all skill levels. Students will explore the fundamentals of drawing materials and methods, including the practice of observational rendering through hands-on class sessions. Focus will be on drawing’s potential as both a method of observing and translating the world, and as a tool for conveying vision and expression.
A ART 110 Two-Dimensional Design Foundations (4)
This course introduces students to the primary visual concepts of design in theory and practice, with an emphasis on the role of color. Starting with the most rudimentary concepts and vocabulary, students develop their ability to create compelling two-dimensional designs. Students gain hands-on experience by solving visual problems through experimentation with composition and proportion. Acquired skills in paint-mixing and craft are emphasized, as well as an understanding of descriptive vocabulary terms in color and design.
A ART 115 Three-Dimensional Design Foundations (4)
A problem-solving introduction to the principles and elements of three-dimensional design. Demonstrations and implementations of equipment, methods and materials encourage students to develop their interpretive and technical facility, while solving problems that deal with form, space, structure, scale and volume. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 144 Photography and Related Media Foundations (4)
Photography and related media have moved to the center of nearly all aspects of artistic practice. In this foundational course, the convergence of photography the related media that inform and are informed by it (including video and digital media) are explored through hands-on projects and readings designed to increase students' aesthetic and technical vocabulary. Students are also introduced to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 205 Life Drawing Foundations (4)
A studio course for students with one semester of drawing experience. This course offers extended opportunities to draw the human figure. Emphasis will be placed on the underlying conceptual structures of perceptual relationships. Students will be asked to master the description of bodily forms deployed in a coherent pictorial space. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105.
A ART 215 Game Art and Animation Foundations (4)
This class is a complete and immersive introduction to traditional 2D animation. Through projects, presentations, demos, and lectures, students will gain a deeper understanding of the principles of animation, and the underlying aspects that go into developing technically proficient and artfully animated sequences. Students are introduced to the work of international animators who have made significant contributions to the technical history of animation and whose work is uniquely diverse and/or focused on social change.
A ART 305Y Drawing Experiments (4)
A studio course for students with two semesters of drawing experience. This course offers extended opportunities to draw from life combined with an awareness of various pictorial traditions and procedures. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through challenging projects. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 205.
A ART 310 Studio Experiments (4)
An idea-oriented course designed to help students solve visual and artistic problems through invention and interpretation. Emphasis will be placed on imagination and experimentation with alternative and traditional materials, and students will work toward developing an expanded, personal, visual vocabulary. May be repeated once for credit.
A ART 319 Sculpture Fundamentals (4)
(Formerly A ART 220). An introduction to the language of sculpture through studio practice. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to a variety of materials, tools, processes and techniques. They will develop basic technical skills, as well as an increased awareness of both aesthetic and conceptual choices as they relate to a 21st century understanding of sculpture. Attention will be devoted to historical, social and aesthetic concerns, with the emphasis on the development of a personal visual vocabulary and the cultivation of individual creative expression. Only one version of A ART 220 and A ART 319 may be taken for credit. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 320 Sculpture Experiments (4)
An exploration of traditional and nontraditional materials, processes and concepts of sculpture with an emphasis on fabrication, assemblage and installation ideas and actualization of finished sculptural pieces. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 319.
A ART 329 Painting Fundamentals (4)
(Formerly A ART 230). An introduction to the language of painting through studio practice. Students will work toward mastering the skills of color mixing as they apply to painting from life. This course stresses the discipline of perceiving the optical effects of light and color in nature and translating them into a pictorial space. Only one of A ART 230 and A ART 329 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110, or permission of instructor.
A ART 330 Painting Experiments (4)
A studio course for students with one semester of painting experience. This course offers extended opportunities to paint from life combined with an awareness of contemporary pictorial traditions and procedures. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through challenging projects. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 230 or A ART 329.
A ART 331 Water-Based Painting Experiments (4)
An introduction to the language of painting through the use of a variety of water-based media (ink, gouache, watercolor, egg tempera). Students will be asked to experiment with several techniques and methods, and to develop a series of paintings demonstrating individual voice. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110, or permission of instructor.
A ART 334 Darkroom Practices Fundamentals (4)
(Formerly A ART 244). Introductory studio art course in photography and digital imaging which will concentrate on contemporary art and techniques tied to darkroom photography. Students spend the semester making and critiquing images. The operation of cameras, enlargers, chemistry, scanners, printers and other related photographic equipment will be covered, as will camera-less photography, hand-coated emulsion, non-silver processes, and film cross-processing experiments. Beyond the strictly technical aspects of the medium, students will examine how images inform and are informed by culture. As a group, the class will explore photography as an art form through lectures, demonstrations, hands-on experimentation, and the group critique forum. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Only one of A ART 244 and A ART 334 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 144 or permission of instructor.
A ART 338 Screenprinting Fundamentals (4)
(Formerly A ART 241). This studio art course introduces screenprinting, also known as serigraphy, as a contemporary medium for exploring the “democratic multiple,” and the artistic and cultural legacy of Pop Art and Andy Warhol. Students will use stencils, photo-mechanical exposure, and water-based methods to combine drawing, photography, digital design, color, found images, and collage into complex images. Projects will be printed on paper and other surfaces. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Only one version of A ART 241 and A ART 338 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110, or permission of instructor.
A ART 339 Etching Fundamentals (4)
(Formerly A ART 240). In this class, students will be introduced to etching as both a historical and contemporary medium of expression. Projects will explore drawing and printing with line, tone, and texture via the traditional techniques of hard and soft ground etching, drypoint, and aquatint. Additionally, students will learn to integrate digital imaging and sculptural techniques in the creation of their prints. Assignments will address issues of representation, abstraction, cultural critique, and personal expression. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Only one version of A ART 240 and A ART 339 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110, or permission of instructor.
A ART 340 Etching Experiments (4)
A studio course for students with one semester of etching experience. Students will create images on and of paper with more complex intaglio and digital printmaking techniques, including multi-plate color printing. Projects will emphasize individual direction, research, and development of a portfolio. May be repeated once for credit. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 240 or A ART 339, or permission of instructor.
A ART 341 Printmaking Experiments (4)
Students will learn to invent and manipulate printmaking and sculptural tools in order to make multiples. Projects may include bookmaking and zines; the integration of text and image; printmaking as a documentation of performance; and sculptural casting. May be repeated once for credit. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110 or A ART 244 or A ART 334 or A ART 310 or permission of instructor.
A ART 344 Photography and Digital Imaging Experiments (4)
In-depth investigation of traditional chemical-based black and white as well as digital techniques and imagemaking skills, with an emphasis on the archival fine-art print. The convergence of traditional photography and digital media is explored through hands-on projects and readings designed to increase students' aesthetic and technical vocabulary. Students are also introduced to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography and work with increased independence on the development of their portfolio. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 244 or A ART 334 or permission of instructor.
A ART 349 Animation Experiments (4)
Principles, form, and practice of making images in sequence, with an emphasis on the timing and spacing of hand-made, experimental animation. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110 or A ART 244 or A ART 334 or permission of instructor.
A ART 351 Screenprinting Experiments (4)
This is a studio course for students with one semester of screenprinting experience. Students will continue to use stencils, photo-mechanical exposure, and water-based methods to combine drawing, photography, digital design, color, found images, and collage into complex images. Projects will be printed on paper and other surfaces. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through the focus on a series of self-directed, portfolio-oriented projects. May be repeated once for credit. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 241 or A ART 244 or A ART 334 or A ART 338 or permission of instructor.
A ART 383 Video Art Experiments (4)
In this course students will be viewing and making time-based artworks. Regular screenings and discussions are held to increase understanding of the contemporary practice of video art and to provide feedback on each other's work. Class time is spent working on assignments, screenings, lectures and discussion. A significant amount of time outside of class will be needed to complete projects. Prerequisite(s): A ART 244 or A ART 334 or permission of instructor.
A ART 398 Art Topics (4)
(Formerly A ART 298). Introductory study of a special topic in fine arts not otherwise covered in the curriculum. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
A ART 405 Drawing Workshop (4)
A studio course for students with two or three semesters of drawing experience. Individual attention is combined with technical and formal criticism in the development of a personal visual idiom. In this course, students will learn to place their work in dialogue with historical and contemporary practices. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 305.
A ART 420 Sculpture Workshop (4)
A focus on contemporary concerns and attitudes in three-dimensional work and media requiring an application of concepts and experience learned and acquired in prerequisite courses and through research, which results in finished sculptures. May be repeated once for credit. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 320 or permission of instructor.
A ART 421 Sculpture Topics (4)
Further exploration of sculptural concepts with a focus on individual problems, covering a wide range of media, methods and techniques. An emphasis is on the development, interpretation, realization and presentation of one's ideas. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 16credits). Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 320 or A ART 420, or permission of instructor.
A ART 430 Painting Workshop (4)
A studio course for students with two or three semesters of painting experience. Individual attention is combined with technical and formal criticism in the development of a personal visual idiom. In this course, students will learn to place their work in dialogue with historical and contemporary practices. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 330.
A ART 434 Drawing Topics (4)
A studio course for students with at least two semesters of drawing experience. In-depth study of selected topics in drawing not otherwise covered in the curriculum. Students will be guided through several pictorial models and procedures, seeking both mastery and a pictorial persona. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 205.
A ART 435 Painting Topics (4)
A studio course for students with at least two semesters of painting experience. In depth study of selected topics in painting, not otherwise covered in the curriculum. Students will be guided through several pictorial and material methods, seeking the development of a personal voice. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 16 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 330.
A ART 440 Printmaking Workshop (4)
A studio course for students with at least one 300-level class in printmaking. Students will create images and objects using etching, screenprint, woodcut, book arts, animation and/or experimental printmaking processes. Projects will emphasize individual direction, research, and the development of a portfolio. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 340 or A ART 341 or A ART 344, or permission of instructor.
A ART 444 Photography and Digital Imaging Workshop (4)
Advanced work in fine art photography; covers traditional chemical-based black and white as well as digital techniques and image-making skills. Installation and presentation techniques are investigated in preparation for work beyond graduation. The convergence of traditional photography and digital media is explored through hands-on projects, as well as technical and theoretical readings designed to increase students' expertise. Students are also introduced weekly to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography and are expected to work independently on the development of their portfolio. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 344 or permission of instructor.
A ART 446 Photography Topics (4)
Expansion of camera skills and photographic techniques. Individual interests and abilities play a major role in established course content. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 16 credits). Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 244 or A ART 334, or permission of instructor.
A ART 460 Printmaking Topics (4)
(Formerly A ART 390). Special projects in printmaking and related processes on topics ranging from woodcut to photo-based printmaking to printmaking without a press. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 16 credits). Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105, A ART 210, and A ART 244 or A ART 334.
A ART 491 Senior Studio (4)
During this course, art majors create a new body of artwork. At the end of the semester each student is expected to exhibit his or her new artwork. Field trips to art institutions in order to look at examples of contemporary artwork and exhibition design will serve as firsthand examples for what they are doing in the classroom. Throughout the semester students will also learn how to prepare for a career in the arts. Information concerning documenting artwork, disseminating artwork samples, as well as applying to graduate art schools, artist residencies, grants, awards, fellowships, and art-related employment opportunities will also be covered. Prerequisite(s): Senior Art major status or permission of instructor.
A ART 496 Mentor Tutorial (4)
A tutorial in which readings, discussions, visits to museums and galleries are assigned to build awareness of the relevant traditions supporting an Honors student's development. This tutorial will also include consultation on graduate school applications and instruction on taking slides of works of art. Prerequisite(s): admission into the departmental Honors Program.