Art
The mission of the Department of Visual Arts is to offer an undergraduate education in the liberal arts curriculum and to teach the students a number of art related subjects in preparation for professional activities. In addition, the department prepares undergraduates for a life of service and leadership through collaborative studio and art exhibition experiences university-wide as well as within local communities. The Department of Visual Arts offers a major leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, or a minor in art. Specializations in four areas are provided to students majoring in art: ceramics, sculpture, painting, and printmaking. The art major is designed to serve as a foundation for careers in studio work and related fields such as teaching, graphic design, art therapy, and industrial art. For some of these fields and for teaching, the student will continue study beyond the bachelor’s degree into graduate school, certification programs, and apprenticeships.
Major in art: 36 semester hours, including ART 131, 138, 231, 233, 235, 237, 272, 434; 9 hours from 332, 333, 337, 339, 378 or from 335, 336, 372, 436; 473 or 474 (depending on track). Students must complete all 100 and 200 level courses and then must choose either a 2-dimensional track or a 3-dimensional track. Students may start their final six hours (434 and 473 or 474) as juniors.
Supporting courses for art major: 24 semester hours, including ART 136, 374, 375, and 15 hours in fine arts, humanities, and/or social sciences.
Minor in art: 18 semester hours, including ART 131, 138, 374, 375; and 233- 333 or 235-335 or 237-337 or 272-372.
A studio course requires a weekly average of three hours work outside the scheduled class time.
ART
ART 131. Drawing I (3:1:5)
Drawing for potential art majors as well as those with little or no previous drawing experience. Basic concepts emphasizing the formal elements of drawing. Media include pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink.
ART 136. Art Appreciation (3:3:0)
A basic course in art appreciation and perception. Concepts common to painting, sculpture, architecture, and the minor arts are stressed through lecture sessions.
ART 138. Design I (3:1:5)
Introduction to the formal elements of design and principles of visual organization.
ART 231. Drawing II (3:1:5)
Theory and practice in the elements of drawing with emphasis on the human figure. Prerequisite: ART 131 or consent of instructor.
ART 233. Painting I (3:1:5)
Introduction to painting media and techniques. Personal expression through pictorial organization is stressed.
ART 235. Sculpture I (3:1:5)
Fundamental techniques and three dimensional concepts in producing sculpture in clay, plaster, and other materials.
ART 237. Printmaking I (3:1:5)
Introduction to printmaking processes including relief printing and intaglio (etching and drypoint).
ART 272. Ceramics I (3:1:5)
Basic techniques in forming, decoration, and firing pottery. Emphasis on handbuilding with introduction to wheel thrown forms.
ART 332. Drawing III (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 231, with emphasis on further investigation of drawing concepts and structure. Prerequisite: ART 131, 231 or consent of instructor.
ART 333. Painting II (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 233 with emphasis on further development of personal style, specialized concepts and techniques. Prerequisite: ART 233 or consent of instructor.
ART 335. Sculpture II (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 235 with emphasis on further development of personal style, specialized concepts and techniques. Prerequisite: ART 235 or consent of instructor.
ART 336. Design II (3:1:5)
Introduction to color theory as well as concepts related to 3-dimensional form.
ART 337. Printmaking II (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 237 with emphasis on further development of personal style, specialized concepts and techniques. Prerequisite: ART 237 or consent of instructor.
ART 339. Watercolor (3:1:5)
Investigation of composition, color, techniques, and materials related to watercolor. Prerequisite: ART 131 or consent of instructor.
ART 372. Ceramics II (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 272 with further emphasis on wheel thrown forms, introduction to glaze calculations with emphasis on individual expression through combinations of hand-building and wheel throwing. Prerequisite: ART 272 or consent of instructor.
ART 373. Art Concepts (3:3:0)
Basic art activities in a variety of media and materials for teachers of all grades.
ART 374. Art History of the Western World I (3:3:0)
A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from prehistory through 1400. Non- Western art traditions included. Artistic styles, individual artistic achievements, and cultural contexts will be examined.
ART 375. Art History of the Western World II (3:3:0)
A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from 1400 through the present. Movements in style, achievements of artists, and cultural contexts will be examined. (Note: ART 374 is not prerequisite.)
ART 378. Photography (3:1:5)
Introduction of historic, non-traditional and alternative methods of creating photographic imagery with the use of medium format film.
ART 379. Special Topics (3:X:X)
Designed to provide specialization in various media taught in the department.
ART 410, 420, 430. Independent Study (X:0:X)
Independent research in the visual arts under departmental supervision. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
ART 434. Senior Seminar (Capstone course) (3:1:5)
This seminar emphasizes professional development of individuals in pursuit of career in the visual arts and has the following five components: continued development of studio work, exhibition, documentation, critical reading, and community service through the arts. Required of all art majors. Includes group and individual critiques of advanced studio work, preparation of this body of work for exhibition either in an oncampus or off-campus senior group or solo show, production of a digital or 35mm. slide portfolio, development of a resume, artist’s statement, and biography, reading and discussions of contemporary aesthetic and ethical issues in the field of art, initiation and/or participation in community service and volunteer projects during the course of study that are in related in some way to the arts using the skills that have been acquired in the process of art-making.
ART 436. Environmental Sculpture (3:1:5)
Continuation of ART 335 with the exploration of three methods of environmental sculpture that include site specific, installations and earthworks.
ART 473. Advanced 2-Dimensional Studio (3:1:5)
Continuation of 2-dimensional interest (painting or printmaking) with introduction to contemporary ideas of art, emphasis on craft, and broadening of critical thinking skills in preparation for a career in the visual arts. Prerequisite: completion of 100 and 200 level required courses toward art major or consent of instructor.
ART 474. Advanced 3-Dimensional Studio (3:1:5)
Continuation of 3-dimensional interest (ceramics or sculpture) with introduction to contemporary ideas of art, emphasis on craft, and broadening of critical thinking skills in preparation for a career in the visual arts. Prerequisite: completion of 100 and 200 level required courses toward art major or consent of instructor.
