Studio Art Overview
Studio Art courses offer students an opportunity to engage in the study and practice of visual language. The learning of artistic methods and media is embedded in intellectual inquiry and critical analysis, so that the study of Studio Art serves as a meaningful focus of a liberal arts education. Art is seen as a means of communicating human experience; therefore students learn to both read this language and to visually represent their own ideas. A number of introductory level courses in various media (painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design, and photo media) satisfy Clark’s Aesthetic Perspective requirement. As the AP outlines, “artistic expression and the perception, analysis, and evaluation of aesthetic form” in fundamental terms is the objective of these classes. Areas of specialization within Studio Art include drawing, painting, graphic design, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video production (through Screen Studies), set design/lighting (through Theater) as well as interdisciplinary work within the major or between Studio Art and other academic disciplines. Additional resources include regular exhibitions of contemporary art on campus, course-related field trips to museums and galleries, visiting artist lectures, internship opportunities, and a craft studio located in the University Center.
For more information, please visit the Studio Art Department’s website.
Minor Requirements
Students whose major lies in another discipline may minor in studio art. 6 courses are required for the studio art minor. At least one of six courses for minors should be ARTS 100 or 102 as preparation for additional work in studio art. And at least one should be a 200-level course that requires intermediate or advanced work.