Studio Art Major

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 “read” images and to visually represent their own ideas. Areas of specialization within studio art include drawing, painting, graphic design, photography, printmaking and sculpture, as well as interdisciplinary work within the major or between studio art and other academic disciplines. In addition to course offerings, students may participate in internships for credit on or off campus. There are also regular exhibitions of contemporary art on campus, course-related field trips to museums and galleries, and artist lectures. Some additional art courses may be taken through COPACE for credit toward the major.

For more information, please visit the Studio Art Department’s website.

Major Requirements

The major normally consists of 14 courses: 11 studio courses and three art history courses. The western survey art history course (ARTH 010 ) must be one of the three art history courses. ARTS 100  and ARTS 102  are studio foundations designed to introduce students to the nature of visual language and the creative process while encouraging the development of visual expression. At least one of these courses is required of majors and is strongly recommended for nonmajors as preparation for additional work in studio art. In addition to these foundation courses, a number of other introductory level courses in various media (painting, sculpture, printmaking and graphic design) satisfy the aesthetic perspective requirement. As the aesthetic perspective outlines, “artistic expression and the perception, analysis and evaluation of aesthetic form” in fundamental terms will be the focus of these classes. After exploring various media, students may choose to concentrate in one area and often seek out particular faculty members for personal mentoring. With the approval of the faculty adviser, credits towards the major may include courses in music, theater arts and screen studies, as well as student-initiated nontraditional experiences. If a student chooses to double major, eight studio art courses and two art history courses are required, one of which must be ARTH 010 .

Studio Art Faculty

Studio Art Courses