Art

ART 101. Introduction To Painting. 3 Credits.

This studio course familiarizes the non-art major with the art of painting in oils and/or acrylics. Students learn basic fundamentals of color mixing and applying paint while painting from still life set-ups, portrait models and other typical subject matter. Discussions and reproductions introduce students to relevant painters and their work and a general appreciation of the craft of painting. Some art materials must be purchased for this course. Not open to art majors.

ART 103. Introduction to Sculpture. 3 Credits.

This studio course introduces principles of sculpture and three-dimensional design to the student with little or no previous art experience. The emphasis will be on learning to skillfully manipulate different materials and to develop an understanding of art concepts as they apply to the practice, viewing, and discussion of art. The student will gain an appreciation for three-dimensional work as they directly experience the process inherent in creating art. A range of media will be used. Not open to art majors.

ART 105. Introduction To Drawing. 3 Credits.

This course is designed as an introductory-level course for those with little or no previous experience in drawing. Its aim is to expose the student to a range of media and working approaches to the various problems of drawing. The task of learning to see will be met as a combination of close observation and spontaneous response to the media of drawing. In class, as well as out of class, drawings will be initiated by the students themselves. Subjects will include landscape, still life, interiors, portrait, and the clothed human figure.

ART 109. Art History I. 3 Credits.

This course is a chronological survey of the visual arts of the Western World from prehistoric times to the Renaissance. The course presents significant sculpture, architecture, and paintings of this period through slides, films, textual reproductions, and actual museum pieces. Lectures include critical, visual, and technical analysis of these works, biographical sketches of contributing artists, and relevant cultural and historical details that influenced the art of these centuries. The history of significant works of art from non-Western cultures will also be studied. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement. Spring.

ART 110. Art History II. 3 Credits.

This course is a chronological survey of the visual arts of the Western World from C.E. 1400 to present day. The course presents significant sculpture, paintings, and architecture of these years through slides and textual reproductions. Lectures include critical, visual, and technical analysis of these works, biographical sketches of the contributing artists, and the relevant cultural and historical events and personages that influenced and were influenced by the art of these centuries. Chapters on Islamic, Asian, African, North & South American Art introduce students to significant culturally diverse historical and contemporary works of art with an expansive global view on the history of art. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement. Fall.

ART 212. Portfolio and Digital Tools. 3 Credits.

This capstone course provides the student with practical skills and knowledge essential in preparing for future education or a career in the visual arts, articulating their identity and place in the arts. Students will critique and assess accomplishments to develop a comprehensive portfolio of work, after individual reviews with each art faculty. Program competencies and learning outcomes evaluated. Students focus on developing individual portfolios for their pursuits, researching and preparing application materials for bachelor's degree programs and opportunities in the arts, creating an artist's statement and resume, and advancing written and oral communication skills. Students are introduced to digital tools necessary for success. Photographing and documenting work, and creating promotional materials will be presented. Students develop a series of work to strengthen their final portfolio and create a PowerPoint artist’s presentation of their final portfolio and aspirations and present it to the class. Required course for ART majors. Prerequisites: ART 263, ART 264, and ART 269. Spring.

ART 241. Watercolor Painting. 3 Credits.

This course explores the basic techniques of working in the medium of watercolors. Exercises using transparencies and opaque techniques will be assigned. Slides of historical works by masters of the medium will be screened and discussed. Prerequisites: ART 105 or ART 263.

ART 251. Two-Dimensional Design. 3 Credits.

Two-Dimensional Design presents the principles of expressive design on flat surfaces through directed activities in painting, drawing, collage, and use of digital tools. Students practice the use of line, shape, color, value, and other design fundamentals. Lectures, critiques, discussions, and an exploration of diverse works of art further engage students in discovering what constitutes good design. Students will need to buy most of the course materials. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement; ART 263 is recommended.

ART 252. Three-Dimensional Design. 3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the principles, processes, and materials often used to create three-dimensional work and prepares students for the sculpture course. Students use close observations to study geometric and organic objects and construct forms with materials such as cardboard, foam, plaster, or clay while exploring the spatial context of parts to the whole in good design. Issues of scale and proportion are introduced, followed by measuring, drafting, and fabrication/refabrication. Students learn basic mold-making techniques and complete a portrait study in clay. Additional assignments stress the three-dimensional design aspects of weight, mass, density, rhythm, and tension and how they may be used to recreate objects from life as well as produce work based on abstraction. Diverse work by sculptors and designers, with a range of approaches and processes for working three-dimensionally, are presented. Lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and critiques further engage students in their understanding of three-dimensional design. Additional homework beyond class meeting times may be required. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement. Fall.

ART 253. Painting I. 3 Credits.

Painting I offers basic instruction in oil and/or acrylic painting and is intended for art majors and other students with an art background. Class and home assignments allow the student to practice mixing colors and manipulating paint. Accurate translation of observed color, form, and space is emphasized. Personal expression is encouraged. Students also learn about brush selection, surface preparation, pigment composition, and the use of various mediums. Building and stretching a canvas and preparing a painting for exhibition will be presented. Lectures, discussions and critiques familiarize students with the history of painting from various cultures and what constitutes good painting. Students are responsible for supplying most of the materials needed for the course. Prerequisites: ART 263 or permission of Division Dean. Spring.

ART 254. Painting II. 3 Credits.

Painting II is a continuation of ART 253 Painting I. Students paint from the human figure, interior spaces, and the surrounding landscape in an effort to better understand the relationship of light, color, form, and space; improve their ability to translate a three-dimensional experience onto a flat surface, and expand their transfer portfolios. This course encourages the development of a more personal painting style to further explore painting as an expressive medium and may include building and stretching a canvas. Discussions and lectures acquaint students with paintings from a diverse range of artists. Additional homework outside of class meeting time may be required. Students may be required to participate in an exhibit of work at the end of the semester. Students are responsible for supplying most of the materials needed for this course. Prerequisite: ART 253 or permission of Division Dean. Fall.

ART 257. Painting III. 3 Credits.

Painting III is for advanced students interested in pursuing their personal interests in oil or acrylic painting. Emphasis is on the individual work of the student, thematic development, and aesthetic considerations unique to the painting process. Painting III is recommended for the student who is motivated, directed, and able to work independently. A small exhibition of work, or participation in a group exhibition, may be required. Prerequisites: ART 254 and permission of the Division Dean.

ART 259. Ceramics I. 3 Credits.

Students create functional and sculptural work in clay as they develop skills in hand-building methods (pinch, coil, drape, and slab) and end with an introduction to the potter’s wheel. Work from Africa, Indigenous America, and historical and contemporary ceramists, along with ancient firing practices, will be presented. The course may include different clay bodies and glazes, as well as firing the work in outdoor kilns and the electric or gas kilns. Individual expression will be encouraged, as the student gains an appreciation for the history of ceramics and for clay as a unique medium. Outside reading assignments and keeping a sketchbook throughout the semester will be required. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement.

ART 260. Ceramics II. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on developing skills on the potter’s wheel to create functional forms (cylinders, bowls, jars, mugs, etc.) and hand-building sculptural clay pieces of a large scale. Ceramic work from the Far East, the Mediterranean, Europe and work by historical and contemporary ceramists will be presented. Individual expression will be encouraged as students visualize and build pieces that challenge their skills. Different clay bodies, glazes, glaze applications, and decorative techniques will be explored. The course may include firing in outdoor trash barrel kilns, a raku firing, or using the electric and gas kilns. Outside reading assignments and keeping a sketchbook throughout the semester will be required. Prerequisite: ART 259 or permission of Division Dean. Spring.

ART 263. Drawing I. 3 Credits.

A comprehensive foundation drawing course required for art and graphic design majors and open to students with a genuine interest in learning to draw. Students will explore a wide range of media and working processes common to the art of drawing. Assignments will center on the ability to translate objects in actual three-dimensional space onto a flat two-dimensional surface. Learning to see will be a primary focus of class work. A variety of styles and techniques will be discussed and/or demonstrated. A diverse range of artists and approaches will be introduced in lectures, discussions, and critiques. The course will conclude with an introduction to drawing the human figure and may include clothed and nude models. Additional homework outside of class meeting time may be required. Students will need to buy most of the course materials. Prerequisites: ENG 098, FYE 101, RDG 098, or placement.

ART 264. Drawing II. 3 Credits.

This course aims to further develop drawing skills introduced in ART 263 Drawing I and provide students with the opportunity to achieve an overall confidence level with a range of different media and approaches. Areas of concentration will focus on composition, perspective, and illusionary, as well as two-dimensional aspects of space. A diverse range of artists, approaches, and styles will be presented. A significant amount of time will be spent developing drawings of the human figure from nude and clothed models. Portfolio development in this area will be encouraged with critiques aimed at the enhancement of individual drawing strengths. Additional homework outside of class meeting time may be required. Prerequisite: ART 263 or permission of Division Dean. Spring.

ART 269. Drawing III. 3 Credits.

This course is designed for the art student to develop advanced level drawings and to create work for a portfolio. The student should be capable of individually directed work in drawing and have completed all other drawing courses. Emphasis is on thematic development, the individual work of the student, and aesthetic considerations unique to the drawing process. Clothed and nude models may be used. Cutting a mat and preparing a work for exhibition will be presented. Prerequisite: ART 264. Fall.

ART 271. Sculpture I. 3 Credits.

This course aims to teach the working principles of sculpture, learning from early traditions to contemporary approaches to working three-dimensionally. The course is structured with assigned problems that will engage the student in aspects of form, spatial context, and content. The building aspects of construction involving weight, mass, and durability will be put on par with the intellectual aspect of the creative process. The course includes a figure study in clay, subtractive techniques, and fabrication methods with a broad range of materials. Drawing, drafting, and planning will also be used to actualize work in three dimensions. Presentations, lectures, and research will introduce students to diverse historical and contemporary sculptures that will influence decisions in the development of work and broaden their understanding of sculpture. A sketchbook is required and students will need to purchase some materials. Prerequisites: ART 252 or permission of the Division Dean. Fall.

ART 272. Sculpture II. 3 Credits.

This course is a continuation of ART 271, Sculpture 1. Students practice and refine their skills while exploring contemporary and traditional practices, and artists currently redefining sculpture. Individual expression is encouraged. More attention will be paid to figurative work from the model, additional mold-making techniques will be introduced and assignments will be given to expand the student's familiarity of material and ideas in sculpture. An option to learn subtractive techniques in wood and or the lost wax bronze casting procedures may be included in the course. Presentations and lectures introduce students to diverse works and sculptors. Drawing, drafting, and keeping a sketchbook is required. The student is expected to purchase some materials. Prerequisite: ART 271 or permission of the Division Dean. Spring.

ART 273. Sculpture III. 3 Credits.

This course is for the advanced student who is in pursuit of creating work for a portfolio, after completing all other course offerings in sculpture. Emphasis is on the individual work of the student, thematic development, and aesthetic considerations unique to the sculpture process. Recommended for the student who is motivated, directed, and able to work independently. Prerequisites: ART 272, and permission of the Division Dean.

ART 284. Ceramics III. 3 Credits.

This course is for the advanced student who is in pursuit of creating work for a portfolio, after completing all other course offerings in ceramics. The student is expected to create a thematic body of ceramic work and further develop their technical skills and conceptual abilities. Further exploration of clay bodies, glazes, kiln firings, and aesthetic considerations unique to the ceramic process will be presented. The student should have some previous knowledge of working with clay, understand methods of hand building, and have basic skills using the potter's wheel. The student is expected to be self-motivated, able to work independently, and to have specific goals. In addition to creating the body of work in individual proposal that is developed with the instructor, the student will complete an assignment on glaze chemistry, and give an oral presentation on their research of a significant potter, ceramist, or sculptor. Prerequisites: ART 260 and permission of the Division Dean.

ART 285. Ceramics IV. 3 Credits.

This course is a continuation of ART 284 Ceramics III and is designed for the art student interested in further advancing skills for working with clay and creating advanced level work for a professional or transfer portfolio. The student should be capable of individually directed work and have completed all other ceramic courses. Further exploration of clay bodies, glazes, glaze chemistry, kiln firings, and aesthetic considerations unique to the ceramic process will be presented. The course will include research, oral presentations, a glaze chemistry project relevant to the student's own work and critiques. Emphasis will be on the individual work of the student. Prerequisites: ART 284 and permission of the Division Dean.

ART 286. Printmaking I. 3 Credits.

An introduction to printmaking that may include monotypes, relief, and intaglio. Thematic development and individual expression will be encouraged as the student develops a portfolio of monotypes, drypoints, etchings, and linocuts. The student will learn the process of plate preparation, applying a ground to the plate; the proper use of the press and care of prints will be presented. Safer approaches to printmaking will be covered. Prerequisite: ART 105 or ART 263 or permission of Division Dean. Fall.

ART 287. Printmaking II. 3 Credits.

The student will focus on intaglio printmaking and the use of color or multiple blocks in relief printmaking. Different grounds, aquatint, etching a plate, registration, and the printing of a consistent edition of prints will be presented. Individual expression and aesthetic considerations will be encouraged in the development and printing of the student's original image. Traditional and contemporary innovations in printmaking will be emphasized. Prerequisite: ART 286 or permission of Division Dean.