ART - Art

Course Descriptions

 

ART 0200 Open Darkroom (0)

Students will have full access to utilize the darkroom throughout the semester. Once a month, students who are interested in working in the darkroom will meet as a group with the instructor. They will hear announcements, share photographs, and correspond about various experiences in the darkroom. This class is open to anyone in the university who has had some darkroom experience. Attendance is mandatory. $75 lab fee. Prerequisites: ART 2715 or permission of instructor.

ART 1000 Introduction to Studio Art (3)

For those students (non-majors) who have not had formal experience in visual arts studio practice and would like to do some work in the visual arts; for those whose major interests are in other departments or programs but who wish to add another dimension to their experience and understanding of the visual arts. GCP Coding: (ARTS) (CRI)

ART 1010 Creative Strategies (3)

Part of the foundations core. Students explore different theories of creativity, examine the practices of contemporary creative thinkers, and learn skills required to successfully apply Creative Strategies in their lives. Through practical and theoretical applications, including both dialogue and art-making practice, students investigate the fundamentals of two-dimensional design and are exposed to the visual language and conceptual underpinnings that surround art and design. This course presents students with the tools to deal with visual materials in a knowledgeable and critical way, to obtain insight into the making and consuming of images, and to understand their historical and theoretical basis. Prerequisite: Admission to the department upon portfolio review or declared major in Art History and Criticism

ART 1110 Introduction to Drawing (3)

Students gain confidence in drawing by strengthening the connection between eye and hand through observational drawing and learning basic techniques of visual measurement. By working with simple forms and settings, students will build a vocabulary of forms and a set of skills essential for any style of drawing. Basic concepts of design and composition are reinforced through class critiques.

ART 1120 Principles of Drawing (3)

An observational drawing class that builds on the skills and concepts begun in Introduction to Drawing. It includes a more in-depth understanding of space through linear and atmospheric perspective as well as the use of light and shadow in composition. The introduction of symbolic or emblematic meaning in subjects should deepen each student's personal involvement with their artwork. A final objective of this course is to expand the variety of drawing media used by introducing students to ink or other water-based media. Prerequisites: ART 1110 or ART 1150 or advanced placement upon portfolio review. 

ART 1130 Figure Drawing for Theatre Majors (2)

Focuses on the composition of the human form. Uses human anatomy as a basis for studying a particular model. Studies composition, overlap and volume, ground-image relationships, form and shape, action line and gesture through the use of single models and groups of figures. Outside class work involves exploration of media techniques and observation drawing exercises. By the end of the course the student is expected to create from imagination the correct human proportion. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ART 1110 or permission of the instructor. For theatre majors only.

ART 1150 Observational Drawing (3)

Part of the foundations core. Emphasizes the development of a regular and authentic practice of drawing as a critical-thinking and ideation tool, and the history and varied contemporary processes entailed by such practice. Through observation, students practice being inquisitive about the world around them and use broad definition of drawing to filter and expand their experiences and research. Explorative mark-making, self-expression, and research will be integrated into studies of perspective and light and shadow. Prerequisite: Admission to department upon portfolio review or declared major in Art History and Criticism. 

ART 1310 Materials and Making (3)

Part of the foundations core. Introduces the relationships, vocabulary, and methods of using objects in a creative practice. The link between material understanding and conceptual decisions are established while exploring ideas of utility, expression, and process in art and design. Projects are pursued within a studio environment and include traditional means and contemporary technology. Prerequisite: Admission to department upon portfolio review or declared major in Art History and Criticism. 

Art 1900 First-Year Exhibition (0) 

Part of the foundations core. A review of student progress by DADAH faculty that occurs in the Fall of a student's first year. Students exhibit their creative work in the Visual Arts Building in conjunction with a public opening reception to display what they have accomplished during their first year in DADAH. All art majors (both transfer and traditional freshmen) must register for ART 1900 in the fall semester of their first year. Prerequisite: Declared major in Art. 

ART 2110 Figure Drawing (3)

Includes a study of human proportion and a limited introduction to the skeleton and surface muscles, but a greater emphasis is made on the observation of live models. Students also gain a more holistic understanding of the figure by drawing the models in motion and from memory. Presentations of contemporary and classical figure drawings reinforce the lessons from the model and illustrate a variety of approaches to the figure. Prerequisites: ART 1110 or ART 1150.

ART 2130 Illustration (3)

An introduction to print and digital illustration as well as book illustration and graphic fiction; as such it is suited for students with majors in graphic design, animation or fine art and drawing. By looking at examples of renowned artists, students will become familiar with the functions and styles of illustrations. A series of studio projects in a variety of media are designed to strengthen skills essential to illustrators, such as clarity, spatial context, motion, time, and continuity in sequential drawing. Prerequisites: ART 1110 or ART 1150 or DESN 1210.

ART 2200 Introduction to Expressive Arts Therapy (3)

Introduces students to the field of expressive arts therapy, a relatively new field of therapy that combines psychology and the diverse fina and performing arts forms (art, music, dance, drama) to promote emotional growth and healing. 

ART 2315 Sculpture I (3)

Investigates material, process, and conceptual issues involved in sculpture while working with contemporary fabrication techniques. Guided projects include working with wood, metal, and plaster. Prerequisites: ART 1300 or DESN 1220.

ART 2410 Painting I (3)

Concentrates on the fundamentals of paint-handling skills. Most work is done in a series of exercises to develop formal pictorial principles to include: value, color, shape relationship, composition, and an understanding of archival supports. There is a strong emphasis to balance process with creative investigation in relationship to the history of painting and current art. Prerequisites: ART 1010 or ART 1110 or DESN 1210.

ART 2530 Ceramics: Space (3)

Students focus on handbuilding with clay and on developing an individual approach to integrating ideas, materials, and processes. They experiment with a variety of surface and firing finishes with an emphasis in personal and cultural expression. The traditional, historical, and contemporary crossroads of ceramics are introduced. The potter’s wheel is minimally used.

ART 2540 Ceramics: Form and Design (3)

Students use the potter’s wheel as the forming process for making work. They experiment with a variety of surface and firing finishes with an emphasis in personal and cultural expression. The traditional, historical, and contemporary crossroads of ceramics are introduced. Handbuilding is minimally used. 

ART 2610 Printmaking Concepts and Techniques (3)

Includes relief, intaglio, and planographic. Stresses familiarity with printmaking tools, materials, techniques, and the work of important printmakers. 

ART 2715 Fine Art Photography (3)

Introduces conceptual, historical, and practical bases of photography as used in art practice. Students begin to understand and interpret photographic imagery, practice critical thinking, and discover the possibility of camera-made and constructed images. Lectures introduce the work of noted photographers and the evolution of aesthetics and theory associated with the history of the medium, examining the impact that the photographic image exerts in contemporary art. Through demonstration and hands-on activity, students learn the technical skills needed to use a 35mm manual camera, process black-and-white negatives, and make black-and-white prints. 

ART 2720 Intermediate Photography (3)

Continues black-and-white photography. Increases the range and complexity of students' "photographic" vision, directing visual thinking toward a sophisticated photographic project, and extending knowledge of the history and theory of photographic representation. A variety of conceptual approaches and technical skills are also introduced. Students become proficient with camera use, exposure, film characteristics, print techniques, lighting, archival printing procedures, medium and large format cameras, and print finishing. Prerequisites: ART 2715 or PHOT 1000, or permission of the instructor. 

ART 2810 Video Art (3)

Explores video as a fine art medium. Students learn about the history and theory of experimental film and video art through lectures and screenings, and develop critical skills through practice-based assignments. Topics include camera techniques, tactics for on-camera image alteration, building custom camera rigs, non-linear editing, compositing, and special effects for making video-based artworks. 

ART 2820 Sound and Noise Art (3)

Explores sound as a fine art medium. Through lectures and practice-based assignments, students learn about the history and theory of experimental music and sound art, and acquire the technical skills required for making sound and noise art. Topics include audio recording, multitrack audio editing, loop-based aural composition, radio art, sound as a sculptural medium, circuit-bending, and the fabrication of noise machines. 

ART 2900 DADAH Critique (0)

A review of student progress by DADAH faculty. All studio majors must register for ART 2900 DADAH Critique in the first semester after completing 18 studio credits. For traditional freshmen, this will occur in the Fall or Spring of their sophomore year. For transfer students, this will occur in their first semester at Webster, or when they have a combined total of 18 studio credits.

ART 3050 Topics in Studio Art (3)

Intensive studies in specialized studio topics, which may include sections dealing with any of the department's studio areas. It may also include sections that extend studio options including: glass blowing, felt making, mural painting, and collaborative production. May be repeated for credit. 

ART 3060 Text and Image (3)

Explores the ways in which text and image are used together successfully in art. Significant time is given to discussion of artists employing both text and image in their work. Students create work based on ideas and discussions in class. Critiques are held for each project, and the course culminates in an independent, student-directed work. Prerequisites: ART 1010 or DESN 1210.

ART 3070 Fiber Arts (3)

Emphasizes the expressive potential of fibers through exploration of textile creation, alteration, and design. Students will explore the history of textiles in the fine art works while creating artworks using various techniques including papermaking, felting, weaving, surface design, and dying.

ART 3099 Independent Study (1-6)

Independent study involves research work on a specialized subject or project, or artistic work. The emphasis in an independent study is usually on individual pursuit of a specific content area. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ART 3110 Conceptual Drawing (3)

Exposes students to alternatives to observation-based drawing. In this course, traditional representation becomes subordinate to image making for its conceptual or problem-solving potential. Students will be encouraged to expand the scope of drawing by working outside of the traditional frame or across a variety of media. Prerequisites: ART 1150. 

ART 3120 Narrative Figure Drawing (3)

Emphasizes the reasons for using the figure and the content of the drawings. Students are encouraged to explore the environments surrounding the figures by working through a series of projects that include portraiture, sequential drawing, and cultural commentary. In addition to traditional drawing media, students may also explore color and alternative supports and materials. Prerequisites: ART 1120 and ART 2110. 

ART 3140 Digital Drawing (3)

Develops a bridge between digital and physical media in drawing. Students are introduced to digital technologies as they prove relevant to individually directed projects, and may integrate digital drawing with physical media to varying degrees. Prerequisite: ART 1110 or ART 1150 or DESN 1210.

ART 3150 Anatomy Studies (3)

Builds agility and versatility into students’ narrative imagination through a focused study of artistic anatomy. Resources for 2-D or 3-D modeling will include anatomy textbooks in addition to live models, skeletons, and cadavers, when available. Anatomy Studies is recommended for any student interested in figurative art, including: painters, sculptors, illustrators, and animators. Prerequisites: ART 1150 or ART 2110

ART 3160 Topics in Illustration and Drawing (3) 

Intensive studies in specialized studio topics related to illustration and drawing. May be repeated for credit if content differs. Prerequisite: ART 1110 or ART 1150 or DESN 1210.

ART 3210 Expressive Arts Therapy Studio (3)

Required as the second course for all students pursuing the Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate, this studio experience provides an immersive, multi-modal expressive arts experience framed non-judgmentally within a low-skill/high-sensitivity paradigm. Provides an opportunity for in-depth practice of Expressive Arts Therapy strategies while also welcoming students majoring in ART, ANIM, CONS, DANC, DESN, FTVP, MUSC, WRIT, FILM, PHOT, who seek a multi-modal studio experience designed to increase their creative and psychological well-being. While this class may be therapeutic in nature, it is not a substitution for personal therapy. Prerequisite: ART 2200 or PSYC 2000. 

ART 3320 Sculpture II (3)

Continues the development from ART 2315 with an increased focus on individual conceptual development while working on projects that deal both with the gallery setting and public spaces. Individual material exploration is encouraged and advanced fabrication techniques are taught. Prerequisites: ART 2315. 

ART 3330 Sculpture Workshop (3)

Deals with advanced technologies and contemporary fabrication processes in sculpture. Course focus and processes taught varies per semester, but can include beginning 3-D digital rendering, CNC milling, 3-D printing, and foundry metal pouring as it applies to fine art production. Student may repeat this course for credit, depending on content. Prerequisites: ART 2315.

ART 3410 Intermediate Painting (3)

Begins the process of exploring individual ideas and approaches. Emphasis is placed on subject matter and content. Attention is directed to assist each student to gain the paint-handling skills necessary to develop and express content. Prerequisites: ART 2410. 

ART 3530 Investigations in Ceramics (3)

Students continue to increase both building and analytical skills. They explore various processes of art-making, including building by hand or using the potter's wheel. Students become increasingly self-directed as they develop an individual approach to integrating ideas, materials, and processes. Independent individual research is required. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ART 2530 or ART 2540. 

ART 3540 Ceramics Materials and Technology (3)

This course focuses on clays, glaze calculation, and kiln theory. Through lectures and lab assignments, students learn the characteristics of clay and glaze materials and calculation. They learn about basic kiln types, fuels, and refractory materials. Students are encouraged to use their outcomes on personal work. Prerequisites: ART 2530 or ART 2540. 

ART 3450 Painting Workshop (3) 

Offers students with experience in painting an opportunity for advanced intensive studio work. Focus varies through a range of aesthetic and technical problems. May be repeated for up to 9 credit hours. Prerequisite: ART 1110 or ART 1150 or DESN 1210. 

ART 3610 Screenprinting (3)

Introduces basic processes and expanded/alternative/contemporary processes of fine art screenprinting. Alongside the creation of a portfolio of prints, students will explore critical theories surrounding printed matter and its relation to the contemporary art world. Prerequisites: ART 1010 or ART 1110 or DESN 1210.

ART 3620 Intaglio Printmaking (3)

Emphasizes the creation of intaglio prints. Encourages students to explore the processes and techniques available for their expressive potential. Includes the aesthetics of prints and the work of important printmakers. Prerequisites: ART 2610.

ART 3630 Papermaking (3)

Demonstrates mold and deckle making, sheet forming, casting, and large sheet making. Emphasizes the inherent qualities and expressive potential of papermaking, although traditional hand papermaking forms the basis for the course. May be repeated for credit. 

ART 3650 Printmaking Workshop (3)

Offers students with experience in printmaking an opportunity for advanced intensive studio work. Focus varies through a range of aesthetic and technical problems. May be repeated for up to 9 credit hours. Prerequisites:ART 2610.

ART 3680 Alternative Lithography (3)

Introduces many alternatives to the traditional stone lithography process. Students research, practice, and master a comprehensive survey of the tools, techniques, and conceptual implications of polyester plate, aluminum plate, and photo plate lithography, along with other various image-transfer processes. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ART 2610.

ART 3690 Book Arts and Letterpress (3)

Introduces the broad range of information and projects related to book arts. Various methods of binding will be analyzed and utilized as students explore how creative content can unfold through sequential imaging. The history of letterpress printing will be explored through various printing projects using movable type. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ART 2610.

ART 3730 Color Photographics (3)

Provides students with an introduction to the images, techniques, and history of color photography. Emphasis is placed on the growth of each student's aesthetic and critical abilities as it applies to color photography, technical control during shooting and printing, and understanding past and current aesthetic concerns in the field. Through work/review sessions, students are encouraged to evaluate their own ideas and judgments in the pursuit of a well-communicated photographic work. Among the topics to be covered are: learning to see in color; recognizing differences between color in the world and color in a photograph; the effects of changing light on color; and color that reinforces or contradicts the subject of a photograph.

ART 3750 Alternative Photography (3)

Investigates the relationship between critical concepts and alternative processes, by addressing contemporary issues and photographic theories as they relate to studio practices. Students will learn to create images using alternative non-silver photographic processes including cyanotypes, Van Dyke Brown printing, the salted paper process, image transfers, cliché-verre, photograms, and a combination of mixed media. Emphasis is placed upon developing advanced concepts while promoting experimental strategies for creating and manipulating images. Prerequisites: ART 2715 and ART 2720, or PHOT 1000 and PHOT 2000, or permission of the instructor.

ART 3760 Photographic Possibilities (3)

Students explore photography's inherent qualities as an aesthetic and conceptual investigation in an environment where everyone is free to experiment with photography in any direction they want, challenging the notion of what a photograph can encompass. This course constructs a community in which we share our experiments and build off each other's trials in order to push the boundaries of what is possible and see what we can discover. 

ART 3780 Photography Workshop (3)

Offers students with experience in photography an opportunity for advanced intensive studio/darkroom work. Focus varies through a range of aesthetic and technical problems. Prerequisite: ART 2715 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. 

ART 3820 Performance Art (3)

Examines performance art as an integral element in the development of the visual arts. Students challenge the traditional role of the art object by creating multimedia performance works that include the artist's own body, the element of time, and audience participation. Particular emphasis is on contemporary performance art and its relationship to politics, media, and the performing arts. May be repeated for credit. 

ART 3830 Time Studio (3)

Examines the concepts and processes involved in time-based art mediums. Study includes lectures, reading, and student production in several time-based media including moving images, sound, digital networks, and installations. Evaluation based on level of participation, critiques, and exams based on readings. May be repeated for credit.

ART 3900 BFA Review (0)

Graduating with a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) major is achieved in part by presenting a selection of work that demonstrates a studio specialization, technical facility and conceptual sophistication. Students must enroll in this review one year prior to graduation. A passing grade is required for completion of the BFA program. 

ART 4020 Professional Practice for Artists (3)

This seminar course prepares studio art majors with fundamental professional knowledge, to make them aware of challenges they will face upon graduation as artists and to develop their basic tools for success. Students will investigate historical and contemporary concepts of art-making that relate to their area of interest to enhance their understanding and development of their art practice. Practical issues will be covered that relate to managing an artist's studio and career, including: both critical and proposal writing, documenting work, finding and creating opportunities, personal promotion and fundamental business/legal issues of the profession. This course emphasizes theoretical readings and critical inquiry regarding the individual's art practice as it relates to issues of politics, identities, technology, commodity, and other themes that connect to a student's work in order to speak, write, and present their ideas in a professional and competent manner. Prerequisites: ART 2900

ART 4030 Senior Critique (3)

Enables students to strengthen their individual directions as artists and designers by providing the advanced student working time to identify personal interests, working trends, and/or alternative materials, which can be expanded into a personal creative visual direction. Emphasis is placed on the growth of each student's aesthetic and critical concerns, the ability to fully realize an idea from beginning to end, and understanding past and current aesthetic concerns in art and design. Students will be critiqued various times throughout the semester by the entire class and small critique groups. Art and Graphic Design majors must enroll in the spring of their senior year. Prerequisite: ART 2900. 

ART 4050 Reading Course (1-4)

Assigned readings on specific topics related to individual students' interest and research. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and filing of official form.

ART 4060 Art Abroad (3-6)

Offers opportunity to study the practice of art in international settings and experiences. 

ART 4110 Advanced Drawing (3)

Promotes individual directions in drawing, regardless of style or drawing media. All students are encouraged to strengthen the bridges between drawing and other media. Throughout the semester, students are engaged with contemporary issues in drawing through discussions, critiques, and visits to regional galleries and museums. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: ART 1150.

ART 4130 Professional Practice for Illustrators (3)

Helps students fine-tune their illustration techniques through a series of conceptual and problem solving projects. Students will build a professional portfolio while they learn about ways to market and brand their work for careers in illustration.

ART 4310 Advanced Sculpture (3)

Further developing on ART 3310, students are expected to create a coherent body of work and produce more research in supports of their projects. Advanced material and fabrication techniques are covered depending on individual project needs in addition to presentations and critiques. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ART 3320. 

ART 4410 Advanced Painting (3)

Emphasizes the refinement of technical skills in direct correlation to conceptual development. Students are challenged to sharpen perceptual and intuitive skills, to practice critical thinking during regular progress critiques, practice written analysis, and work toward the preparation of a cohesive body of work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: ART 3410. 

ART 4530 Focus in Ceramics (3)

Students select a focus of individualized creative experimentation with the materials and techniques learned in earlier courses. Invention, imagination, experimentation, and risk-taking are valued approaches. Independent individual research is required. Emphasis is placed on developing a contemporary artist's practice. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: ART 2530 and ART 2540.

ART 4630 Printmaking Studio (3)

Provides a workshop situation for students interested in advancing their printmaking knowledge and skills through the study and practice of advanced techniques, the growth and refinement of their own imagery, and creative options within the printmaking studio. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: 6 credit hours of printmaking. 

ART 4710 Advanced Photography (3)

Allows students to strengthen their individual directions as photographers, while introducing them to a variety of new techniques and ideas. The primary function of this course is to allow the advanced student working time to identify personal interests, working trends, and/or alternative materials, which can be expanded into a personal, creative visual direction. Emphasis is placed on the growth of each student's aesthetic and critical abilities as it applies to photography, technical control during shooting and printing, the ability to fully realize an idea from beginning to end, and understand past and current aesthetic concerns in photography. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: 6 credit hours in photography.

ART 4800 Practicum (1-6)

Practical professional experiences in art, design, or art history under the supervision of a practicing professional or within a functioning studio, gallery, or museum. 

ART 4810 Expressive Arts Therapy Project (3)

Final course required for the completion of the expressive arts therapy certificate. Provides students an opportunity to integrate the knowledge and skills acquired through the requirements of the certificate in expressive arts therapy into their individual goals within their academic major and degree choice. Offers an opportunity for students who share interest in the healing potential of the expressive arts to work with other students towards a final project for a public audience. Prerequisites: ART 2200, or PSYC 2000; PSYC 1100; PSYC 3900; ART 3210.

ART 4910 DADAH BA/BFA Exhibition (1)

In order to graduate with a BA in Art or BFA in Art or Graphic Design from DADAH, students must participate in the senior exhibition held at the end of the spring semester in the Arcade Contemporary Art Projects gallery (or, if not available, suitable alternative space). Students learn how to design, manage, and execute a successful group art exhibition by organizing a professional art exhibition from beginning to end, experiencing the work behind the scenes that makes viewing artwork in public possible. Students will be involved in all aspects of putting on an exhibition, from designing a show card and posters, to internet advertising, choosing themes and a title, installing and de-installing work, getting donations for food and beverages for the reception, etc. Prerequisites: ART 2900.