Course offerings listed below may vary from year to year based on course availability. For the most up-to-date courses, course requirements and descriptions, always refer to the current University Catalog. View the current Catalog here.

 

ART 100 - Studio Humanities
3 Credits 
An introduction to the creative process through visual art studio experience. Emphasis is on materials exploration and the variety of media considered “fine art,” as well as the development of critical thinking skills involved in art production. Fee.


ART 101 - Academic Drawing
3 Credits
A studio exploration of traditional drawing techniques and materials focusing on the realistic depiction of observed forms and objects. Using basic drawing materials, students will concentrate on the construction of still life objects, landscape forms, objects in nature and the human figure. Designed to provide a foundation for advanced study in art. Fee.


ART 116 - Introduction to Photography
3 Credits
This class is an introduction to the technical and artistic aspects of photography, both film-based and digital. Students will use the traditional photographic darkroom as well as the computer lab to process images. Student must have a 35mm single reflex camera (SLR) with a manual override. Fee. 


ART 140 - Introduction to Painting
3 Credits
Introduction to Painting is a focused exploration of a variety of painting materials such as watercolor, acrylic and encaustic (wax-based pigment) as vehicles for expression and the development of a personal aesthetic. Emphasis will be on painting from nature, the emulation of forms in space, and the refinement of the gestural brushstroke. Fee.


ART 150  - History of Western Art I
3 Credits
A survey of Western art from prehistory through 16th century Mannerism. Emphasis is on the formal development of art and its connection to society through the examination of the visual arts as cultural artifacts. 


ART 151 - History of Western Art II
3 Credits
A survey of Western art from the 17th century Baroque to the present day. Emphasis is on the formal and technological development of art, both traditional and postmodern forms, in relation to society. 


ART 156 - Ceramics
3 Credits
A general introduction to studio ceramics. Emphasis is placed on acquisition of hand building techniques, ceramic design concepts, development of individual design criteria, glaze experimentation, fundamental types of ceramic ware and kiln procedures. Fee. 


ART 203 - Observational Drawing
3 Credits
This class introduces drawing from observation (figure, architecture, landscape) with an emphasis on skill development, naturalism, conceptual awareness, and formal presentation. Further development of the technical exploration begun in ART 101, Academic Drawing.

Prerequisites: ART 101 or permission of the instructor. Not open to students with credit for ART 201–202. Fee.


ART 210 - Botanical Illustration
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the history and technique of botanical illustration. Emphasis is on the development of observational skills and how they can be refined and used in conjunction with basic drawing principles to create aesthetically pleasing and scientifically accurate depictions of botanical specimens. Fee.


ART 215 - Introduction to Textiles
3 Credits
This course explores the diverse and fascinating world of textiles through an in-depth study of surface design techniques. Attention is given to the history, materials, and techniques of different color applications. This course explores traditional and nontraditional means of altering and enriching the surface of pliable materials using techniques such as wax resist, paste resist, silk painting, and the tied and shaped resist processes of Shibori. Fee.


ART 220 - Introduction to Book Arts
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the creation of books from non-Western forms such as the scroll and side-stitch to the traditional hard-cover codex. Students will learn about the traditional book binder’s canon of materials and then explore how contemporary book artists have expanded this canon. Fee.


ART 237 - Art for Teachers
3 Credits
A survey of art materials and techniques appropriate for young children. Emphasis is on the integration of principles and historic developments of art with methods for promoting and evaluating the visual development of young children. Emphasis will be placed on curricular adaptations for children with special needs, evaluation techniques, student portfolios, cross-disciplinary planning and whole curriculum development. Fee.


ART 262 - Color Theory &Production
3 Credits
Study of the history, nature, and use of color as a vital element of art and design. Emphasis is on physical properties of color (hue, value, and intensity), color and pigment mixing, additive and subtractive color, and aesthetic relationships based on the color wheel. Secondary focus is on the emotive, symbolic, and functional impact of color. Students will explore the uses of color through a variety of technical and studio projects, and will begin developing a personal aesthetic with regard to color. 

Not open to students with credit for ART 260 and ART 261. Fee.


ART 270 - The History of Women in Art
3 Credits
This course looks at the vital role women have played as artists in Western society from the beginning of recorded history to the present day. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the artist as a distinct product of her specific historical time and an exploration of the wide-ranging media she used, from clay and plant matter to embroidery, ceramics, oil paint, and digital media. 


ART 279A - CORE: Art & the Global Community
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the concept of art as an agent for social change through case studies of community/communal art “movements” through history from around the globe as well as the United States and our local community. 

Prerequisite: CORE 179 or appropriate transfer status. Pre- or Co-requisite: ENG 102 or ENG 111. 


ART/HST/POL 279C - CORE: American Political Thought: Nature & the Common Good
3 Credits
A study of the concept of nature as used in Anglo-American thought and how these usages influence an understanding of the natural, social, and political environments of the United States. Special emphasis given to American political theory, its illustration through the 19th century American landscape movement, and the inability of U.S. thinkers to appreciate the common good. 

Not open to students with credit in POL/HST/ART 335 or POL 348F.


ART 312 - Green Art
3 Credits
An introduction to the concept of green art, or art that utilizes the philosophy of sustainability/environmental responsibility as a matrix for production. Students will gain exposure to international green artists and create projects using recycled materials or media that are environmentally friendly and/or made FROM the environment.


ART 320 - Materials Exploration
3 Credits
This course draws on a basic art foundation and delves into how specific media are used for targeted effects and expressive/analytic content. Students will explore historic methods such as (but not limited to) manuscript illumination, fresco, and printmaking as well as develop an individual body of work based on a preferred material/media. Primary site visits and critique are a major part of this class. Fee.


ART 325 - Contemporary Art
3 Credits
What are the questions of our time and how are artists addressing these concerns? This course will examine current and contemporary artists, new media art (including the recent trend towards digital video), the interrelation of fine art and design, as well as conceptual frameworks that reflect current social issues. We will explore these topics through lecture, discussion, readings, writings, interpretations, and local gallery and exhibition visits.


ART 337 - Visual Art Methods Grades 4–12
3 Credits
An exploration of art materials, techniques and developmental theory for use in classrooms, grades 4–12. Evaluation techniques, cross-disciplinary planning, whole curriculum development, multicultural theory, critique mechanisms, classroom critical writing skills, and student portfolio development will also be emphasized. 

Includes a minimum of 30 hours of field experience. May be a co-requisite with EDU 410. Please see EDU 410 course description for details.


ART/POL 348H - Modernism in its Time
3 Credits
An interdisciplinary study of the social, political and intellectual culture of Modernism through the lens of the visual arts. Selected examples of visual art of the Western World will be studied in the context of their specific artistic movements as well as in conjunction with contemporaneous events in Western society such as the Great War, the American Depression, WWII, the Holocaust and the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. 

Prerequisites: ENG 101–102 or 110–111.


ART/POL 379E - Justice, Art, Politics
3 Credits
An interdisciplinary study of the influences politics has on art and the question of how art and politics inform the human search for truth through an investigation of artistic masterworks from the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. Selected images of masterworks will be discussed and annotated. 

Prerequisites: ENG 101–102 or 110–111; or consent of instructor. 


ART 479 - CORE: The Role of the Artist in Contemporary Society
3 Credits
This course is the culminating experience for the Fine Arts and Graphic Design major as well as the core curriculum. This course will consist of readings, reflection, and discussion of texts which will address the role of the artist/designer in history as a purveyor of information about society and as a creative social catalyst in contemporary society. 

Students will also be creating the conceptual framework for their Senior Thesis Exhibition including both the material form and the written text. They will be applying the knowledge base gained through their prior courses to their own individual major body of work as well as peer mentoring others in the class and engaging in a group project in the community. Fee.


ART 497 - Internship
1–3 Credits
Supervised internship of 40 clock hours for each semester credit in a setting meeting the needs and interests of the student. 

Prerequisite: Junior standing; B average; consent of instructor, academic advisor and division chairperson; successful completion of application requirements for internship.


ART 498 Senior Exhibition
3 Credits
As a culmination of their study, seniors will select, research, produce and exhibit an individual project related to the goals of their specific major and their individual interests. Students will also work as a group to curate and prepare all aspects of the exhibition from public relations to opening. 

Prerequisites: Completion of the major course sequence. Fee.


ART 1/2/3/485 - Special Topics
1–3 Credits
A study of topics in art of special interest to a specific group of students. 

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Fee.


ART 2/3/486 - Independent Study
1–3 Credits
Intensive individual work in an area of art. 

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, academic advisor, division chairperson. Fee.


ART/HST/POL 279C - CORE: American Political Thought: Nature & the Common Good
3 Credits
A study of the concept of nature as used in Anglo-American thought and how these usages influence an understanding of the natural, social, and political environments of the United States. Special emphasis given to American political theory, its illustration through the 19th century American landscape movement, and the inability of U.S. thinkers to appreciate the common good. 

Not open to students with credit in POL/HST/ART 335 or POL 348F.


ART/POL 348H - Modernism in its Time
3 Credits
An interdisciplinary study of the social, political and intellectual culture of Modernism through the lens of the visual arts. Selected examples of visual art of the Western World will be studied in the context of their specific artistic movements as well as in conjunction with contemporaneous events in Western society such as the Great War, the American Depression, WWII, the Holocaust and the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. 

Prerequisites: ENG 101–102 or 110–111.


ART/POL 379E - Justice, Art, Politics
3 Credits
An interdisciplinary study of the influences politics has on art and the question of how art and politics inform the human search for truth through an investigation of artistic masterworks from the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. Selected images of masterworks will be discussed and annotated. 

Prerequisites: ENG 101–102 or 110–111; or consent of instructor. 


DSN 112 - Foundations in Design
3 Credits
This project-based course builds a foundation for meaningful and effective visual communication. Areas of focus include: the formal elements and principles of design, visual problem solving, the creative process, and knowledge and skills for the production of visual works. Students will utilize a variety of media, tools, and processes including Adobe software applications; no prior experience with Adobe software is necessary. This course is also ideally suited for non-majors who wish to fulfill the university Arts requirement. 

Not open to students with credit for ART 110 and ART 111 except with permission of the instructor. Not open to students with credit for ART 112. Fee.


DSN 207 - Design I: Layout
3 Credits
A focus on traditional and experimental design layout including utilization of complex grids, text-heavy design, multipage layout for print and digital formats, and production of finished works. Students will use an integrated workflow between industry-standard software programs like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. 

Prerequisites: DSN 112 or permission of the instructor following demonstration of one’s ability to use Adobe Illustrator. Not open to students with credit for ART 207. Fee.


PHL 320 - Philosophy of Art
3 Credits
An examination of the nature of art and beauty. Includes a study of major works from Plato to the present. 

Prerequisites: ENG 102 or ENG 111 and CORE 179 or transfer equivalent. Not open to students with credit in PHL 348C.