Southwestern University
 
2003-2004 Catalog

Academic Calendar

Southwestern University: A Statement
The Academic Program
Degree Requirements
Academic Regulations

Course Descriptions

Brown College of Arts & Sciences
 Biology
 Chemistry
 Classics
 Communication
 Economics & Business
 Education
 English
 History
 Kinesiology
 Math & Computer Science
 Modern Languages & Literatures
 Physics
 Political Science
 Psychology
 Religion & Philosophy
 Sociology & Anthropology

Sarofim School of Fine Arts
 Art
 Music
 Theatre

Interdisciplinary Programs
Special Academic Programs

Admission & Financial Aid
Student Life
Cultural Activities
History & Governance
Endowments & Scholarships

University Directory
Board & Officers
Faculty
Administration
 

ART DEPARTMENT

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts

Professor Mary Hale Visser, MFA, Chair

Professor Thomas Noble Howe, PhD

Professor Victoria Star Varner, MFA

Professor Patrick B. Veerkamp, MFA

Assistant Professor Kimberly Smith, PhD

Assistant Professor Diana Tenckhoff, PhD

Assistant Professor Veronique François, MFA (part-time)

Assistant Professor Todd McDonald, MFA (part-time)

Instructor Kerry Hull, MS (part-time)

The Art Department offers courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Art, with areas of emphasis in Studio Art and Art History, and a minor in Art with areas of emphasis in Studio Art, Art History, and Architecture and Design Studies.

Mission Statement of the Department of Art

The mission of the Art Department is to provide students with a challenging, creative learning experience as part of a liberal arts education and as preparation for graduate study and professional work in the Fine Arts.

The learning experience is designed to emphasize the importance of aesthetic growth, artistic discipline, and critical thinking. The program focuses on mastery of conventional skills (e.g., life drawing and modeling in the studio, knowledge of classical forms in architecture, theory and research methods in art history) and is intended to facilitate and encourage the discovery and production of significant ideas and images. As students advance, instruction in all fields becomes increasingly tutorial with a great deal of individual attention from instructors, thus providing for the development of individual excellence. Research or studio seminars and independent or collaborative work with faculty are the central experiences of the junior and senior years.

Goals of the Department of Art

1. To offer a Bachelor of Arts program within a liberal arts context that provides students with the preparation necessary for graduate study and professional work in the field of Fine Arts;

2. To provide students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the diversity of art and its global perspective through other cultures via a variety of on- or off-campus and foreign study programs;

3. To contribute to the University’s general education program and the enrichment of the University community through our Fine Arts Gallery and Lecture Series;

4. To maintain and support an art faculty committed to their own and their students’ aesthetic growth and development in the field of Fine Arts;

5. To continue to offer competitive scholarships for students majoring in art who will provide a definitive standard for other students regarding artistic and
academic performance;

6. To maintain an art department faculty whose artistic and scholarly influence reaches beyond Southwestern University.

Fine Arts Gallery and Lecture Program

The Department of Art supports a teaching gallery that provides students the opportunity to view works of art on campus. The University presents some of the most talented, dedicated and passionate practicing professionals in the contemporary fine arts field in the art department’s annual program of gallery exhibitions and lectures, studio critiques, master classes, and workshops. Majors are required to attend certain public events and lectures.

Qualified art majors may choose to present their work in an exhibition in the Fine Arts Gallery in their senior year. All qualified art majors electing to do a senior exhibition must secure an art department faculty sponsor.

Program Opportunities

The art department offers opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the diversity of art and its global perspectives through other cultures via a number of the University’s off-campus programs. Majors and minors, both in Studio Art and Art History, also are encouraged to take part in at least one of the University’s off-campus programs such as the summer or fall in London or an internship in New York in the junior or senior year. Through association with the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) semester in New York, Southwestern has regularly been able to place qualified students in internships in the studios and offices of some of the most prominent artists, architects, museums, and galleries in New York. Students interested in the New York program are advised that a representative from the GLCA program visits our campus each year. Students wishing to talk with the GLCA representative about the program should contact the Dean’s office. (For more information about the GLCA program, refer to the University Catalog section on special academic programs. Students are advised that a large number of the courses in such programs often have to count as University electives in their degree program. All foreign study programs in which a student expects to receive or transfer credit requires prior approval of the department chair.

Art Major, Areas of Emphasis

Studio Art (30 semester hours; required Art History Minor)

This is a pre-professional program in a liberal arts context and deals with art as an expressive rather than commercial medium; it intends that each student should acquire technical proficiency in a principal medium, knowledge of a variety of media processes and also requires liberal arts breadth in critical and verbal skills. The program is a preparation both for students intending to apply to Master of Fine Arts programs and go on to professional work as artists; or for students who wish to acquire a liberal arts degree which can lead to work in a wide variety of fields in graduate school both inside and outside the world of art (such as art history, architecture, commercial art, design, arts administration, teaching art in elementary and secondary schools, etc.).

Students interested in graduate work in fields such as arts administration, arts conservation, or medical illustration should consider combining a major in art with a minor or second major in other fields such as business, chemistry, or biology or developing an interdisciplinary “area of concentration.”

In order to be admitted to an area of emphasis in studio art, a student must also be admitted to the School of Fine Arts. To do this, students must fill out a Request for Degree Plan card for the department chair’s signature.

Entering students who are considering art as a major are required to take the beginning studios in ceramics, painting, and sculpture in the course of their first three semesters, as well as start the drawing sequence with Drawing I. In order to finish within four years, students must decide upon their focus medium (ceramics, painting, or sculpture) and take the first studio in that medium by the fall of their sophomore year.

In the visual arts it is important for the undergraduate studio major to build a strong knowledge base over a wide variety of mediums, as well as become proficient in one medium. Students are encouraged to use their electives to develop skills in a number of media other than their focus medium. Students have the option of creating a “double focus” by using their department electives (e.g., sculpture and painting, ceramics and sculpture).

1. Foundations: Drawing I (70-203); Drawing II (70-213), Sculpture (70-403) or (70-413); Ceramics (70-463) or (70-473); Painting (70-503) (NOTE: the introductory level studios in sculpture or ceramics can be taken singly or in either order. (15 semester hours)

2. “Focus”: one further course in one of the three media of painting, sculpture or ceramics (70-403 or 70-413, 70-463 or 70-473, or 70-513), and at least two semesters of studio seminar in that medium, creating a four-course sequence in one studio area. Studio seminar can be taken a third time as a University elective (nine semester hours). A student may have the option of creating two “focus” areas by using department electives.

3. Electives: two further studios. (six semester hours)

4. Art History: a minor in Art History is required for the Art major with an Area of Emphasis in Studio Art. This minor must include History of Art I (71-103), History of Art II (71-113), and History of Art III: Asian Art (71-123); one course in Modern Art (71-363, 71-373, or 71-383); and two elective art history courses, with the option of one being substituted by a studio art course. (18 semester hours)

5. Portfolio Review: graduating seniors must present a portfolio of their work for review by the faculty. A slide portfolio and a resume are required and will be retained by the Department for its permanent records. Works for the portfolio are usually produced in studio seminars in a student’s focus medium. (Capstone experience: zero semester hours)

Honors (optional, upon invitation of the Department): at least six semester hours of Senior Research on one project starting spring junior year or fall senior year. Students who are interested in pursuing honors are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as advisor to the honors work. Honors are awarded on the basis of portfolio review and the vote of the department. (Hours count as University electives.) See the section entitled Honors Courses for more information.

Art History (36 semester hours)

Art History is an academic liberal arts program. It is meant to prepare students for application to MA and PhD programs both in Art History and in many other academic disciplines. As a liberal arts degree it can lead to graduate work in other disciplines both inside and outside the world of art, such as arts administration, museum work, or any field benefited by critical thinking, broad cultural knowledge, and research and writing skills.

1. Foundations: one studio in any medium, History of Art I (71-103); History of Art II (71-113); History of Art III: Asian Art (71-123). (12 semester hours)

2. Six additional courses from any of the art and architectural history courses offered by the department (any 71- course), one of which must be Modern Art I (71-363), Modern Art II (71-373), or Modern Art III (71-383). (18 semester hours)

3. At least one seminar in the junior or senior year (71-803). (Three semester hours)

4. Cognate: one course in another department which provides part of the historical, cultural or intellectual context of a course taken in the art department (e.g., religion, intellectual history, history of literature, philosophy, theatre, music, etc.); to be approved by an art history faculty advisor and the art department chair. (Three semester hours)

At least 21 hours of the major’s 36-hour requirement must be above the introductory level. The capstone is satisfied by the seminar taken in the junior or senior year.

Honors (optional upon invitation of the Department): at least six semester hours of Senior Research (71-98x) taken in the junior or senior year (starting at the latest fall of senior year). Students are invited by the Art Department to pursue an honors project. Those who are interested are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as advisor to the honors work and propose a topic. The project will have a committee of three faculty members, approved by the department, and honors are awarded upon the basis of the vote of the committee. Hours may not count as part of the 18 hours of requirement #2, and an honors project does not replace the seminar capstone requirement.

Art Minor, Areas of Emphasis

Studio Art (18 semester hours):

1. Introductory studios in three focus media (nine semester hours).

2. Electives: one second studio in any medium (i.e. students must take at least two courses in a single medium); option of substituting one art history course for one three hour studio. (nine semester hours)

Art History (18 semester hours):

1. History of Art I and II (71-103 and 71-113). (six semester hours)

2. Four elective art history courses, with the option of one being substituted by a studio course. (12 semester hours)

Architecture and Design (21 semester hours):

This program allows students to explore aspects of the design professions and to prepare for graduate school applications in architecture (normally the three and a half year Masters of Architecture programs which many schools offer) or for graduate schools in several related fields (e.g. landscape architecture, urban planning, interior design, industrial design etc.). Numerous different liberal arts majors can enhance a design career, including almost any of the humanities, business, science, mathematics or studio art.

1. Architecture Studios I-III (69-703, 69-713, 69-723). (nine semester hours)

2. Design I and II (69-753 and 69-763). (six semester hours)

3. World Architecture I and II (71-703 and 71-713).

Architecture and Design (ART)

Studio Art (ART)

Art History (ART)