Studio Art Courses

First-year core studio class with an emphasis on techniques of drawing. Focus on line, line weight, continuous line, contour line, sighting, figure, gesture, perspective (two-point, three-point, and isometric/orthogonal drawing), value, color, and texture. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand drawing in a contemporary context.

Peter Abrami
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Katy McCarthy
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Megan Hildebrandt
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

First-year core studio class with an emphasis on creating planar works and exploring formal principles and conceptual concerns. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand planar works in a contemporary context.

Zach Meisner
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Sarah Navasse Miller
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Zach Meisner
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

First-year core studio class with an emphasis on creating spatial works and exploring formal principles and conceptual concerns. Working with space, time, structure, process, and material. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand spatial work in a contemporary context.

Erin Cunningham
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Erin Cunningham
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Erin Cunningham
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

First-year core studio class with an emphasis on time-based media and digital technology. Course projects will allow students to gain awareness of media art and ability to utilize digital technology and time-based media in a contemporary context.

Katy McCarthy
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Maura Murnane
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Kerry McGuire
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Katy McCarthy
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Exploration of various methods, subjects, and expressive possibilities in drawing further developing an understanding of the language of line, marks, value and composition.

Polly Lanning Sparrow
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course explores concepts and techniques in drawing through composition, form, space, flatness, texture, dimension, depth, color, and surface to develop visual awareness strategies further. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent the body in relation to physical space and identity. Students will develop formal techniques and critical thinking skills to expand drawing beyond its traditional 2D parameters. Discussions and assignments will be based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Sarah Canright
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course explores concepts and techniques in drawing through composition, form, space, flatness, texture, dimension, depth, color, and surface to develop visual awareness strategies further. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent the body in relation to physical space and identity. Students will develop formal techniques and critical thinking skills to expand drawing beyond its traditional 2D parameters. Discussions and assignments will be based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Sarah Canright
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Problems in drawing and construction of the human figure in selected media.

Dan Sutherland
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course explores concepts and techniques in drawing through composition, form, space, flatness, texture, dimension, depth, color, and surface to further develop strategies of visual awareness. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent the body in relation to physical space and identity. Students will develop formal techniques and critical thinking skills to expand drawing beyond its traditional 2D parameters.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Sarah Navasse Miller
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course explores concepts and techniques in drawing through composition, form, space, flatness, texture, dimension, depth, color, and surface to further develop strategies of visual awareness. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent the body in relation to physical space and identity. Students will develop formal techniques and critical thinking skills to expand drawing beyond its traditional 2D parameters.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Sarah Navasse Miller
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Introduction to painting techniques, composition, and exploration of personal expression.

Scherezade García-Vazquez
TTH 2-5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course will invite students to explore modes and painting methods that extend across, beyond, and through traditional formal parameters. Assignments will provide a platform to develop the students’ skills while exploring the relationship of painting to sculpture, installation art, and performative practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Troy Brauntuch
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Zach Meisner
TTH 8-11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

John Yancey
TTH 2-5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Problems in composition and exploration of personal expression.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Zach Meisner
TTH 8-11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Dan Sutherland
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course will invite students to explore modes and painting methods that extend across, beyond, and through traditional parameters. Assignments and work in class will provide a platform to develop the students’ skills while exploring the relationship of painting to sculpture, installation art, and performative practices. Discussions and assignments will be based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Sarah Canright
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This class will introduce you to the fundamentals of black & white photography. You will learn how to use a manual medium-format camera, expose and develop black & white film, and make gelatin silver prints. You will also study aspects of photographic history and begin to define your individual voice as an artist using photography. For the first part of the semester, assignments will be given in order to challenge how you think about and make pictures, both technically and conceptually. The second half of the semester’s assignments are designed to allow for more of your own interpretation. Your final assignment will be to develop a personal project that consists of 20 cohesive images. Class time will be dedicated to slide lectures and discussions, group critiques, class printing, supervised darkroom time, and field trips. You are expected to work hard, complete the following requirements and be dedicated and attentive to your photography and the class.

Eli Durst
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Eli Durst
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This studio course is centered around creating film and digital images and serves as an introduction to theoretical discourse examining the multiple roles that contemporary photography plays in our cultural time. Assigned projects will encourage you to create photographs as a mode of personal expression, as well as consider how photographs can obscure as much as they reveal and how what we see is often determined by our beliefs. The core structure of the semester is geared towards gaining knowledge of the tools of digital photography and applying this information towards the creation of compelling images. We will concentrate on the computer and inkjet printer as the counterpart to the wet darkroom. In this class, you will learn about the properties of digital files and how to process images in Photoshop to produce the best possible prints. You will become familiar with the tools available for creating or capturing images (how is the visible made digital?) and disseminating or outputting images (how is the digital made tangible?)

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Eli Durst
MW 6–9
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Practice in photography with an emphasis on long-term photography-based projects, more advanced technical knowledge, and a deeper familiarity with uses of the medium.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

riel Sturchio
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course will introduce students to a wide range of printmaking processes. Students will be presented with demonstrations and hands-on instruction, with projects using the modern mediums of silkscreen and risography to the more traditional processes of relief, intaglio and lithography. Completion of this intensive course will allow students to choose which intermediate printmaking courses they wish to pursue further.

Annie May Johnston
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Enrique Figueredo
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course will allow students to work with a wide range of silkscreen approaches, starting with stencils, hand-drawn techniques and photoemulsion, to photo-realistic CMYK processes, digital manipulation and repeat pattern. Using demonstrations and hands-on instruction, projects will be framed around the history of print and the multiple, production, publication and popular culture, print as protest, and its role in pattern and decoration. Students are encouraged to experiment and incorporate other mediums as they create and develop their work.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Annie May Johnston
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course expands on traditional woodblock printing and introduces students to multi-block color printing and color reduction printing. Students will investigate the possibilities of creating and recording reliefs by studying frottage and collagraphy, and modern applications through the Fab Lab such as laser cutting and 3D printing. Projects will demand the dedication required to hand carve multiple blocks of wood and linoleum. Demonstrations on hand carving techniques will be supplemented by visual references of the historical development of the media and its impact on art history, cultural styles, and social movements.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Enrique Figueredo
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Advanced Print Workshop is an all-media print course. While new concepts and techniques will be introduced, students will build on their pre-existing knowledge of any print process to develop print-based artworks that revolve around their chosen portfolio focus. There will be an emphasis on research, group critique, and contemporary practice, and time will be allotted for one-on-one instruction to guide students in realizing strong and advanced bodies of work that could be displayed as a curated group or solo show by semester's end. Students are encouraged to experiment and incorporate other mediums as they create and develop their work.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Enrique Figueredo
MW 5–8
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course explores non-toxic processes as a bridge between contemporary printmaking and conversations about geography and climate futures. We will dissect the printmaking process from start to finish. Beginning with non-toxic photopolymer etching, we learn a traditional printmaking technique alongside a green, contemporary digital process. We’ll go a step further by making our own paper for these prints, growing and harvesting our fibers for the print itself. We will study the traditional western papermaking methods of fiber preparing, cooking, sheet formation, pressing and drying. With the conceptual and material value of contemporary papermaking, we use pulp as a printing substrate, a painting material, and a sculptural form. The holistic approach to making prints will include both growing indigenous plants and harvesting invasive plants to use as paper pulp, as well as recycled paper, fabric and vegetables.

Audrey Blood
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

In this course students will receive an in-depth introduction into the field of sculpture and will explore many different methods of making and relating to objects. Students will learn to think of their immediate environment and familiar objects as potential sculptural materials and exhibition spaces. We will cover basic technical processes including mold-making and armature construction as well as general principles on how to develop concepts, finish surfaces, and display completed work. We will read about and discuss various issues and practices in contemporary sculpture and students will work to develop their own focused studio practice as well as the specific language to discuss their work and the work of their peers.

John Stoney
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Jeff Williams
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

In this course students will develop their own focused studio practice as well as the specific language to discuss their work and the work of their peers. Throughout the course of the semester we will investigate sensitivity— as it relates to object making and the field of sculpture as well as the concept of sensitivity in a larger context. We will talk about environmental sensitivity (space/context), emotional sensitivity (feeling/metaphor), tactile sensitivity (touch/physicality) and material sensitivity (material meaning). These topics are designed to frame readings, discussions and lectures but will not place technical restrictions on students' individual projects. Students should however always be thinking about if or how any or all of these sensitivities apply to their own practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Jeff Williams
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

In this course students will develop their own focused studio practice as well as the specific language to discuss their work and the work of their peers. Throughout the course of the semester we will investigate sensitivity— as it relates to object making and the field of sculpture as well as the concept of sensitivity in a larger context. We will talk about environmental sensitivity (space/context), emotional sensitivity (feeling/metaphor), tactile sensitivity (touch/physicality) and material sensitivity (material meaning). These topics are designed to frame readings, discussions and lectures but will not place technical restrictions on students' individual projects. Students should however always be thinking about if or how any or all of these sensitivities apply to their own practices.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Jeff Williams
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

In this course we will focus on installation art. Through critical texts, videos, and readings, the course will look at the history of installation and its conceptual underpinnings. In addition, students will make site-specific installation work, use digital tools to create virtual spaces, participate in generative exercises, and respond to installation related readings.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Margo Sawyer
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

This course introduces students to computer modeling, 3D data acquisition, and various forms of digital fabrication. Specifically, students will use Rhinoceros 3D to digitally model virtual forms, photogrammetry will be used to digitally capture 3D data, and the department’s laser cutters, 3-axis CNC router, 4-axis CNC milling machine, 3D printers, UV printer, and vinyl cutter will be used to physically realize student designs. Personal research, lectures, media, readings and discussions will supplement software and hardware demonstrations during the course.

Mark Kovitya
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Mark Kovitya
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This course introduces students to computer modeling, 3D data acquisition, and various forms of digital fabrication. Specifically, students will use Rhinoceros 3D to digitally model virtual forms, photogrammetry will be used to digitally capture 3D data, and the department’s laser cutters, 3-axis CNC router, 4-axis CNC milling machine, 3D printers, UV printer, and vinyl cutter will be used to physically realize student designs. Personal research, lectures, media, readings and discussions will supplement software and hardware demonstrations during the course.

Mark Kovitya
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Mark Kovitya
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Explore the culture of the copy while engaging in artistic practice and critical visual thinking. Question, speculate, create and iterate using a variety of media and methods—from hands-on to computer-aided—inspired by a cross-disciplinary study of the double, twinning, fakes, remakes, memes and versions. Students build on existing skills and pick up new ones through workshops on digital media and technology production.

Kristin Lucas
TTH 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Today, the primary site of an artist’s practice can exist entirely outside of art institutions. This course explores creative interventions by artists within social, economic, political, and legal spheres. Students imagine and practice new kinds of relationships to everyday contexts and systems, and experiment with creative tactical use of media, technology and activism in the public domain.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Kristin Lucas
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Today, the primary site of an artist’s practice can exist entirely outside of art institutions. This course explores creative interventions by artists within social, economic, political, and legal spheres. Students imagine and practice new kinds of relationships to everyday contexts and systems, and experiment with creative tactical use of media, technology and activism in the public domain.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Kristin Lucas
TTH 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

A concise definition of performance art has yet to be established, however, most people would agree on two points: there are no rules, and one may borrow from anywhere to generate ideas. In this introductory course, students will learn how to produce solo performance art pieces for a Zoom audience and context. Focus will be on engaging a process of layering a range of elements including text, movement and audio/visual material taken from popular culture, current events, art and everyday life. In addition to presenting and critiquing individual performance assignments, class time will be devoted to exercises, screenings and discussions around specific themes and topics.

Armando Cortés
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

A concise definition of performance art has yet to be established, however, most people would agree on two points: there are no rules, and one may borrow from anywhere to generate ideas. In this introductory course, students will learn how to produce solo performance art pieces for a Zoom audience and context. Focus will be on engaging a process of layering a range of elements including text, movement and audio/visual material taken from popular culture, current events, art and everyday life. In addition to presenting and critiquing individual performance assignments, class time will be devoted to exercises, screenings and discussions around specific themes and topics.

Armando Cortés
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

A concise definition of performance art has yet to be established, however, most people would agree on two points: there are no rules, and one may borrow from anywhere to generate ideas. In this introductory course, students will learn how to produce solo performance art pieces for a Zoom audience and context. Focus will be on engaging a process of layering a range of elements including text, movement and audio/visual material taken from popular culture, current events, art and everyday life. In addition to presenting and critiquing individual performance assignments, class time will be devoted to exercises, screenings and discussions around specific themes and topics.

Armando Cortés
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Study in digital video, sound, and animation, with emphasis on the exploration of cinematic time and its time-based installation. Guided inquiry into the relationship between video and video projections, and technics and technology.

Bogdan Perzynski
MW 8–11
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Study in digital video, sound, and animation, with emphasis on the exploration of cinematic time and its time-based installation. Guided inquiry into the relationship between video and video projections, and technics and technology.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Bogdan Perzyński
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Study in digital video, sound, and animation, with emphasis on the exploration of cinematic time and its time-based installation. Guided inquiry into the relationship between video and video projections, and technics and technology.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

Bogdan Perzyński
MW 2–5
Teaching Format →  In-Person

This lecture class will seek to provoke critical thinking and discussion on how artists use philosophy, theory, and criticism in the production of making visual art. Using Kim Stanley Robinson’s recent speculative fiction novel: The Ministry for the Future, as our central text, we will explore how aspects of affect theory, the Anthropocene, critical race theory, and feminism inspire contemporary art making.

Fulfills →  Ethics flag / Writing flag

Teresa Hubbard
W 6–9
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

The Professional Practices course focuses on the exploration of professional practices as they relate to the field of visual arts. This course leads students to investigate and gain knowledge of the many options available to help achieve their professional goals. Students will go through a series of exercises to improve their writing, presentation and organization skills to best support their artist career.

Fulfills →  Writing flag

Margo Sawyer
M 11–2
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

Alexander Birchler
W 6–9
Teaching Format →  Online with Required In-Person Component
(Please contact the instructor for further details on type/frequency of in-person instruction.)

In this course, the Department of Art and Art History partners with Livestrong Cancer Institutes to explore the intersection of art and healthcare. By creating art with and for cancer patients, caregivers, and clinical staff, Aesthetics of Health students use their art to make connections and build relationships with others in a clinical setting. This is a class for students interested in community-based practice, the application of therapeutic arts, science and medicine, and inserting a higher level of empathy into their creative work. Instructor Approval Required.

Fulfills →  Ethics flag / Independent Inquiry flag

Megan Hildebrandt
TTH 11–2
Teaching Format →  In-Person

Individual projects to be completed under faculty supervision.

Restricted to Studio Art and Art Education Majors, requires approval by Studio Art Assistant Chair to register.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag