Art Department
The purpose of the Art History Minor is to encourage the student to develop a deeper understanding of the visual culture and context of a range of historical periods, media, and cultural perspectives that will serve to enrich and broaden their performance in their major program.
The Ceramics minor provides a broad introduction to hand building and wheel throwing ceramic forms. Students will learn about clay, glazes, and kiln firing as they are exposed to both historical and contemporary approaches to Ceramics. This minor is for students with an interest in learning to throw pottery or make clay sculptures, and is especially beneficial for those pursuing degrees in Art Education. Emphasis is placed on craftsmanship and aesthetics as students learn to produce their own creative work.
The drawing minor is intended to provide a fundamental supplement to a student’s major concentration. Focusing on richer complexity of both content, form and technique, the drawing minor serves to enhance the visual sophistication and communication potential of students, and to expand their capabilities in another discipline. Specific benefits include increased depth in advanced composition, perspective and perceptual issues, and more extensive exploration of a range of drawing media.
The General Art minor builds on a solid foundation of Art and Art History coursework, allowing students to pursue a unique direction that may not be possible with a minor in a single specific discipline or concentration area.
The minor in Graphic & Interactive Design provides a thorough introduction to the foundational principles of graphic design practice and the software used by professionals in the field. Studies in layout, typography, website design, and motion graphics add a valuable skill set to complement a student’s chosen major.
The minor in Graphic Design focuses on student understanding of fundamentals essential to the discipline, while specifically concentrating on coursework in software, design principles, typography, interactive design, and other areas related to the field.
The minor in Illustration provides a core of fundamental art and illustration courses with a selection of advanced illustration electives from which students can choose to customize their studies. In addition to deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of the complex field of illustration, the illustration minor expands their potential career and graduate school opportunities by serving to complement their major area of study.
The courses required for the minor in Jewelry/Metalsmithing give students knowledge of a variety of techniques and broad exposure to the field. Additional craft courses, along with foundations and art history, work hand in hand with Metals coursework to allow students to fully develop their body of work. The minor can be coordinated with other studio arts or applied media concentrations. A minor in Jewelry/Metalsmithing may aid in acquiring a job in teaching, animation or other areas within the art field.
The benefits of a painting minor are many: richer immersion in the application of color theory, deepening progress in issues related to composition and visual acuity, depth of understanding regarding the choosing and application of color palettes, and a deeper relationship with historical and contemporary art. The painting minor enhances the study of illustration, drawing, and any other concentration in which a sophisticated approach to color is desirable.
The minor in Photography provides crossover experience in the fields of fine art and professional photography. From a grounding in the history of photography, courses cover traditional film and darkroom work, as well as studio, location, documentary, and contemporary fine art photography. Seniors develop multi-media projects, websites, and professional practices to accompany a personal portfolio in their chosen specialty. The program’s cross-disciplinary approach to the medium of photography is designed to flexibly supplement the student’s major area of study.
The minor in printmaking provides students with a working knowledge of relief, monotype and intaglio printmaking, with elective courses in all printmaking methods. Students will gain an understanding of the unique forms of communication possible with various printmaking methods and appreciate options available when creating multiple originals. Printmaking processes may be utilized to create graphic design, book arts, sculpture, installation, stencils and decals for ceramics, along with more traditional printmaking approaches based in drawing, painting, digital art and photography.
The key benefit of a sculpture minor is the opportunity to embrace an inter-disciplinary practice while gaining a deeper awareness of contemporary and historic art-making. Beginning courses foster technical skills in metalwork (welding, bending, rolling and cold fabrication); in wood (cutting, carving, joining); in casting (aluminum, bronze, wax and plaster); and simple fiber construction. However, juniors and seniors are encouraged to embrace their own particular focus and may choose any tradition (from objects to installation) or any medium (from printmaking to video) or a contemporary practice such as performance or social sculpture. This expansive and welcoming approach naturally enhances any student’s major area of study.
The minor in Woodworking/Furniture Design is intended to provide students with a solid foundation in traditional woodworking techniques, with an emphasis on creativity and innovation in design. Students gain experience with a variety of hand tools and machinery during the creation of several furniture forms including tables, chairs, and boxes and cabinets. This minor can serve as a complement to any of the art concentrations.
