C. Kahler, Kay, Pogue, Shaw, B. Kahler - Coordinators
*Alternate year course

AR100 Introduction to Visual Arts (3 hours)

A study of the functions and styles of art, past and present, an analysis of the structure, media, and meaning of art in history; an investigation and application of the theory of art criticism.

AR105 Basic Design (3 hours)

An introduction to design for visual communication. Study of the elements and principals of design as they relate to formal issues in the making of art. This course also provides an introduction to the study of color as a formal element. Instruction will include lecture, critique, and supervised studio practice.

AR108 Three-Dimensional Design (2 hours)

The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the fundamental concepts of designing three dimensionally through the building of structures. The basic elements and principles of design are utilized and expounded upon as they relate to three-dimensional space and form. Emphasis will be placed on the use of sculptural forms through the use of a variety of materials and techniques. Safe and proper use of woodworking tools are taught, as well as other types of fabricating and construction methods. Creative solutions to problem solving along with skill development and the engagement of space are critiqued. A vocabulary list is maintained and utilized during classroom discussions. Prerequisite: AR105 or by consent of instructor.

AR110 Introduction to Drawing (3 hours)

This course introduces the basic skills and concepts of drawing as a form of representation. The problems of rendering a three-dimensional subject onto a two dimensional surface will be central to this course. Accuracy of observation and description will be stressed. Graphite, charcoal, and ink will be used. Images from the History of Art will be presented and discussed. Critiques will be used to analyze work and develop the fundamental vocabulary.

AR120 Introduction to Painting (3 hours)

This course introduces the basic skills and concepts of painting as a form of representation. Formal elements such as composition, color, mark, shape, form, space, and surface, etc. will be engaged and considered as descriptive and expressive forces. The genres of still life, self-portraiture, and working from the nude model will be used to explore the dynamic between subject and language. Contemporary and historical images will be analyzed and related to studio practice. Critiques will be a regular part of course work. Prerequisite: AR110.

AR130 Introduction to Ceramics (3 hours)

The emphasis of this course is to explore the varied qualities of clay as a medium. This will be accomplished through an exploration of hand building techniques, the tactile qualities of clay, the various stages of drying and shrinkage, slip application, glazing, the firing processes, and the historical and contemporary significance of clay as a functional and expressive medium for the potter. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes.

AR140 Introduction to Sculpture (3 hours)

The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the traditional and contemporary use of tools, techniques, thought processes, and methods utilized in the creation of sculpture. Concepts, context, process, and time management are explored. Techniques in the proper usage and maintenance of metal working tools, as well as metal casting and welding equipment are taught. Oxy-Acetylene welding techniques and the metal casting process are explored. Intuitive problem solving, incorporating materials, process, and the engagement of space are developed and critiqued. A vocabulary list is maintained and utilized during classroom discussions. Contemporary as well as historical sculptural ideas are investigated as time permits. The safe and proper use of metal casting equipment is emphasized as well as the important role casting in all materials has played in the making of sculpture. Prerequisites: AR108 for general students, and AR105 and AR108 for Art Minors, or by consent of the instructor.

AR150* Introduction to Printmaking (3 hours)

Introduction to Printmaking is a foundation course in the exploration of black, white, and color printmaking. The course is specifically designed for the student to develop an understanding of the practical skills used to transform the experience of the three-dimensional world, into that of the two-dimensional print. The student will be introduced to three basic skills of printmaking, those of monotype, linocut, and woodcut. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. The course will consist of two sessions per week devoted to the studio and critique. Students will work from a variety of subject matters including self-portraiture, the nude model, and abstraction. Prerequisites: AR105 and AR110, or by consent of the instructor.

AR160 Introduction to Photography (3 hours)

Students will learn about the discovery of the photographic medium. Emphasis will be placed on developing strong shooting and darkroom skills. Photography will be looked at as a tool for art and documentation throughout history. Students will engage in projects designed to explore the use of the camera as a tool for design. They will learn the photographic process from taking unique and artistic photographs, the developing of film, to the printing of quality prints. Students will work in a variety of formats designed to challenge their abilities and help strengthen their aesthetics. Each student will develop the skills to conduct critical discussions about their art and others’. Issues and developments of contemporary artists will be looked at through student slide presentations and lectures. The student MUST have a 35mm SLR camera with light meter and manual capabilities.

AR180 *Introduction to Crafts (2 hours)  

During alternate Spring semesters, this course consists of an exploration into jewelry making. Fabrication and casting processes will be covered in the course. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. Students will be introduced to the historical and contemporary function and structure of jewelry in varied cultural contexts. This course is designed to meet the needs of a person wishing to develop skills for personal enrichment, and must be taken by the Art Teaching major.

During the summer session, this course consists of an exploration into the creation of three-dimensional woven structures. Students will create baskets and woven structures using age old processes. They will learn about processed materials, which they can purchase and how to forage for their own materials from their environment. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. This course is designed to meet the needs of a person wishing to develop skills for personal enrichment, and can be taken only as an elective for the Art Teaching major.

AR210 Intermediate Drawing (2 hours)

This course is designed as an investigation into the expression to be found within the visual languages of drawing in both abstraction and figuration. The experiences and skills learned in the introductory class will be intensified and expanded upon. The emphasis of the course is upon the expression of the “sensations” of the visual world and their particular meaning to each student rather than the development of literal description. Prerequisite: AR110.

AR220 Intermediate Painting (3 hours)

This course develops both the subject necessary for expression and the concerns of expressive description. Formal concerns will be addressed from within the context of expression. After a directed series of paintings, the subject and form of the remaining work will be developed through conversations with the professor. Contemporary and historical images will be analyzed and related to studio practice. Critiques will be a regular part of course work. Prerequisite: AR120 or by consent of the instructor.

AR230 Intermediate Ceramics (3 hours)

This course is a concentrated experience using the potter’s wheel to make clay forms. Glazing and kiln firing experiences are continued from AR130. The course emphasizes the interpretation, expression, and aesthetics of vessels made on the potter’s wheel. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. Prerequisite AR130 or by consent of the instructor.

AR240 Intermediate Sculpture (3 hours)

The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the fundamental and historical roots of the figure as subject matter in three-dimensional art. The student will learn principal mold making techniques in order to reproduce the figure in a more permanent cast material. Students will work directly from the nude model. Principal muscular and bone structures are taught as time permits. Students are quizzed over vocabulary and processes introduced. The history of the figure in sculpture is explored as time permits. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. Prerequisite: AR140 or by consent of the instructor.

AR310 Life Drawing (2 hours)

This course is a concentrated study of the human figure with an emphasis upon accuracy of observation and description. The first part of the course centers upon the issues of proportion and the presentation of form. The second part focuses upon spatial awareness and the realization of the figure within an environment. Drawings will be made from the skeleton, one’s self (using a mirror), and the nude model. Prerequisite: AR210 or by consent of the instructor.

AR320 Advanced Painting (3 hours)

This course continues the development of painting as an expressive language. A subject will be chosen and a series of related images will be made to explore the relationship between subject, language, and meaning. Project specifics will be developed through conversation involving the student and the professor. Contemporary and historical images will be analyzed and related to studio practice. Critiques will be a regular part of the course work. Prerequisite: AR220 or by consent of the instructor.

AR330 Advanced Ceramics (3 hours)  

This course emphasizes personal expression of clay forms. Students are free to choose the processes, clays and firing methods best suited to their aesthetic needs. Experimentation with forming processes, clay body control, glaze design and kiln firing variations is an integral part of the course. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. Prerequisite: AR230 or by consent of the instructor.

AR340 Advanced Sculpture (3 hours)

Advanced sculpture is a course designed to highly challenge the serious sculpture student. Students will be expected to outline their intent, projects, and time management for the semester. Emphasis is placed on the figure as a starting point. Students may maintain the figure or challenge it through a variety of styles and special arrangements. Although much latitude is given in the development of the work, an understandable figurative element must remain in the finished piece. Nude models can be utilized but are not required. Personal as well as classroom critiques are required along with a written critique/personal evaluation. The exploration of a variety of materials and sculptural processes is expected. Students are also expected to actively engage space, three-dimensional form, and context. Prerequisite: AR240 or by consent of the instructor.

AR351* Printmaking: Intaglio (2 hours)

A course in the printmaking processes of Intaglio that will explore hard ground, soft ground, sugar-lift, and dry point. Students are instructed in the safe use of materials and processes. Black and white printmaking will be emphasized. The importance of the connection between the processes of printmaking and the subjective nature of expression will be emphasized. This course is one that invites imaginative exploration of this rich and intense media. Students will work from a variety of subject matters including self-portraiture, the nude model, and abstraction. Prerequisite: AR150 or AR210 or consent of instructor.

AR385* Art History I: Prehistory through Gothic (4 hours)

A study of the visual arts of the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, the ancient Near-Eastern culture, the Egyptian era, the Minoan, the Mycenean and Greek periods, the Etruscan-Roman period, the Early Christian era, and the Byzantine through Gothic eras. No prerequisite.

AR386* Art History II: Renaissance through Contemporary (4 hours)

A study of the visual arts of Europe of the Renaissance, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the modern periods of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. No prerequisite.

AR395 Gallery Practical Senior Exhibition (2 hours)

A study of and experience in designing, organizing and installing exhibitions in the Mingenback Art Center Gallery, including the required Senior Show. Students will produce a slide portfolio and resume for professional advancement. This course will be taken for one hour of credit in each of the final two semesters by the studio art major. The Art Teaching major will take it for one credit hour in the Fall semester of the Junior year and for one credit hour in the Spring semester of the Senior year. Exceptions can be made only with departmental approval.

AR396 Studio Concentration (1-4 hours)

A - Painting

B - Ceramics

C - Sculpture

D - Drawing

Intensive work in the studio area following specialization and beyond the advanced levels. Studio concentration may be taken in one, two, three, or four semester hour segments. For Art majors or by permission of Art Department Chair.

AR671 Basic Web Design (Level 100) (Interterm Course) (2 hours)

This course will cover the world of electronic publishing on the “World Wide Web” (WWW). The student will be instructed on how to design for this new medium. Utilizing various software applications the student will learn to create fully functional WWW documents. Basic Hyper Text Markup-Language (HTML) and site management will also be covered.