Course Descriptions

With a focus on engaging/re-engaging in creating artwork within the professional life context of the artist-teacher, the course develops students’ understanding of diverse issues and practices in contemporary art. Along with developing students’ personal studio work, the course examines the artwork, public presentations, and published writing of contemporary artists who take up a range of questions, issues, and ideas and who use different materials, technical methods, and conceptual approaches in their art practice.

Students choose an existing Summer B course in one studio area: drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, video, mixed media, new media.

An immersion in the process of “storying” aspects of educational life and practitioner identity through various artistic processes, including studio work, interactive art viewing, and creative writing. A focus on how work across modalities influences the way we make sense of our lives and selves, how our oral, written and visual life stories help us make sense of who we are -- and who we want to be -- as practitioners, and how multimodal, narrative meaning-making matter in the education of others.

An examination of the role of visual culture in contemporary life, employing experiences from art works, museums, galleries and alternative spaces, readings, and discussion.

Artists capable of independent endeavor share their ideas and work in critiques and discussions and undertake advanced artistic problems suggested by the instructor or of their own devising.

Professional activities in the field under faculty supervision.

With a focus on students’ investigations of their creative practice from diverse, critical, and theoretical perspectives, this course extends and deepens understanding of contemporary theoretical and cultural frames that may be used to interpret and critique their work. The course also uses theoretical and cultural framing to examine the artwork, public presentations, and published writing of contemporary artists.

An invitation to engage with works of art which challenge conventional ways of thinking and perceiving; consideration of the relation of art, imagination, and education.

A focus on the practical side of building and sustaining a career as a professional artist. Students will learn how to: (1) document their artwork (through photography and/or video-recording, editing images, and sequencing them for viewing), (2) identify suitable production and exhibition opportunities (through reviewing open calls for fellowships, residencies, and visiting artist opportunities and exhibitions), (3) write a strong artist statement and project proposal, and (4) create a CV that highlights professional accomplishments.

Preparation of exhibition in fulfillment of degree requirements. To be taken during the semester in which exhibition work is presented.