2019-2020 Academic Bulletin 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Academic Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Studio Art Major


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Divisions and Departments

STUDIO ART MAJOR

The Studio Art major is designed to develop a broad intellectual grounding in the traditions of the visual arts through an understanding of mediums and concepts. Students learn to discriminate between the processes of production, interpretation, and evaluation, and to think creatively about all aspects of artistic problem solving. Through the examination and creation of original works of art, students learn to contextualize works of art and understand the relationship between praxis, theory, and history.

Students who successfully complete a MAJOR in Studio Art will:

  • Actively engage in the production of a body of work that demonstrates conceptual sophistication while also conveying meaning, investigating human experiences, and integrating knowledge from other disciplines and cultural contexts.

  • Make original works of art that demonstrate effective use of design principles, creative problem- solving, and appropriate craftsmanship and technique, in a range of mediums.

  • Interpret and critically evaluate art and media, in writing and in speech, from an informed perspective by carrying out relevant research, contextualizing and interpreting relevant works.

  • Exhibit familiarity with the works and intentions of major artists/designers and movements of the past and the present, both Western and global, and familiarity with contemporary art and critical theory.

  • Develop professional practices through the exhibition of their work in a gallery setting, documentation of work in a portfolio, and proposal writing.

The Studio Art Major leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree and requires a minimum of 48 credits. The Major requires 9 courses in four categories, plus an Experiential Learning Experience, a Junior Seminar, and a one-semester Senior Project. Art majors are required to have a GPA of at least 2.0 in art at graduation. All art courses taken at Allegheny on a letter grade basis are included in the calculation with the exception of repeated courses for which only the most recent grade counts. All art courses must be taken on the letter grade basis. Under exceptional circumstances, one additional course taken Credit/No Credit may be presented for the major with permission of the chair of the department. Typically, this exception is made when a student has taken an art course CR/NC before declaring a major in the department.

 

I. ART HISTORY and VISUAL CRITICISM


Take two courses, 8 credits.

II. INTRODUCTION TO TWO - DIMENSIONAL STUDIO ART


Take any two of the following courses, 8 credits.

 

III. INTRODUCTION TO THREE/+ - DIMENSIONAL STUDIO ART


Take any two of the following courses, 8 credits.

IV. ADVANCED WORK IN STUDIO ART


Take any three of the following courses, 12 credits.

V. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING


Take one of the following courses, 4 credits.

VI. JUNIOR SEMINAR


Take the following course, 4 credits.

VII. CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE


Take the following course, 4 credits.

Note:


STUDY AWAY OPTION AT NEW YORK ARTS PROGRAM

Students who wish to participate in the New York Arts Program (NYAP) should plan to do so in their junior or senior year, preferably before taking ART 620. Students must refer to the Office of International Education for application requirements and deadlines.

Students who wish to substitute an ART 590 internship to satisfy a requirement in Category IV: Advanced Work in Studio Art should indicate their preference on the substitution form before leaving for NYAP, communicate with the appropriate faculty member during her/his time at NYAP about progress, and present a portfolio of works to the appropriate faculty member upon return to Allegheny. In consultation with the Art Department, that faculty member will then decide if the ART 590 transfer credits will count in place of a course in Section IV, or if it will count as general elective credit.

The International Study Abroad options sponsored by Allegheny College may not directly support the STUDIO ART Major or Minor, but we have had many students participate in these programs and still stay on track with their major/minor in order to graduate on time. Please discuss options with your advisor.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Divisions and Departments