Art
The Curriculum
Coursework takes place on four levels: Fundamental (100 level), Introductory (200 level), Intermediate (300 level), and Advanced (400 level). At all four levels, students are asked to develop their ability to experiment with visual language so that they may more effectively understand and convey ideas in non-verbal forms. This development is realized through improving technical control of particular media and deepening their understanding of visual expression. In all courses, students study the work of other artists, past and present, in order to understand the significance of visual culture. Whether doing studio or art historical research, students are expected to widen their understanding of the visual world and become increasingly visually literate.
The purpose of art history courses is to develop a greater understanding of human creativity as manifested in the visual imagery, architecture, and artifacts of all societies across time. Students develop analytical, research, writing, and verbal skills, as well as a descriptive vocabulary as they investigate the artistic achievements of diverse societies, historical periods and styles, and critical theories and methodologies. Art history courses support the studio by offering students a wide range of creative solutions to various technical and intellectual problems. Studio courses, in turn, support the work in art history by providing students with opportunities to experience the creative process firsthand and to become personally aware of the potential and limitations of art making.
Goals of the Department
By the end of the senior year, a student majoring in art has thoroughly investigated the discoveries he found most compelling while in the foundations and intermediate-level courses. The student has determined what is required to work in a disciplined way as an artist and/or art historian. They have realized that art making or art historical study is a process that involves testing new areas of thought, methods, and/or materials. They have developed a critical engagement with the past, especially with historical questions and experiments, and have begun to evaluate their own work and contemporary practices in light of a broader context. Benefiting from discourse with peers and faculty, the student has also begun to discover their own strengths and has accepted responsibility for both seeking and solving interesting problems. They have sufficient mastery of their chosen field, are able to articulate insights regarding their discipline and generate work worthy to be included in a capstone course. The culmination of this work, for majors, is the Senior Exhibition, which—in the best cases—challenges viewers to think and see the world differently.
Student Learning Goals
The Visual Arts as part of the Liberal Arts: To help students see the visual arts as part of a continuum of all humanities and sciences. To assist students in recognizing that art is a methodology of seeing and communicating that is not based on written language or mathematical computation. To show students how art permeates virtually all experiences.
A Focus on Contemporary Art: To foster students’ critical thinking with regard to contemporary media and skill building in digital media and interdisciplinary approach to art making. To help students understand how media and digital technology affect and are affected by culture.
Student Fluency in the Continuum of Art History: To cultivate in students a working understanding of the relationship between the art of the past, current art trends, and one’s own artwork and/or research.
Professional Art Practices & Pursuit of Graduate Studies: To equip majors with the technical and professional skill sets that enable applications to graduate programs, professional exhibition opportunities, and positions in arts-related fields.
Development of Student Skillsets and Personal Commitment to Creative Expression: To aid student self-discovery and student’s ability to communicate ideas through visual form. To impart that artmaking and art scholarship are processes that involve personal aesthetic vision, conceptual development, communication, design guidelines, skill development, craftsmanship, perseverance, and product.
Visual Literacy: To instill in students the ability to both read and create pure visual/sensory language.
Connecting the Gallery Program to the Classroom Experience: To help Art students apply the levels of professionalism and sophistication witnessed in our exhibition program and Permanent Collection to their own creative or research practice.
Critical Engagement with Global Art and Culture: To help students consider the role art plays in cultures other than their own.
Ability to Produce Professional Quality Artwork and Artist Statement for Capstone Exhibition: To offer Art students the opportunity to exhibit their work, allowing them to demonstrate their conceptual reasoning and technical skill.
Requirements for a Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Art Electives | ||
| Select five credits from the following: | 5 | |
| Drawing | ||
| Studio Art Fundamentals | ||
| Special Topics in Film Study | ||
| Digital Filmmaking | ||
| Expanded Digital Production | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Photography | ||
| Topics in Studio | ||
| Cinematic Environments: Digital Space | ||
| Sculpture | ||
| Painting: Mixed Media | ||
| Advanced Level Courses (one course credit minimum) | ||
| ART-330 & ART-331 | Advanced Studio and Advanced Studio 1 | 1 |
| or ART-331 | Advanced Studio | |
| Senior Studio (one course credit minimum) | ||
| ART-432 & ART-433 | Senior Studio and Senior Studio 2 | 1 |
| or ART-433 | Senior Studio | |
| Art History | ||
| ART-209 | Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Art | 1 |
| Select one credit from the following: | 1 | |
| Greek Art & Archaeology | ||
| Roman Art & Archaeology | ||
| Art in Film | ||
| Art & Archaeology of Ancient Americas | ||
| Renaissance Art | ||
| Baroque Art | ||
| Nineteenth Century Art | ||
| Topics in Art History | ||
| Art Theory and Criticism | ||
| Postmodern Art & Culture | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
Intended to continue research in a 200-level discipline
- 2
Intended to continue research in a 300-level discipline
Special topics courses, e.g. "Topics in . . . " can be taken more than once with a different topic.
Recommended Courses
Students considering graduate school in art should meet early and often with departmental faculty to discuss future goals and course selection. Students anticipating graduate school should plan to take an eleven-course major including ART-312 Postmodern Art & Culture.
Requirements for an Art Minor
There are two Art Minor Tracks—a Studio Art Track and an Art History Track.
Studio Art Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Art Electives | ||
| Select four credits from the following: | 4 | |
| Drawing | ||
| Studio Art Fundamentals | ||
| Special Topics in Film Study | ||
| Digital Filmmaking | ||
| Expanded Digital Production | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Photography | ||
| Topics in Studio | ||
| Cinematic Environments: Digital Space | ||
| Sculpture | ||
| Painting: Mixed Media | ||
| Advanced Studio | ||
| Advanced Studio | ||
| Art History Course | ||
| Select one credit from the following: | 1 | |
| Greek Art & Archaeology | ||
| Roman Art & Archaeology | ||
| Art in Film | ||
| Art & Archaeology of Ancient Americas | ||
| Renaissance Art | ||
| Baroque Art | ||
| Nineteenth Century Art | ||
| Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Art | ||
| Topics in Art History | ||
| Art Theory and Criticism | ||
| Postmodern Art & Culture | ||
| Total Credits | 5 | |
Art History Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Art History Courses | ||
| Select four credits from the following: | 4 | |
| Greek Art & Archaeology | ||
| Roman Art & Archaeology | ||
| Art in Film | ||
| Art & Archaeology of Ancient Americas | ||
| Renaissance Art | ||
| Baroque Art | ||
| Nineteenth Century Art | ||
| Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Art | ||
| Topics in Art History | ||
| Art Theory and Criticism | ||
| Postmodern Art & Culture | ||
| Studio Course | ||
| Select one credit from the following: | 1 | |
| Drawing | ||
| Studio Art Fundamentals | ||
| Historic Techniques & Ideas | ||
| Special Topics in Film Study | ||
| Digital Filmmaking | ||
| Expanded Digital Production | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Photography | ||
| Topics in Studio | ||
| Cinematic Environments: Digital Space | ||
| Sculpture | ||
| Painting: Mixed Media | ||
| Total Credits | 5 | |
ART-101 History of Western Art
This course will survey the history of Western
art, from the end of the ancient world in the
fourth century to the end of Modernism in the
late 20th century and beyond. We will look at
Medieval and Gothic art, the Renaissance and
Baroque, Modernism, and Postmodernism, taking note
of the unity -and the ruptures- in this broad
sweep of Western cultural production. We will
examine the various media of physical and visual
expression: architecture, sculpture, and
painting. We will inquire into the connections
between the art of Western culture and the
processes of historical change that affected that
culture and its institutions. Along the way, we
will acquaint ourselves with the methodologies of
art history, and with the particular, established
vocabularies of art description. The student will
learn to articulate, verbally and in writing, the
specifically visual qualities of works of art, as
well as their many historical circumstances.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
ART-103 Greek Art & Archaeology
A consideration of the art and architecture of
Greece from an archaeological and art historical
point of view. The course will cover material
from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Age.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
Equated Courses: CLA-103
ART-104 Roman Art & Archaeology
A consideration of the origin and development of
Roman art and architecture from the Etruscans to
late imperial Rome.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
Equated Courses: CLA-104
ART-125 Drawing
An introductory exploration of the making and
meaning of "the mark." Students will practice
different approaches to creative research in
order to explore historical and contemporary
issues related to drawing both as a fine art and
as a strategy for problem solving. Participants
will utilize a variety of drawing media to
explore the technical and conceptual issues
related to composition. There is an emphasis on
drawing from direct observation, and subjects
will range from traditional still life to the
human form. Students will be expected to apply
critical and creative problem solving skills as
they experiment with visual language as a vehicle
for expression.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-126 Studio Art Fundamentals
Making art in the 21st century draws upon a long
tradition of methods, materials, and conceptual
and philosophical perspectives, and combines
those traditions with new and expanding
approaches. This course is intended to be a
hands-on introductory exploration of both
traditional and contemporary materials and ideas
that influence contemporary practices of design
and fine art. Students will be introduced to
methods of creative research, with projects and
discussions designed to help illuminate the
considerations one must take into account when
designing two-dimensional imagery,
three-dimensional objects and spaces, and
time-based or virtual projects. There will be a
strong emphasis on understanding how these three
categories relate to one another, and on the
practice of "reading" visual information in a
more sophisticated manner. Traditional and
emerging media - including but not limited to
drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital
technologies - will be explored.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-140 Special Topics in Museum Studies
In this course, students will develop exhibitions
and written materials for Wabash's Art Galleries.
In addition students will develop art displays of
the Permanent Collection of Art across campus.
Students will do research, interpretation, and
exhibition design and implementation, using
American Alliance of Museums standards.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-181 Historic Techniques & Ideas
Have you ever wanted to paint like Van Gogh? Or
invent like Da Vinci? This course is the course
for you! A hybrid between art historical research
and hands-on studio research, this course is
designed to introduce students to the historical
methods used by artists. Students will research
methods and complete projects using processes
including, but not limited to: grinding pigments,
painting with egg tempera, carving marble,
sculpting with clay, learning perspective,
drawing with silver, preparing a fresco painting,
and photographing using a pinhole camera.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
ART-202 Art in Film
This course will explore the dynamic relationship
between film and art from the late 20th century
to the present, examining how visual art and
important art historical moments and personas are
featured in film. By studying films about art,
the course will address the impact of visual arts
and the ways that films use particular effects of
the moving multi-sensory image to capture
characteristics of art history.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-204 Art & Archaeology of Ancient Americas
This course will explore the art and architecture
of the great civilizations of Mesoamerica and the
Andean region of South America from around 1500
BC until the arrival of Europeans in the New
World. Similarities and distinctions in such
aspects as urban planning, architecture,
monumental sculpture, and portable arts will be
explored among the great cultures of the Olmec,
Teotihuacan, Maya, Aztec, Nazca, Moche, and Inca.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-205 Renaissance Art
This course will survey painting, sculpture, and
architecture in Europe from the early 14th
through mid-16th centuries, with emphasis on
developments in Italy. The veneration of
classical antiquity and the development of
logical systems of representation will be
examined. In addition, the elaboration of visual
expression that valorized the human figure as a
basic unit of meaning will be explored. Patterns
of patronage such as wealthy merchant classes,
family dynasties, and papal courts will be given
special consideration, as will the idea of the
artist as an individual genius. The course will
study artists such as Giotto, Botticelli,
Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci,
Titian, Raphael, Jan Van Eyck, Bosch, and Durer.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
ART-206 Baroque Art
This course will look at painting, sculpture, and
architecture in Europe from the late 16th through
mid-18th centuries. Art will be examined in the
context of this age of innovation and turmoil,
which is marked by religious conflict, absolute
monarchies, economic and colonial expansion, and
the formation of art academies. Individual
artists as transnational entrepreneurs will be
explored, such as Caravaggio, Bernini, Rubens,
Rembrandt, Anthony Van Dyck, Vermeer, and
Velazquez.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
ART-208 Nineteenth Century Art
This course will examine the major trends in
painting and sculpture between the end of the
Baroque age and the beginning of Modernism, an
era characterized by philosophical Enlightenment,
political revolution, and scientific discovery.
The art of this turbulent period was often in
conflict with tradition and the established
structures of artistic training, production and
patronage; much of our contemporary understanding
of the nature and role of artists and their work
was formed in the crucible of this fascinating
period. The dramatically shifting styles of this
century of art history will offer us rich
opportunities to develop our tools of formal,
descriptive analysis, and to articulate the
connections between visual styles and the
cultural conflicts which produced them.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
ART-209 Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Art
This course will survey the history of Modern art
from the 1900s to the present, beginning in
Paris, expanding to Europe, and eventually to New
York and beyond. We will ask several questions
about the works we look at: What is modern about
modern art? Why does the way art looks change
over time, and what directs that change? What is
the relationship between art and the artists and
societies that produce it? What is its
relationship to our lives today? Is Modernism
over? To answer these questions, we will look
closely at the artworks themselves, as well as
the writings of artists and critics, and the
history of the society and culture that
considered itself "modern.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-210 Topics in Art History
The objective of this class is to develop the
student's understanding of art history. Through
the analysis of a particular theme or topic,
students will gain a greater understanding of
visual communication and its history. Since the
content of this course varies from year to year,
it may be repeated for credit upon the
instructor's approval. Examples of course topics:
Building for the Spirit; Religious Architecture
from Antiquity to the Present; Women in Art; The
Image of Man; Monumentality; Introduction to
African Art; African American Art; The Art of the
Ancient Americas; and Latin American Art.Topics
vary with each scheduled offering. Refer to
Student Planning's section information for
descriptions of individual offerings, and
applicability to distribution requirements.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-219 Special Topics in Film Study
Topics vary with each scheduled offering. Refer to
Student Planning's section information for
descriptions of individual offerings, and
applicability to distribution requirements.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-220 Digital Filmmaking
This filmmaking studio production course is an
introduction to high-definition digital
filmmaking and ephemeral media as an expressive
art form. It will provide a basic understanding
of digital film technology, techniques, and
terminology. Course assignments may include:
exploring archival footage mash-ups, chroma key
composites, 2-D key-frame animation collages,
voiceover, and experimental/narrative live-action
projects. No previous editing, sound, or camera
experience is required.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-222 Expanded Digital Production
Manipulate, remix, and create audio and video
media using industry-standard post-production
tools and technology. In this course, students
will develop skills and a rich understanding in
editing, special-effects, layering, and mixing.
The goal is to navigate and process the moving
image and dynamic sounds in the context of the
media-saturated society of which we are all a
part. No prerequisites.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution:
ART-223 Ceramics
An introduction to the basic techniques of clay.
The course will investigate the methods and
aesthetics of ceramics, both functional ware and
sculptural form. The course will also explore the
historical and cultural uses of pottery and the
contemporary use of clay as a sculptural medium.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-224 Photography
Students will gain significant skills in
photographic techniques and critical
understanding of how our brain reads, evaluates
and creates the images we view. Students will
gain manual command of DSLR cameras while
learning lighting, experimental, lens and
photoshop techniques, allowing them to discover
and refine their own artistic voice for creating
visual media. The course will also cover general
history of photography and its technical
illusions and cultural impacts.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-225 Topics in Studio
The objective of this class is to develop the
student's ability to think visually. Through the
analysis of a particular theme, topic, medium, or
technique, students will gain a greater
understanding of visual communication, creative
expression, and its history. Since the content of
this course varies from year to year, it may be
repeated for credit upon the instructor's
approval.Topics vary with each scheduled offering.
Refer to Student Planning's section information
for descriptions of individual offerings, and
applicability to distribution requirements.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-226 Cinematic Environments: Digital Space
Welcome to the wonderful world of cinematic
compositing! In this Film & Digital Media
production course students will explore their
visual ideas through video art compositing
approaches. Compositing is the process of
combining visual elements from multiple sources
into a single image; think traditional cut-out
paper collage, only with green-screened video.
With compositing you can construct any image or
scene you can imagine. Projects may involve
duplicating and scale shift experiments, 2D/3D
miniature set design, keyframe 2D animation
basics, lighting, color, and sound design, and
even theatrical mask, costume, puppet, or prop
construction. The fundamentals of Adobe After
Effects will be learned as well. If you are
interested in filmmaking, in making images, or
need a Lit/Fine Art credit and want to explore
your ideas in a different way, this is the course
for you. No previous editing or camera experience
is required.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-227 Sculpture
An investigation of techniques, procedures, and
vocabulary necessary for three-dimensional visual
expression. Scuptural concepts, both traditional
and contemporary, will be explored through
applied problems. Media: plaster, clay, wood, and
steel.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-228 Painting: Mixed Media
A thorough investigation of the historic and
contemporary materials, techniques, and
conceptual concerns related to painting.
Participation in this course will allow students
the opportunity to explore the process of
composing images, begin practicing studio
research, and experiment with both traditional
and contemporary approaches to making art.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-311 Art Theory and Criticism
This course will explore the major currents in
the theories of meaning in and aesthetic response
to works of visual art. What is the origin of the
category "art"? Does it have universal validity?
Are judgments about art merely subjective, or can
they expect universal consensus? These are only
some of the questions which will open the course;
we will go on to consider the central problems of
modern and postmodern art, and their role in our
lives today. We will locate the roots of the
issues of modern art criticism and theory in the
Western philosophical tradition. We will pay
particular attention to the relationship between
visual expression and writing about visual art,
between art and its criticism, and the ever
narrowing gap between the two. Students should
expect to do a significant amount of reading and
writing. This course is typically offered in the
first half of the fall semester.
Prerequisites: One course in Art History (ART-101, ART-103,
ART-104, ART-208, ART-209, ART-210, ART-311, or ART-312).
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-312 Postmodern Art & Culture
Modernism, as an art form and a
historical/cultural condition, took many distinct
forms and set out various contradictory goals. It
has been said not only that the project of
modernity is unfinished, but that every modernism
has its own postmodernism. What does it mean to
say that we are no longer modern, that the new is
now old? Together we will discuss these questions
from a variety of different angles, equipped with
a variety of approaches. The course will
concentrate on the relationships between art,
culture, politics, and critical, theoretical
writing. We will attempt to make sense out of
what is often contentious, playful,
contradictory, or even willfully obscure in
contemporary art and criticism. This course is
important for anyone wishing to participate in
the contemporary public debates about the meaning
and value of art and culture. This course is
typically offered in the second half of the fall
semester in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisites: One course in Art History
Credits: 0.5-1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts
ART-330 Advanced Studio
For students wishing to continue serious pursuit
of art making in any of the studio areas,
including multi-media and other non-traditional
means of expression. This course emphasizes
greater independence in approach to research of
materials, techniques, and concepts. This course
is typically offered in the fall semester. This
course if offered by Instructor Consent.
Prerequisites: Two credits from ART-125, ART-126, ART-223, ART-224,
ART-225, ART-227, and ART-228. At least one credit
must be from the 200 level.
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-331 Advanced Studio
For students wishing to continue serious pursuit
of art making in any of the studio areas,
including multi-media and other non-traditional
means of expression. This course emphasizes
greater independence in approach to materials,
techniques, and concepts. This course is offered
by Instructor consent.
Prerequisites: Two credits from ART-125, ART-126, ART-223, ART-224,
ART-225, ART-227, and ART-228. At least one credit
must be from the 200 level.
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-387 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department member before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: 2 Courses from ART
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-388 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department member before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: 2 courses from ART.
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-398 Independent Study
Individual research projects. The manner of study
will be determined by the student in consultation
with the instructor. Students must receive
written approval of their project proposal from a
department member before registering for the
course.
Prerequisites: 2 courses from ART
Credit: 1
ART-432 Senior Studio
Art majors must examine a specific visual theme
or concept, develop the idea through their
selected mediums, and install an exhibition of
the results of that study. The exhibition may be
a one-man or group exhibit, depending on the
requirements of the project and the availability
of exhibition space. This course is offered in the
fall semester.
Prerequisites: ART-330 or ART-331
Credits: 0.5-1
ART-433 Senior Studio
Art majors focusing in studio must examine a
specific visual theme or concept, develop the
idea through their selected mediums, and install
an exhibition of the results of that study. The
exhibition may be a one-man or group exhibit,
depending on the requirements of the project and
the availability of exhibition space.
Prerequisites: ART-330 or ART-331
Credits: 0.5-1