FIRST YEAR COURSES

FDD-1030 / FDD-1035
Drawing I and II
Two semesters: 3 studio credits per semester
Focusing on the perceptual skills involved in image-making, these courses will examine drawing as an act of producing independent works of art and as a preparatory process in organizing a finished work. Assigned projects will explore the formal elements of art, such as line, space, scale and texture. Materials will include pencil, charcoal, pen-and-ink and wash, among others. Projects range from the figure and still life, for example, to mapping and storyboarding.

FPD-1020 / FPD-1025
Painting I and II
Two semesters: 3 studio credits per semester
Foundation-year painting will explore various means of representation through the application of pigments to canvas, panels and paper. Color and its organizational principles will be investigated—both as a practical and theoretical endeavor. An exploration of form and content will be undertaken with an emphasis on technical skills. Class critiques and museum visits will be employed as vehicles to develop critical terms concerning painting.

FSD-1050
Sculpture
One semester: 3 studio credits
As an introduction to the material world, this course explores diverse media and their potentialities to create volume, line and mass. Ranging from the ethereal to the fabricated, materials such as clay, plaster, cardboard, wood, resin and wire will be investigated by exercises in casting, mold-making, installation and site-specific work. Discussion will include concepts of space, gravity and light, among others, as they pertain to three-dimensional form.  

AHD-1010
Survey of World Art I
One semester: 3 art history credits
As an introduction to the art of Western and non-Western cultures, this course will examine art from the Paleolithic period to 1450. Key monuments and styles will be explored in architecture, sculpture and painting through methods of visual analysis. Discussions will link the ways in which concepts in art develop and change within different cultural contexts. Field trips and museum visits will augment the course as appropriate.

AHD-1015
Survey of World Art II
One semester: 3 art history credits
Beginning with the art of the Renaissance and continuing into the modern world, this course will explore painting, sculpture and architecture in both Western and non-Western cultures. Discussions will link the ways in which concepts of art develop and change within different cultural contexts. Methods of visual analysis will be explored. Field trips and museum visits will augment this course as appropriate.

SMD-1020
Foundations of Visual Computing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Serving as an introduction to the tools, terms and techniques of visual computing for artists, this course will cover basic skills for operating and maintaining a computer, as well as the techniques to create collages and layered images and the tools required to display work on the World Wide Web. The impact of technology on the visual arts will be examined and discussed from contemporary and historical perspectives.

HCD-1020
Writing and Literature I
One semester: 3 humanities and sciences credits
This is the first part of a two-semester course that helps students become capable, critical and independent writers. With its focus on developing an argument, the course offers an introduction to some of the skills necessary for critical analysis of written art. It will include a review of writing basics (grammar, coherence, idea development, sentence and essay structure). Since reading widely is a foundation of good writing, course readings are drawn from a selection of premodern Western works, including drama, poetry, the narrative and the critical essay, which will be used as discussion and writing prompts.

HCD-1025
Writing and Literature II
One semester: 3 humanities and sciences credits
This is the second part of a two-semester course that emphasizes writing, reading and critical thinking. Students will write more in-depth essays and a research paper and continue to study grammar and essay development. Course readings are drawn from a selection of modern works, including drama, poetry, the narrative and the critical essay, which will be used as discussion and writing prompts.

SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR COURSES

FID-2020
Sophomore Seminar
One semester: 3 studio credits
In this seminar, students will focus on the media image and its implications in their work. In practice, the photograph has become a drawing tool for the artist and we will explore photography and video in relation to painting and drawing. Projects in lighting and composition, as well as color and its effects will be explored in still photography and the moving image. Stop-motion video effects will be used to animate a drawing. Photography and related software will be employed to address space, texture and volume as formal concerns in image-making. Students will learn how to document their work, how to use a camera that goes beyond point-and-click and what range of possibilities can be achieved with these instruments. How to color correct prints and videos will also be covered. Sound and editing techniques as they apply to art production is included in this media primer.

SECOND AND THIRD YEAR DRAWING COURSES

FDD-2020
Anatomy I and II
Two semesters: 3 studio credits per semester
Anatomy can offer a concrete structure for drawing and painting the human figure. These courses relate the study of the skeleton and the muscles to the live model. They will concentrate on the skeletal system in the fall semester and the muscles in the spring semester. Students will complete three life-size drawings of the human skeletal system, which will include views of the skull, torso and extremities, establishing the core of the human figure. Two triptychs, each consisting of a nude, muscular and skeletal drawing of a male and a female body, will be completed. We will learn the landmarks of the skeletal system, their relationship to the muscular system and how they work together to define the human form.

FDD-2041
Fur, Feathers and Scales: Comparative Animal Anatomy
One semester: 3 studio credits
Tracing the animal kingdom from jellyfish to insects to humans, students will gain a working knowledge of comparative animal anatomy. The focus will be on vertebrates (reptiles, birds, and mammals) and the morphological differences that constitute groups, families and individual species. There will be discussions on ecology, evolution and the depiction of animals throughout art history. Students will work from specimens from the SVA Nature and Technology Lab, on-location drawings and photos.

FDD-2107
Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
The premise of this course is that drawing constitutes the fundamental basis of all visual language. As such, drawing will be explored through the development of both technical skills and concepts. Dialogues will revolve around contemporary visual issues. Work will involve the use of all media. Experimentation and invention will be stressed. Drawing will be viewed as a primary vehicle through which an artist grows in the struggle for freedom of expression.

FDD-2113
Figure Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will focus on the model. We will concentrate on the figure in space, how to structure a picture, the use of the picture plane as an organizing tool, and plastic form. We’ll use charcoal and then diversify media and scale. In the spring semester, students will approach the figure very directly, and then be encouraged to use the figure as a catalyst to explore other themes. Through direct observation, students will be encouraged to work with diverse materials as a means with which to approach the act of drawing.

FDD-2124
Figure Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Using a model, this course will begin with 10 one-minute poses and then move into a series of 20-minute poses. All materials are acceptable: watercolor, pencil, and pen-and-ink, among others. And all styles are welcome. Students will develop their own distinctive process.

FDD-2127
Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Definition of drawing: act of a person or thing that draws anything. In this course, students push ideas to their visual limits. Each student will learn to take an idea, document it, and explore unique and individualistic ways to use it in a visual format; then, through conventional drawing techniques, consider other ways to experiment with the same idea. Students will be encouraged to render the idea and variations of it in different materials and media and participate actively in group critiques.

FDD-2134
Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
What does it mean to draw? How is drawing relevant in today’s art world? This course is about the experience of drawing and looking at drawings and about the possibilities of extending our traditional ideas concerning the limits of drawings. We will attempt to answer these questions through a series of discussions and exercises in and out of class. All types of materials are encouraged. Figurative and abstract imagery will be examined.

FDD-2204
Cut-and-Paste Media Workshop
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will focus on cut-and-paste techniques as they are employed in image-making. The traditional underpinnings of collage will be investigated as a common thread to rethink, reposition and rework images and sound. Analog and digital approaches will be used to create a synthesis between popular and art-historical forms of collage. The course will be content driven and employ narrative, non-linear, representational and symbolic approaches to collage. We will begin using print media, then merge print with other mediums (paint, pastels, textures, found objects) to create mixed-media projects. We will transition into photo and digital collage/montage to analyze media as it has been used in the past and as it has developed with the advent of the Internet. Additionally, the course will explore cut-and-paste techniques using Photoshop, audio mash-ups and remixes.

FDD-2216
Urban Botanicals
One semester: 3 studio credits
This class will visit local sites in search of urban botanicals from which to draw creative inspiration. We’ll explore micro and macro environments, and the fractal realm of self-similarity and symmetry. We’ll see how the nature/nurture dialectic has been exploited by artists, and look to the less obvious lichens, molds and mosses as alternatives to the more ornamental botanicals. To meet the countless challenges that botanicals present, students will explore various mediums to create drawings/collages that range from the simple to the complex.

FDD-3006
Figure Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Drawing the figure is arguably the most fundamental aspect of art-making. The act sharpens observation, develops subtle hand skills and deepens understanding of our physical and psychological nature. This course will examine the great traditions of figure drawing and will inspire by example. Drawing the model will help to center our art on a human narrative and lend an emotional response rich in line and form. All forms and sizes of drawings are welcome. We will also explore the use of mixed media, collage, three-dimensional surfaces, text and video projection. Just as we draw on paper, so we can also explore with a digital pen on tablet. Participation in class critiques will be encouraged as a time for sharing journals and sketchbooks. The needs of individual students will be met through one-on-one discussion. Projects and home assignments will embolden personal development. Gallery and museum exhibitions will complement studio work.

FDD-3008
Drawing as Visual Thinking
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will explore drawing as a means of visual thinking and as a practice that reflects an ongoing body of work or ideas. Students will work to develop a drawing language to examine what they are pursuing in painting, sculpture or other media. Projects will progress from simple notation and drawing in the notebook to drawing from the notebook, drawing as idea, drawing as critique and drawing as reflection. During each class there will be a formal exercise, a kind of warm-up, with the option to draw from the model, or from other imagery, with the goal to experiment with alternative and subversive ways to use traditional drawing media. Otherwise, students will work on their specific projects in class. There will be individual and group critiques. We will discuss current drawing exhibitions and look at books and monographs about drawing. Photographs of this workshop can be viewed at rpasvaphotos.com.

FDD-3012
Questions in Contemporary Art Explored through Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Recently, the MIT Press published a book series, Documents of Contemporary Art. The aim of this series is to address a range of topics in contemporary art by gathering thinkers, commentators and practitioners, and anthologizing their thoughts on the subjects at hand. In this course, the students will address questions in contemporary art by focusing on, experimenting with and discovering new subject matter as material that has propelled recent art, using four volumes of this series: The Everyday, Utopias, Beauty, The Archive. Students will read selected essays from the books and will undertake readings and research based on the ideas and artists explored in these books. As they familiarize themselves with the questions and ideas surrounding the topics, four major drawing projects will be assigned. Work in all media will be allowed; drawing will be emphasized.

FDD-3013
Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course studies the application of pigments to the surface of paper and equivalent materials. This implies the history and practice of drawing, as seen from different points of view. The course stresses looking as a process of perception and invention of inner and outer images and the observation of the work in its making.

FDD-3067
Advanced Drawing
One semester: 3 studio credits
This is a course of virtually nonstop figure drawing. The purpose is not only to loosen up, but also—and more importantly—to approach drawing fearlessly. We will work with multiple models and props, as well as combine images from “imagination” into the drawings. Each week will have a different “theme,” adding to the theatrical quality of the course. We will work quickly, and almost always with wet mediums (ink, tempera, acrylics, etc.), blurring the distinction between painting and drawing. Restating and reworking of drawings will be encouraged to create more complex works. Students are required to review current exhibitions and to keep a sketchbook/journal.

FDD-3083
Drawing from the Imagination into the Third Dimension
One semester: 3 studio credits
The central idea of this course is to connect the hand with the mind’s eye. Drawing becomes dimensional through observation and imagination. Literal hand/eye coordination is essential to draftsmanship and mastery of form, translating the physical or imaginary into a believable two-dimensional space. We will use images residing in the imagination as inspiration to construct drawings. We’ll also employ traditional and non-traditional materials such as ink, graphite powder and gels. The course will be supplemented with visits to museums and galleries as well as visiting artists.

SECOND AND THIRD YEAR PAINTING COURSES

FPD-2007
Painting and Mixed Media
One semester: 3 studio credits
Each session of this course will begin with a 20-minute warm-up assignment as a way to experiment with different approaches to painting and image-making. Students will then work on assigned and self-initiated projects. Working from observation, using systems to develop work and understanding drawing as a key to painting are just some of the approaches that will be explored. Experimentation with various materials and techniques is encouraged, as well as development of content through focusing on issues of identity, taste, politics, spirituality and philosophy. Home assignments, journal keeping and reviewing exhibitions are required. This is a rigorous course, as are the process of art-making and the discipline of being an artist.

FPD-2014
Painting: The Narrative Image
One semester: 3 studio credits
This painting course will engage students in their development of the narrative image. Using traditional and experimental approaches to oil paint, acrylic and gouache, students will explore composition, color and process in relation to the narrative possibilities of the picture. Students will work from models, memory, and imagination and will explore the uses of the narrative image and its possibility to express ideas. The uses of narrative in contemporary art and storytelling in art history will be discussed. Students will develop their ideas as well as their technical skills.

FPD-2017
Painting: Out of Your Head, Onto the Page
One semester: 3 studio credits
From an image’s conception to its execution, ideas, materials and processes run together. In this workshop, we’ll investigate the use of novel and traditional materials and the range of pictorial sources: fine art to pop art, everyday life to nightlife, institutions and the politics of space, objective and subjective analyses. What’s your worldview? What’s your comfort zone and how can you exploit it? With an emphasis on interpretation of work through the materials used (paint, honey, nail polish), the context in which they appear (wall, floor, street) and the formal elements of construction (scale, application, space, light, subject), we will look for ways to describe and strengthen your point of view. Instruction is one-on-one with class critiques. Discussions about work by artists who employ analytic, eccentric, comedic, political, romantic or intuitive points of view are included.  

FPD-2023
Painting
One semester: 3 studio credits
With a concentration on individual development from students’ self-generated directions, this course will focus on intent, execution and presentation. All approaches are respectfully attended to when accompanied by commitment. Students will develop a vocabulary of words and ideas, and learn to think about their work as color, drawing and content.

FPD-2028
Sensational Painting and ...
One semester: 3 studio credits
What do we do when we look? What happens as we build pictures? What makes an image memorable? We will consider the context for these concerns from Cézanne to psychedelic art to current exhibitions. Learn to focus your intentions while fine-tuning your intuition. Work from observation, imagination or printed sources with an emphasis on the distinctly physiological experience of painting.

FPD-2106
Painting and Photographic Sources
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will concentrate on both the technical aspects and conceptual basis for working from and with photography in painting. The apparent objectivity of photographs will be used to investigate their hidden codes: what the photograph documents, what is suggested, what is left out and the social role of subject matter. We will discuss the formal qualities of images and how they might change the reception of a painting. Some emphasis will be given to the categories of dreams and hallucinations, memory and time, pictures and politics, and commercial images.

FPD-2122
The Abstract Image
One semester: 3 studio credits
In this course, students will develop a painting practice that employs imagery and pictorial means from both abstract and representational realms. This painting tradition includes the work of Henri Matisse, Philip Guston, Elizabeth Murray and Gerhard Richter, to name a few. Students will be encouraged to create images that incorporate the formal languages of modes of abstraction. The development of a mature studio practice will be stressed.

FPD-2131
In Practice: Color Theory
One semester: 3 studio credits
In this multimedia course, students will explore color and the principles of color theory. Each project will incorporate a specific lesson about color and light as a starting point, which is subsequently developed into a more complex and personal work. This is a challenging course that will help students to acquire the skills to make visually dynamic works, as well as expand the way they use, perceive and understand color. Projects will incorporate painting, photography, collage and digital images. In addition to home assignments, students are required to keep a sketchbook and to review exhibitions.

FPD-2133
Watercolor
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course covers basic watercolor painting materials and techniques. Form, composition and color will be discussed and students will explore the expressive and stylistic possibilities of the medium. Visual examples from art history and contemporary art will be part of the class critiques.

FPD-3187
Contemporary Imagery: Representational Painting in the 21st Century
One semester: 3 studio credits
Image-based work is the predominate form of painting today. It can range from simple figuration to highly resolved illusionistic painting, with many divergent alternatives in between. Much of the current work is photographically derived. This course will explore the full range of modes of representation, with an emphasis on the photograph as a source. The use of photographic information, from media-based imagery through digital alteration will be considered. We will cover the ways that photography is both similar to and different from direct observation.  Particular emphasis will be placed on helping students to match their technique to their sources and to defining the underlying content. A variety of imagery, media and content will be thoughtfully considered. Contemporary use of historical techniques will be demonstrated.

FPD-3196
Advanced Painting with Photography as Source: The Materials
One semester: 3 studio credits
Photography was a precipitous event in the advent of “modernism.” Its invention continues to catalyze methods and concerns of painting. This course will investigate the ways in which photographic processes—ranging from the camera obscura, the invention of chemical photography and Kodachrome, to x-ray, photocopy and digital images—have distinctly affected representations and methods in painting. To best link image to medium, we will examine a variety of paint mediums such as tempera, oil and acrylic, and study their inherent characteristics.

FPD-3203
Representational Painting
One semester: 3 studio credits
The goal of this course is to give students a strong foundation in both the intellectual and the formal aspects of painting. While representation in painting will be the subject, the focus will be on painting as a language and a process. Working from observation, various aspects of pictorial construction will be emphasized. Students will execute quick wet-into-wet paintings of the models to become more intimate with the material aspects of painting. Light and shadow will be discussed as a motor of representation. We will explore contrast of value, as well as warm and cool tonality, and then examine color and color theory and create paintings based on a complementary palette. Even while working within structured projects and a restricted palette, the expressive means of painting will be emphasized. The last phase of the course will focus on more complex projects in full palette. Students will be encouraged to develop their personal interests and subjects without abandoning formal aspects of painting. Group critiques emphasizing the verbalization of intent will be an essential element. Included will be home assignments, slide presentations and museum visits.

FPD-3213
Painting: Issues and Ideas in Painting
One semester: 3 studio credits
This studio course is designed to strengthen your ideas through your materials, subject matter, content, context, technique and application. On an individual basis, we will discuss your sensibilities and how these may be encouraged toward developing a clear and unique voice. Contemporary and historical issues relevant to your practice are included, as in the exploration of formal and technical possibilities. Experimentation is encouraged. All disciplines are welcome and models are available on request. Group critiques will be held every five weeks.

FPD-3217
Constructed Painting
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course is for painters who want to work with materials, processes and techniques other than, or in addition to, traditional techniques of brush and paint on canvas. Students can explore collage, assemblage, relief, wall sculpture, fresco, in situ wall paintings, new media and other approaches to extending the dimensionality of painting’s surface. Any material can be used: fabrics, wood, metals, plaster, plastics, found objects, etc. We will critically examine differences between painting and sculpture in the context of picture plane, opticality, illusion, realness and objectness, and the way these terms are defined art historically, and look at how artists today engage these traditions. Photographs of this course can be viewed at rpasvaphotos.com.

FPD-3223
Painting: Painting and Consciousness
One semester: 3 studio credits
The story of painting parallels the developing ideas about consciousness. It is an activity that we undertake in our solitude; the results are experienced and given validity by others. Subject matter, narrative and the ways in which moments of paint become signifiers all parallel the most advanced philosophical and scientific investigations of what it means to be conscious. This is foremost a studio course in which we will attempt of find the relevance of what we are doing in painting to our experience of ourselves and the world. Our goal is to try to understand how and why what we paint can reflect and inform changing notions of what it means to be alive. Recorded lectures by contemporary scientists and philosophers will provide the catalyst for discussions. We will focus on developing an understanding of the underlying psychological, intellectual and emotional forces that fuel artistic impulses, and how this connects to the processes of painting. All painting approaches are welcome and models are available on request.

FPD-3226
Painting: Studio Practices
One semester: 3 studio credits
Students will employ any media of their choice to further inform and advance their creative efforts. The emphasis will be on developing a dialogue and methodology that refines and explores new artistic territory. “Studio-time” is stressed to discover how best to further identify and realize intentions, how to organize efforts, and how to work both intellectually and physically in the studio. Research and archival practices will be taught. Internet sites will be employed to expand both technical and intellectual information and resources. Instruction is given on an individual basis. Students are encouraged to exchange ideas and techniques with their peers, as well as visit New York’s vast cultural resources on a regular basis. The understanding of visual culture, the evolution of a creative working process and the ability to communicate visual ideas are the goals of this course. There will be individual and group critiques.

FPD-3233
Painting: Refining Visual Language
One semester: 3 studio credits
Together, we will examine our assumptions about traditional painting in relation to a more contemporary experience of art-making. All approaches are welcome. Focus will be on discovering the problems of interest to each student and finding the material/metaphor most appropriate to each person’s objectives. Dialogue will center on developing the strengths of personal ideas in relation to the vast and rich community of painting’s vital past and intriguing present. A project-based course for students interested in developing their own ideas through a range of work in various media, emphasizing painting, but also encouraging works in other media. We will visit galleries and museums, and students will review various exhibitions on a regular basis. There will be group critiques throughout the semester.

SECOND AND THIRD YEAR SCULPTURE AND DIGITAL COURSES

FSD-2162
Ceramic and Mixed-Media Installation
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course is an intensive production-based course focusing on the creation of mixed-media installations using ceramic as the starting medium. The course will be divided into two sections. The first will cover different aspects of plaster mold production and the use of liquid clay (slip) in order to produce duplicates of an object. The second section will focus on the students’ project ideas through the review of work of artists producing installation art; group and individual critiques and exhibition reviews. Once a basic knowledge of mold-making and slip casting is established, students will propose a series of projects of which some will be selected during group critiques for full production. Specific analysis of mixed media use for each student’s project will be reviewed and organized in terms of production and aesthetics during group session. Attention will be given to the context in which the installation is placed and viewed and its impact on the physical and cultural environment of society. Homework will be extensive in order to acquire an independent work ethic.

FSD-2201
Body Casting
One semester: 3 studio credits
Body casting is the art of replicating the human form in a plaster casting. Students will make body castings from live models, that will then be corrected to match the live subject. Other techniques will involve using oil-based clay to create a “skin” for the plaster. Silicone rubber will be explored for mold-making and as a casting material. Discussions will include commercial applications for body cast products, special-effects makeup, specialty costuming, animatronic characters, three-dimensional commercial sculptures and holiday event mask-making.

FSD-2216
Soft Sculpture
One semester: 3 studio credits
Artists as diverse as Claes Oldenburg and Louise Bourgeois have employed soft sculpture to investigate the whimsical as well as the darker aspects of identity and the human psyche. This course is designed to integrate various processes of traditional soft sculpture with contemporary applications that utilize digital technologies. A series of demonstrations that explore 2D and 3D surfaces will introduce students to the traditional methods of sewing, felting, dyeing, knotting, and weaving. Digital demonstrations will explore pattern design for laser cutting, digital embroidery and textile design that can be outsourced to print. Students are invited to create work using these applications in isolation or in combination.

FSD-2253
Sculpture Without Limits
One semester: 3 studio credits
Sculpture without limits. Every kind of sculpture can be investigated. Every type of material can be used. Welding, building, carving, modeling, site-specific and mixed-media assemblage will be taught. Hands-on instruction and strong technical skills enable each sculptor to realize his or her own thoughts. Weekly critiques will discuss work done in class. The idea comes first and then the sculpture. Where it came from, what it means, how it got there. Visits to museums, galleries and studios will be assigned. Slide lectures will augment discussion.

FSD-2254
Sculpture
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course is designed as a series of projects to encourage students to solve problems and discover working processes. Each project will begin with a discussion of contemporary artists, as well as current museum and gallery exhibitions. Various materials will be explored, from woodworking to mold-making, welding to video. We will meet for group critiques.

FSD-2261
Figurative Sculpture
One semester: 3 studio credits
Studying the human form as a medium for making art in three-dimensional, sculptural modes is the focus of this course. The representation of the human body through traditional and nontraditional sculptural approaches will be emphasized. Projects will explore technical, aesthetic and conceptual aspects of the human figure.

FSD-2324
TRASH
One semester: 3 studio credits
TRASH is a studio course focused the role of debris in art and culture. This course will revisit the art historical precedents of found-object artwork, along with new ideas about sustainability and urban ecology. Addressing the profound eco-crisis that is taking place on planetary, national and individual levels, we will explore how to make art while being conscious of our environmental impact. Work with recycling and scavenge for found objects; research new biodegradable materials and join the green revolution! This course contains lectures, screenings and field trips, including a visit to a landfill from the early 1900s. Discussion topics and projects will include “The Specimen: Collections, Adaptations and Dispersions,” “The Cleanse: Material Purification and Transformation” and “Change the World.”

FSD-2351
Metalworking Techniques for Sculpture
One semester: 3 studio credits
The goal of this course is to enable students to work in metal for creating sculpture. Practical assignments will cover the fundamentals of welding, including MIG, ARC and TIG. We will explore techniques for shaping metal bars, sheets and plates (by machine and by hand), as well as how to grind, polish and finish metal, and then combine these techniques into finished projects. Students will be introduced to the computer-driven plasma cutter, which can cut steel up to a half inch in thickness.

FID-2416
Art & Shamanism
One semester: 3 studio credits
Among the first artists were shamans, mystics who created some of the earliest art to explore visionary experiences and our human relationship with the natural world. This course will look at art’s ancient roots in shamanic rituals, and see how these practices can enhance our creative and visionary skills today. Grounded in a relationship with the living world, shamans explore the mystical universe by acquiring a deeper knowledge of the self to help heal the self and society. This approach remains deeply embedded in the human psyche and continues to inspire artists. We’ll look at global indigenous traditions of shamanic art and modern art influenced by these insights. We’ll discuss related concepts such as social sculpture, research on psychology, and dreams and consciousness. And we’ll learn to create our own symbolic images, objects, installations and performance/rituals, developing our own vocabulary of self-expression in an exploration of the personal process and visionary traditions in art. This course is open to all 2D, 3D and time-based media, performance and video. It will also include field trips to museums, a forest and outdoor projects at natural sites to connect with the living energies of nature.

FID-2441
Sex & Contemporary Art
One semester: 3 studio credits
This interdisciplinary course is an introduction to the relationship between sexual liberation movements and contemporary visual culture. Special attention is given to Feminist, gay, lesbian, transgender and pansexual issues in art practice. Explorations into concepts of transgression, difference, abjection and scatology form the subject matter of the course. Three intensive, self-directed studio projects in any visual media are required. Media choices include painting, drawing, collage, photography, performance, installation, sculpture, video and webwork, as well as the written or spoken word. Class critiques, guest lecturers and field trips round out the course.

FID-3027
Image, Object and Meaning: The Semiotics of Form
One semester: 3 studio credits
This studio course is structured through “case studies” in which artworks of similar and disparate media will be presented, and their structures and consequent meanings will be addressed. For example, the works of abstract painters Jackson Pollock and Robert Ryman have radically different interpretations and meanings. The course begins with the far-reaching influence of Marcel Duchamp, and then focuses on work from the 1970s to the present. Topics include: painting, sculpture, installation, performance and video, as well as hybrids (Paul Kos’s video projections on paintings, Joseph Beuys’s performances generating objects and installations). We will examine the influence of seminal composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage and La Monte Young on visual artists (Nam June Paik and Yoko Ono, among others), as well as the influence of texts and musical scores on artists such as Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, David Salle and Christopher Wool. Students will submit weekly responses to the works discussed; these responses can take a variety of forms: visual (drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video, performance), text (written and/or read aloud), or a combination of these forms. There will also be assigned readings.

FID-3273
Photography: Theory and Practice
One semester: 3 studio credits
Much of contemporary culture, in one way or other, refers to photography. This introductory course offers a hands-on approach to shooting and printing photographs. It also covers photo theory, history and influential emerging photographers. Students will shoot and process their photographs in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, master archival inkjet printing and learn to shoot in a studio set-up using strobes—skills that have practical as well as artistic applications. In addition to our classroom work, we will regularly visit photo exhibitions at Chelsea galleries. By the end of the semester, students will have developed some knowledge of contemporary photographic discourse and the technical skills to shoot and print their own work.

FSD-3303
Sculpture Now!
One semester: 3 studio credits
This workshop takes a worldview of the sculpture-making process and will show how different cultures and art forms have impacted today’s sculpture. Students will not only draw on their own personal/cultural pasts to develop ideas and make sculpture, but also to challenge or ally those ideas with different information and influences. A wide range of materials and fabrication methods are available in this course. Through critiques and slide discussions, issues of form, content and context will be examined and interpreted. The use of language as applied to sculpture is of particular interest. A partial listing of the current vernacular that we will be cataloging and assessing for our use includes: architectonic, socially concerned, outsider art, site-specific, randomness and objectness. We’ll attend exhibitions, films, lectures or performances that relate to our activities. There will also be required reading.

FSD-3313
Transmedia Workshop
One semester: 3 studio credits
Through exploration and invention, and by embracing all media, students will engage in a critical discourse about what is happening in real time in the visual arts now, through their work. A fully mixed-media orientation is receptive to all students, including those who are primarily painters, photographers or video-makers, performers, etc., and to all approaches. The emphasis is on enabling students to experiment with a full range of traditional, unconventional and exotic materials, techniques and ideas: digital fabrication, audio, electricity, fluids, mechanical parts, photomontage, optics, metal, paper, wood. The development of student concepts and personal interests will be strongly supported. Our thinking will be placed in contemporary and historical context through presentations of visual and textual resources: slide shows, video, articles, Web-based online materials and a weekly update on current exhibitions. Among the many ideas that will be explored are: perception, transformation, performance, the body, language, as well as the environmental, political and site-specific in art. Resources will be discussed and extensive technical help will be provided. There will be group critiques. Instruction will be on an individual basis.

FSD-3316
Interdisciplinary Workshop
One semester: 3 studio credits
This workshop is for students who want to explore interdisciplinary practices common in the arts today. Discussions of “The Module,” “Invisibility,” “Science” and “The Public/Private Interface” will guide an investigation of the conventions and mechanisms of presentation that intensify or subvert meaning. Resources include art, architecture, industry, design, craft, science, horticulture, cooking, fashion, theater, performance, film, video, television, music, language, etc. All media, processes and techniques are allowed. We will discuss exhibitions, films, readings, lectures and other activities that relate to our studio projects. Critiques and brainstorming sessions will be used to test ideas.

FSD-3351
Sculpture/Video Art: From Space to Time
One semester: 3 studio credits
Steel, wood, wire, rubber, video, film, light, sound, music, body movement, language, liquid and dust are just a few of the traditional and nontraditional materials used in this course. We will meet as a group and on a one-to-one basis, to receive and exchange information on student projects and current art. The rest of the time is designated for studio work. Through slides of works by modern and contemporary international artists, screenings of experimental films and videos, visits to exhibitions, readings of related articles and essays, information will be presented to help clarify directions and provide alternatives in which to work. During individual meetings, I will suggest many artists who share an affinity with your ideas and sensitivity, as well as materials and possible formal and conceptual directions that may benefit your work; you are encouraged to bring in personal interests—music, science, popular culture, philosophy, humor—and incorporate them in the few projects that will be presented for group critiques. Projects will relate to ideas and forms that include visibility and invisibility; sound and silence; time and motion; ephemerality and permanence; discipline and freedom; and gender, social and political issues in relation to sculpture. Indoor and outdoor site-specific or performance-oriented work is included.

FSD-3368
Digital Sculpture: Designing the Future
One semester: 3 studio credits
This workshop introduces students to new methods and concepts in sculpture using state-of-the-art technology. Students will work collaboratively on sculptural installations using CNC (computer numerically controlled) and rapid prototyping machines. Each project will focus on generating a component-based system where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The final installation will include new spatial concepts, novel materials, and organizational logics, and will conclude in a full-scale installation. No previous experience with digital design or advanced machining is required. Software and equipment instructions will be provided. Guest lectures and studio visits will be included.

FID-3387
Video Installation: When Light Becomes Form
One semester: 3 studio credits
From low-tech projection to high-tech immersive environments, video installation has become a dominant medium for contemporary artists. Drawing from the history of film and video art, the students will explore some of the different techniques of analog and digital media in their work in the digital lab. This course will focus on developing students’ knowledge of video installation and encourage experimentation with a variety of approaches to the projected image. Students will generate four projects throughout the semester. We will meet regularly as a group and on a one-on-one basis to discuss current exhibitions, readings and student projects, and screen film/video work by some of the major figures in the field. The remaining time will be spent in the studio/lab. Students are encouraged to incorporate their personal interests and perspectives into their work. Projects will relate to ideas and forms of light projection from conception and production to display and distribution; creative relationships between visual and audio; the physicality of light; narrative and non-narrative structure; original and appropriated material; public and private exhibition; interaction with performance and objects/sculpture. The class will touch on issues of gender, social and political activism, and the history of media communication.

FID-3391
Devices of Wonder: Digital Media and Installation
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will look at alternative visions of the art process as a cabinet of curiosities. Cell phones, computers, digital cameras, macro-videography—if you can film it, we will use it. Devices that produce an array of visual imagery are now embraced by art. From high-quality to low-res pixilated imagery, projects will range from self-portraits to group portraits, social/political content, gender and sexuality; psychological and cultural experiments; the conventional vs. the subversive, sound and silence, darkness and light. Students will also learn to incorporate music/soundscapes as an integral part of their work. Projects will investigate what stories you want to tell by using a variety of approaches and genres. Point of view, subjectivity, lighting, image quality, black-and-white vs. color, sound or silence—all are considerations that will be emphasized and implemented.

FID-3401
Electronics and Interactivity I
One semester: 3 studio credits
If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with robotics, to make a video that ‘knows’ when someone is watching it, or build a sculpture that tweets when you touch it, this is the course for you. We will build custom electronics that can sense and respond to the physical world and will learn to program these microcontrollers to ‘talk’ to computers running Max/MSP/Jitter to create strange and meaningful forms of interaction. In this introductory course, we will build several electronics projects designed to illustrate the possibilities of physical computing and to provide students with tools for further exploration. No prior programming or soldering experience is required, but an interest in accessing your inner mad scientist is a must.

FID-3402
Electronics and Interactivity II
One semester: 3 studio credits
A continuation of FID-3401, Electronics and Interactivity I, in this course students will design their own projects with custom electronic circuitry and custom software. Students will use relatively simple electronic circuits and basic computer programming to develop rich and meaningful interactive sculpture, installation and audio/video works. How to program Arduino microcontrollers to respond to various kinds of sensors will be explored, and students will work with Cycling ‘74 Max/MSP/Jitter to control and respond to digital video, audio and other types of data.

FID-3432
Prometheus Unbound: An Introduction to Bio Art
One semester: 3 studio credits
Humans have been tampering with species development for thousands of years, and creating countless varieties of domesticated plants and animals. Today, advances in biotechnology allow for the creation of entirely novel life forms such as transgenic rats glowing with jellyfish genes. In this course, students will be introduced to the emerging field of biological arts through hands-on laboratory practices and discussions. Through bi-weekly excursions to local biotech labs, parks, pet stores and seafood markets we will examine altered organisms. In the lab, students will create a postnaturalist journal, bacterial paintings, culture plant tissue, generate and disperse native seed bombs, learn proper techniques for preserving vertebrates and generate post-mortem chimerical sculptures from biological media. Discussions will range from bio-ethics/ecological thought to science fiction/biological reality, and more.

FID-3437
From the Laboratory to the Studio: Practices in Bio Art
One semester: 3 studio credits
From the decipherment of the human genome to industrialized food production, science has spilled out of the laboratory into our lives. As scientists engage in molecular engineering, the corporeal body and the manipulation of life forms have become a public and aesthetic discourse unto themselves. This course will examine intersections between laboratory practices and visual art production. Projects will employ video microscopes and scanning devices, scientific specimen collections, plant tissue engineering, new anatomical models and molecular cuisine. In addition, each student will design their own terrarium with fish, aquatic plants and/or micro eco-systems. Field trips and guest lecturers will complement course material. Students may work in a variety of media, from drawing and painting to the digital and performing arts.

FID-3451
Biomimicry: Nature as Driver
One semester: 3 studio credits
Throughout human history we have looked to nature as a model for design and inspiration to create art. Nature is recognized as a highly successful designer through patterns of growth, evolution and processes of propagation. The study of nature and biological processes for application into the design process is known as biomimetics. It is the study of the structure and function of biological systems as models for the design and engineering of materials and machines. This course introduces concepts, explores theories and allows students to practice biomimetics in their work in art and design. Students will gain a greater understanding of the world around them and unlock potential avenues for new design work through the use of the Nature and Technology Lab. Facilities include specimen collections, video microscopes, human and animal skeletal structures as well as slides of preserved bio-matter.

FID-3821
Embroidery and the Digital Sewing Machine
One semester: 3 studio credits
Digital embroidery transforms a hand-crafted couture into a fine arts media. Just like a tattoo where an image is created with color and needles, the embroidered fabric or paper is needle-stitched in colored threads. The image is a file that can be saved and repeated as a multiple or repeat pattern. The course will cover digital sewing using registration applications. Techniques related to fashion and the fine arts will be explored. A visit to a commercial embroidery atelier will be at the conclusion of the course.

Second- and Third-Year Printmaking Courses
FGD-2206
Printmaking: Silkscreen
One semester: 3 studio credits
Silkscreen, one of the most versatile and widely used methods of printmaking, will be explored through demonstrations and self-initiated projects. Painters as well as photographers will find a new way of expressing their ideas through screenprinting. Images can be made using hand-drawn separations, photographic film, digital separations and photocopied images. Printing on canvas, T-shirts, wood, metal, glass, as well as large-scale works, are all possible with silkscreen. Large-scale digital output is available in the printshop. Water-based silkscreen ink is used in class allowing for soap-and-water cleanup.

FGD-2406
Printmaking: Etching
One semester: 3 studio credits
This in-depth etching course explores the wide range of materials and techniques used to create the linear, tonal and photographic images of the intaglio print. Basic techniques cover line etching for pen-and-ink effects, drypoint for velvety lines, soft ground for both crayon-like lines and textures, aquatint for tones and lift grounds for the quality of watercolor. Inking techniques include black-and-white and color intaglio, a la poupee, stenciling, and chine collé for added color and texture. All processes will be discussed and demonstrated, along with photo etching techniques, monoprints, collagraphs and carborundum prints. Students will develop the skills to proof, edition and curate prints. On-going critiques will be included.

FGD-2446-A
Printmaking: Monoprint, Woodcut, Linoleum
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will introduce the printmaking processes of woodcut, linocut, monoprint and collagraph to create various types of prints. All processes will be demonstrated and applied in self-directed projects. The relief print is the oldest method of printmaking; its directness and ease of color application make it particularly appealing to artists of all fields. In woodcut, the non-image areas of the print are carved away and color is applied to the high surfaces of the block using rollers or brushes. Color can also be rubbed in below the surface to create depths and color mixing. Paper is then pressed against the inked surface of the block or plate to transfer the color image from the block. The monoprint is unique within printmaking because every print is different. Images are painted or drawn directly onto blank plates and then transferred to paper with a printing press, resulting in large, direct, painterly prints. The use of multiple printing, chine collé and color overlays will also be explored.

FGD-2471
Bound and Unbound: Relief Print in Book Form, Portfolio, Serial Image
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will explore the use various techniques in relief printing—woodcut, linoleum, monoprint—to create original artist books or portfolios of prints. There will be demonstrations in both traditional hand-cut relief techniques as well as the use of digital cutting starting from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files. Color separation techniques and the use of overlapping color will be demonstrated. Students will have the option to create editions of each work or to work in a series of unique monoprints. Various bookbinding techniques and styles will be covered.

FGD-2567
Textile Printing: An Introduction
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will appeal to fine artists as well as graphic designers and emerging fashion designers. Demonstrations will demystify the process of printing on canvas, T-shirts or totes. Learn to use various methods of printing on fabric, from silkscreen to block printing and stencils. You will be guided through “step and repeat” color separation used in printing entire bolts of fabric, to “engineered” images for pre-made piece goods like jackets, hats and patches. Students will use textile inks that are permanent and washable for professional results. Start your own T-shirt business and know what to buy and where to buy it.

FGD-3387
Copper-Plate Etching
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course is for students interested in developing painterly and drawn images using copper-plate etching techniques. Copper is a soft, sensitive and responsive metal that is able to capture all the graphic and tonal subtleties of drawing and painting. Students will discover new forms of expression by learning how to build an image through drawing and layering. Intaglio techniques, including hard ground, soft ground, spit-bite, white ground, sugar lift, and open bite will be covered. All processes will be demonstrated and applied through self-initiated etching projects.

FGD-3406
Printmaking: Color Etching
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will focus on the many ways of working with color and inking processes that include combinations of intaglio and surface rolls, viscosity inking, stencils and offsetting. The techniques to make plates from hand-drawn, painterly and photographic images will be demonstrated. These processes can be combined on a single plate or with several plates for multi-plate color printing to create layered depths of color and texture. Experiment with printing on various papers, canvas, silk, aluminum and other surfaces to create one-of-a-kind prints, editions, collages and mixed-media works. On-going critiques will be included.

FGD-3423
Printmaking: Lithography
One semester: 3 studio credits
If you like to draw and paint, you’ll like lithography. It has the ability to reproduce all the subtle qualities of charcoal, pencil, ink and watercolor. Students will create prints using traditional hand-drawn techniques on aluminum plates and stones as well as photographic plate-making on presensitized plates. Color separation techniques will be explored through the use of multiple-plate printing resulting in full-color print editions of professional quality.

FGD-3436
Printmaking: Silkscreen Projects
One semester: 3 studio credits
This course will concentrate on the use of silkscreen to realize personal projects, print editions, multiples, posters and portfolio pieces. Emphasis will be placed on idea concept, material choices and craft. The use of hand-drawn, photographic, photocopied and digital color separation techniques will be introduced in class. Large-scale digital output is available in the printshop. Water-based silkscreen ink will be used, allowing for soap-and-water cleanup.

FGD-3681
Printmaking: Silkscreen and Painting/Combined Media
One semester: 3 studio credits
Silkscreen changed the look of art in the early 1960s when painters like Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg started combining printing and painting to make unique works of art. This transformation of a once commercial process into a multifaceted art making tool made it possible to repeat images and create unlimited variations whether on paper, canvas, plastic, glass, metal, wood or any number of other materials. Silkscreen has also incorporated the use of digital photography and computer manipulations for image making. Students will be encouraged to make the most of this wide-open process and to seek their own creative solutions. Work will be critiqued on an ongoing basis.

FGD-3688
Printmaking: Letterpress
One semester: 3 studio credits
This workshop will give a thorough introduction to letterpress printing. We will begin with hand-set, movable wood and metal type in combination with etched plates and linocuts, and then explore making and using photopolymer plates from digital files. This medium is versatile and adaptable, mixing easily with other printmaking processes; the quality of image can range from hard edge to painterly. Letterpress printing also impresses a third dimension of depth and texture to the image and text on paper. Simple, accurate color registration is easy on the letterpress. The experience of hand typesetting using vintage metal and wood typefaces will enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of typography. Printing blocks and plates range from completely manual, hand-cut and collaged to digital photopolymer plates. Letterpress die cutting allows students to actually shape their projects. Operation and maintenance of several letterpresses will be included. Each session will begin with a demonstration followed by studio time to work on individual projects, from type-based graphic designs to fine art limited editions.

FGD-3692
Printmaking: Silkscreen and the Artists’ Book
One semester: 3 studio credits
Using silkscreen, students will explore various ways to present print as sequential images—artists’ books, themed portfolios and comics, even fanzines. The course will cover the process from concept to finished and bound multiples. Students will learn methods of making color separations for multicolor prints using traditional hand-drawn and modern photographic techniques. Bookbinding techniques will be demonstrated, including Japanese bookbinding, accordion folding and signature binding. Large-scale digital output is available in the Printshop.

FGD-3702
Printmaking: Advanced Silkscreen and the Artists’ Book
One semester: 3 studio credits
In this advanced silkscreen course, students will pursue an ambitious semester-length book project or series—from concept to finished and bound multiples. Various ways to present silkscreen prints as sequential images will be explored, including books, themed portfolios and comics. Bookbinding techniques will be covered, including Japanese bookbinding, accordion fold and multiple-signature binding methods. Large-scale digital output is available in the Printshop.

FGD-3813
Printmaking: Silkscreen Multiples
One semester: 3 studio credits
This advanced course will combine silkscreen printing with sculptural concerns to create large scale or three-dimensional mixed-media works. Concepts, fabrication, and sculptural edition problems will be tested and solved. We will explore tools, materials and methods, along with curating and documentation, and printing on a variety of different substrates such as plastic, metal, textiles and ceramics. Find out about decals, heat forming, embossing, pochoir and 3D printing. Get studio tips and logic. Learn about jigs for cutting and drilling. This course is a “hands-on make anything” tour de force. Field trips and guests artists are included.

FGD-3853
Printmaking: Silkscreen and the Graphic Image
One semester: 3 studio credits
Silkscreen is ideal for making bold, iconic images. This course will cover all aspects of the silkscreen process, including making separations by hand and by computer and printing on various media. Students will learn how to use silkscreen as a tool for strengthening their image-making abilities and color sense.

FGD-3896
Japanese Woodblock Printing
One semester: 3 studio credits
Japanese woodblock printing reached its technical zenith in the latter 1800s, with the art movement known as Ukioye. This course will emphasize the contemporary forms of Japanese block printing using watercolor and gouache inks to achieve a soft effect similar to watercolor paintings and pastel drawings. Images will be carved into the woodblock and then the surface will be inked with brushes and transferred to paper by hand printing. Demonstrations in proper tool honing and paper handling will be given; students are encouraged to explore a variety of approaches to the creation of multicolored woodblock prints.

THIRD-YEAR SEMINARS

FID-3010 / FID-3015
Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series I and II
Two semesters: no credit; 2 sessions per semester
This lecture series takes place twice a semester in the amphitheater. Renowned artists, critics and curators are invited to present their work and ideas through visual presentations and dialogue.

FID-3020
Junior Seminar
One semester: 3 studio credits
This seminar will introduce students to professional practices associated with art-world operations. How to present work, write an artist’s statement and a proposal for a grant or exhibition, compile a résumé and develop a cohesive body of work will be included. The seminar is intended as preparation for the transition into mentor-centered senior workshops. Budgets, inventory and market value will also be discussed.

HDD-3200
Ideas in Art: 1960 to the Present
One semester: 3 humanities and sciences credits
This course will investigate contemporary art, from pop art to postmodernism. Beginning with the 1960s, which witnessed the birth of pop art, minimalism, postminimalism and conceptual art, we will study how these movements continue to be relevant today. Readings include primary texts and critical works. There will be visits to museums and gallery exhibitions.

FOURTH YEAR FINE ARTS COURSES

FID-4010 / FID-4015
Senior Workshop I: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Video Art, Multimedia
Two semesters: 3 studio credits per semester
Senior Workshop is a mentorship program in which an individual student’s art and working process are the subjects of discussion. The goal of the course is to aid students in developing a working methodology that produces a final body of work. One-on-one critiques, group critiques and outside evaluators (artists/critics) format the course. In addition, reading materials, group discussions and presentations complete the sessions.

FID-4410 / FID-4610
Senior Workshop III
Two semesters: 6 studio credits per semester
Senior Workshop is a tutorial in which students develop their senior project with two instructors. A finished studio project and an accompanying written statement are required. Students are expected to be critically informed and historically aware of the conceptual underpinnings of their practice.

FOURTH YEAR SEMINARS

FID-4103
Professional Practices
One semester: no credit
This course is intended for students who wish to pursue graduate studies, artist-in-residence programs and gallery representation. Topics will include: writing an artist’s statement, grant proposals, an analysis of art galleries, applying to graduate schools and portfolio presentation.

FID-4110 / FID-4115
Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series I and II
Two semesters: no credit
This lecture series takes place twice a semester in the amphitheater. Renowned artists, critics and curators are invited to present their work and ideas through visual presentations and dialogue.

AHD-4140
Senior Seminar
One semester: 3 art history credits
Unlike the historical avant-garde that situated itself outside of mass culture, today’s emerging avant-garde art seems to anticipate ways of working from within and in relation to mass culture. Art is steadily moving out from the “white cube” to participate in a global continuum that’s hosted by satellite TV and cable, the Internet, all forms of wireless communication and international biennials. The fractious history of art and mass culture has grown exponentially within the past two decades in direct proportion to the invention of new imaging technologies and the development of global economies. This course proposes to examine the scant, but rich, history of relations between art and mass culture, and to chart the rise of media-related art. We will immerse ourselves in screenings of contemporary video/multimedia work of the past two decades and seek out as many pertinent exhibitions as we can throughout the semester. We will also read interviews with artists and curators, as well as texts on media theory, globalism and the like.

AHD-4140
Printmaking Seminar
One semester: 3 art history credits
This seminar will focus on questions specific to printmaking, publishing and artist’s multiples. Visiting artists, publishers, curators and printers will discuss emerging trends in printmaking, with a special focus on the expanded printmaking technologies in the digital age. Issues such as materials, scale, cost, presentation and distribution will complement discourse concerning printmaking’s iconographic base. Students will create a body of work and interact through critique formats.

The first year concentrates on developing basic skills while encouraging the capacity for self-expression. We explore a variety of media, exposing you to a wide range of tools. Studio classes, which are six hours long, are designed to build discipline while allowing time for experimentation. A general survey of world art and of literature are also important elements in this foundation year. 

Required Courses
AHD-1010 Survey of World Art I 
AHD-1015 Survey of World Art II
FDD-1030 Drawing I
FDD-1035 Drawing II
FPD-1020 Painting I
FPD-1025 Painting II
FSD-1050 Sculpture
HCD-1020 Writing and Literature I
HCD-1025 Writing and Literature II
SMD-1020 Foundations of Visual Computing

You will continue to hone your skills while having an opportunity to develop your ideas with greater independence. You can begin to tailor the program to suit your own needs. Available classes include welding, printmaking and ceramics as well as multimedia courses that incorporate computer, photography and video techniques. Instructors provide guidance when needed and an objective, critical and professional eye. Further courses in modern and contemporary art history ensure you move into the future with an eye on the past. 

Required Courses

Second-year fine arts majors must take 9 studio credits per semester, including:

• one semester of FID-2020 Sophomore Seminar
• a minimum of 3 credits per semester of fine arts drawing (anatomy, drawing or figure drawing)
• AHD-2020 Modern Art Through Pop I and AHD-2025 Modern Art Through Pop II (unless completed at SVA or another institution)

You will increasingly be encouraged to work independently, with the goal of achieving a self-identity and uniquely personal voice. Class critiques provide the opportunity to develop dialogues with your peers and enhance your communication skills. You will also continue to explore new forms of art-making and study the ideas that have dominated the discussion of contemporary art in the last half of the 20th century. 

Required Courses

Third-year fine arts majors must choose 9 studio credits per semester, including:

• FID-3020 Junior Seminar
• FID-3010 Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series I
• FID-3015 Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series II
• HDD-3200 Ideas in Art, or AHD-2302 History of Video Art I, or AHD-2303 History of Video Art II
  

Your final year is a leap—a transitional period where you're given your own studio space. Rather than meeting in the classroom, a special team of fourth-year faculty visits your studio for discussion and critique and to provide weekly feedback. In the process, you'll have the opportunity to refine your work and learn both to articulate and document your intentions. You're also encouraged to take advantage of the many special activities offered by the art scene in New York, which remains the hub of a developing multicultural world. 

Required Courses

• One semester of AHD-4140 Senior Seminar, or AHD-2302 History of Video Art I, or AHD-2303 History of Video Art II
• Senior Workshop FID-4010 and FID 4015
• FID-4110 Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series I and FID-4115 Visiting Artists/Critics Lecture Series II
• One section of FID-4410 through FID 4460 and FID-4610 through FID-4670 in the fall semester
• One section of FID-4470 through FID-4350 and FID-4680 through FID-4750 in the spring semester

A Senior Project consisting of a cohesive body of work and a written text that supports the ideas and concerns expressed in the work must be completed to receive a degree.  All graduates must submit a CD or DVD of 15 high resolution images of artwork completed during the senior year.