Art
The Art major at SMCM provides a supportive environment in which a broad range of creativity is fostered. Our curriculum introduces students to techniques and concepts that build progressively towards a self-determined artistic practice. In addition to developing art-making skills, students learn critical thinking, reflective self-evaluation, articulation of creative intentions, and art historical contexts. Because our curriculum values interdisciplinary thinking, many of our students complete second majors, and minors in other fields of study, and are encouraged to integrate these diverse interests into their work.
The core courses for the major teach basic technical skills, while emphasizing visual literacy and analysis as fundamental tools for both understanding and making art. Beyond this core, studio art majors choose electives from a range of mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital art, and photography.
Advanced courses expand students’ understanding of contemporary art and the interdisciplinary relationships between mediums, while continuing to improve their technical abilities. These upper-level courses include self-directed projects that lead to focused explorations of content relevant to each student. Students continue to build their historical understanding by taking additional courses in art history. The Art Major culminates in a yearlong capstone experience in which students create a body of work for exhibition or presentation accompanied by a written artist statement, and public talk.
The flexible requirements of the Art Major allow students to tailor their coursework to serve a variety of post-graduation goals. Our program prepares students for graduate school and careers in the arts including practicing artist, art education, community arts, graphic design, media production, and architecture, as well as a wide range of professional and personal activities for which practical skills, analytical abilities, and visual literacy are key components.
Learning Outcomes
- Create effective works of art through a coordinated use of form, content and process.
- Employ a range of art-making techniques including traditional and new technologies.
- Show proficiency in selected art medium(s) by creating and exhibiting a body of artwork.
- Successfully engage in productive independent artistic activity.
- Analyze cause and effect in one's own and others' artwork.
- Articulate one's artistic intentions and express those intentions in both written and oral form.
- Evaluate art works through critical reasoning skills.
- Engage in research of art history and theory and articulate its critical relevance to one's work.
- Synthesize knowledge from other fields of study into one’s artistic endeavors.
Degree Requirements for the Art Major
General College Requirements
General College Requirements (see “Curriculum” section), including the following requirements to satisfy the major:
Five Core Courses
- ART 205: Introduction to Visual Thinking
- ARTH 100: Introduction to Art History
- ART 204: Introduction to Drawing
- ART 208: Introduction to Sculpture
- ART 214: Introduction to Digital Media Art
Electives
Four courses chosen in consultation with and approved by an art faculty
Four courses chosen in consultation with and approved by an art faculty adviser to constitute an integrated area of focus in art. This area of focus should include course work on both the introductory and advanced levels:
- One advanced-level course chosen from the following:
- ART 304: Advanced Drawing
- ART 306: Advanced Painting
- ART 308: Advanced Sculpture
- ART 309: Advanced Drawing + Printmaking
- ART 312: Advanced Photography
- ART 314: Advanced Digital Art
- Two additional art elective courses, one of which might be the introductory course that serves as the prerequisite for one of the courses listed above.
- One additional elective courses selected from any art or art history offerings.
Two courses in art history
- One art history elective
- One art history course with significant modern or contemporary content chosen from the following
- ARTH 306: American Art
- ARTH 314: Race and Representation
- ARTH 316: Modern Art, 1850-1970
- ARTH 317: Contemporary Art, 1970 to Present
- ARTH 331: Topics in Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art
- ARTH350: Advanced Topics in Western Art History (when Modern/Contemprary focus)
- ARTH355: Advanced Topics in Global Art History (when Modern/Contemprary focus)
- ARTH 382: Sexuality and Modernity
Senior Capstone Experience
One of the following two options for a senior capstone experience totaling 8 credit-hours:
The following two courses for the St. Mary’s Project:
- ART 493: St. Mary’s Project in Art I
- ART 494: St. Mary’s Project in Art II
Two 300- or 400- level art studio courses chosen in consultation with and approved by an art adviser. One of these courses must be selected from the following list:
- ART 304: Advanced Drawing
- ART 306: Advanced Painting
- ART 308: Advanced Sculpture
- ART 309: Advanced Drawing + Printmaking
- ART 312: Advanced Photography
- ART 314: Advanced Digital Art
Note
With the exception of ARTH 100 and ART 205, courses taken as part of the degree requirements for the art major will not count for a major or minor in art history.
Degree Requirements for the Art Minor
General College Requirements
- General College requirements
- All requirements in a major field of study other than art.
Required Courses
At least six courses carrying art and art history credit that total no less than 22 credit hours, in all of which the student must earn a grade of C- or better, including the following:
- Three art electives
- One additional course chosen from the following:
- ART 304: Advanced Drawing
- ART 306: Advanced Painting
- ART 308: Advanced Sculpture
- ART 309: Advanced Drawing + Printmaking
- ART 312: Advanced Photography
- ART 314: Advanced Digital Art
- ARTH 100: Introduction to Art History
- ART 205: Introduction to Visual Thinking
Requirements for Teacher Certification
A master of arts in teaching degree with a concentration in art education can be earned at St. Mary’s College. Completion of the combined requirements for the art major and/or art history major and a minor in educational studies is recommended for any interested student; students could then pursue the college’s Masters of Arts in Teaching. Because careful attention to course selection is necessary as early as the first semester of the first year, students interested in teaching art should consult with the chair of the Department of Educational Studies and their art and art history faculty advisers as soon as they are accepted for admission to the College. Completion of Art 269, ART 369 and ART 485 are highly recommended for any student preparing for graduate study in art education.
Faculty
Cristin Cash , Tristan Cai, Sue Johnson, Joe Lucchesi, Carrie Patterson, Lisa Scheer, Bruce Wilson (Chair)