Courses in Art
A ART 105 Beginning Drawing (3)
Drawing encompasses all the visual disciplines; it will be taught as a way of thinking and planning for other fields of creative endeavor. Drawing is a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling through making marks. Students will be exposed to objective drawing techniques with an emphasis on two-dimensional design.
A ART 110 Two-Dimensional Design (3)
The principles of two-dimensional design and composition intended primarily as a preparatory course for all other courses concerned with the two-dimensional approach.
A ART 115 Three-Dimensional Design (3)
A problem-solving introduction to the principles and elements of three-dimensional design. Demonstrations and implementations of equipment, methods and materials encourage students to develop their interpretive and technical facility, while solving problems that deal with form, space, structure, scale and volume. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 144 Fundamentals of Photography and Related Media (3)
Photography and related media have moved to the center of nearly all aspects of artistic practice. In this foundational course, the convergence of photography the related media that inform and are informed by it (including video and digital media) are explored through hands-on projects and readings designed to increase students' aesthetic and technical vocabulary. Students are also introduced to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 205 Life Drawing (3)
A studio course for students with one semester of drawing experience. This course offers extended opportunities to draw the human figure. Emphasis will be placed on the underlying conceptual structures of perceptual relationships. Students will be asked to master the description of bodily forms deployed in a coherent pictorial space. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105.
A ART 220 Beginning Sculpture (3)
An introduction to the language of sculpture through studio practice. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to a variety of materials, tools, processes and techniques. They will develop basic technical skills, as well as an increased awareness of both aesthetic and conceptual choices as they relate to a 21st century understanding of sculpture. Attention will be devoted to historical, social and aesthetic concerns, with the emphasis on the development of a personal visual vocabulary and the cultivation of individual creative expression. Prerequisite(s): A ART 115 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 230 Beginning Painting (3)
An introduction to the language of painting through studio practice. Students will work toward mastering the skills of color mixing as they apply to painting from life. This course stresses the discipline of perceiving the optical effects of light and color in nature and translating them into a pictorial space. Prerequisite(s): A ART 205 or permission of instructor.
A ART 240 Contemporary Etching (3)
In this class, students will be introduced to etching as both a historical and contemporary medium of expression. Projects will explore drawing and printing with line, tone, and texture via the traditional techniques of hard and soft ground etching, drypoint, and aquatint. Additionally, students will learn to integrate digital imaging in the creation of their intaglio prints. Assignments will address issues of representation, abstraction, cultural critique, and personal expression. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 241 Silkscreen Printmaking (3)
This studio art course introduces silkscreen printmaking, also known as serigraphy, as a contemporary medium for exploring the “democratic multiple,” and the artistic and cultural legacy of Pop Art and Andy Warhol. Students will use stencils, photo-mechanical exposure, and water-based methods to combine drawing, photography, digital design, color, found images, and collage into complex images. Projects will be printed on paper and other surfaces. Prerequisite(s): A ART 105 or A ART 110 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 244 Introduction to Contemporary Darkroom Practices (3)
Introductory studio art course in photography and digital imaging which will concentrate on contemporary art and techniques tied to darkroom photography. Students spend the semester making and critiquing images. The operation of cameras, enlargers, chemistry, scanners, printers and other related photographic equipment will be covered, as will camera-less photography, hand-coated emulsion and film cross-processing experiments. Beyond strictly technical aspects students will examine how images inform and are informed by "meaning." As a group, the class will explore the multifaceted of photography as an art form through lectures, demonstrations, hands-on experimentation, and the group critique forum. Prerequisite(s): A ART 144 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 298 Topics in Art (3)
Introductory study of a special topic in fine arts not otherwise covered in the curriculum. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
A ART 305 Intermediate Drawing (3)
A studio course for students with two semesters of drawing experience. This course offers extended opportunities to draw from life combined with an awareness of various pictorial traditions and procedures. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through challenging projects. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 205.
A ART 310 Studio Experiments in Visual Thinking (3)
An idea-oriented course designed to help students solve visual and artistic problems through invention and interpretation. Emphasis will be placed on imagination and experimentation with alternative and traditional materials, and students will work toward developing an expanded, personal, visual vocabulary. May be repeated once for credit.
A ART 320 Intermediate Sculpture (3)
An exploration of traditional and nontraditional materials, processes and concepts of sculpture with an emphasis on fabrication, assemblage and installation ideas and actualization of finished sculptural pieces. Prerequisite(s): A ART 115. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 330 Intermediate Painting (3)
A studio course for students with one semester of oil painting experience. This course offers extended opportunities to paint from life combined with an awareness of various pictorial traditions and procedures. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through challenging projects. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 230.
A ART 331 Painting in Water-Based Media (3)
A studio course for students with two semesters of drawing experience. An introduction to the language of painting through the use of a variety of water-based media (ink, gouache, watercolor, egg tempera). Students will be asked to master several media-related procedures and develop coherent pictorial constructions. Prerequisite(s): A ART 205.
A ART 340 Intermediate Etching (3)
A studio course for students with one semester of etching experience. Students will create images on and of paper with more complex intaglio and digital printmaking techniques, including multi-plate color printing. Projects will emphasize individual direction, ambition, research, and personal expression. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 240 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 341 Concept and Process in Printmaking (3)
Through the media of etching and digital printmaking, students will learn to invent and manipulate image-making systems and tools in order to make art. Conceptual art history and practices will be introduced, including the use of chance operations; the integration of text and image; and printmaking as a documentation of performance art. Studio projects will also explore the nature and potential of printmaking materials and surfaces, and the possibilities of printing on non-traditional substrates. Prerequisite(s): A ART 240, 242, 250, or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 344 Intermediate Photography and Digital Imaging (3)
In-depth investigation of traditional chemical-based black and white as well as digital techniques and image-making skills, with an emphasis on the archival fine-art print. The convergence of traditional photography and digital media is explored through hands-on projects and readings designed to increase students' aesthetic and technical vocabulary. Students are also introduced to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography and work with increased independence on the development of their portfolio. Prerequisite(s): A ART 244 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 349 Artists’ Books/Narrative (3)
Theory, form, and practice of making images in sequence, with an emphasis on the timing and spacing of visual narrative. The structure of the artists’ book will be explored, and will include an introduction to basic hand bookbinding techniques. Projects will involve the creation of editioned multiples and one-of-a-kind hand-made book objects. Prerequisite(s): A ART 240, 242, 250, 348, or permission of instructor.
A ART 351 Intermediate Screenprinting (3)
This is a studio course for students with one semester of silkscreen printmaking experience. Students will continue to use stencils, photo-mechanical exposure, and water-based methods to combine drawing, photography, digital design, color, found images, and collage into complex images. Projects will be printed on paper and other surfaces. The development of a personal direction is strongly encouraged through the focus on a series of self-directed, portfolio-oriented projects. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 241 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 383 History and Practice of Video Art I (3)
In this course students will be seeing and making video art. Post production techniques in Apple Final Cut Pro and a variety of audio software are covered. Regular screenings and discussions are held to understand the lineage of the media and provide feedback on each other's work. Class time is spent working on assignments, screenings, lectures and discussion. A significant amount of out of class time will be needed to complete projects. May not be taken by students with credit for A ARH 283 or A ART 280. Only one version may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 244, 250 or A ARH 171 or permission of instructor.
A ART 390 Topics in Printmaking (3)
Special projects in print processes ranging from relief printing to color viscosity etching. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 240 or 242. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 405 Advanced Drawing (3)
A studio course for students with two or three semesters of drawing experience. Individual attention is combined with technical and formal criticism in the development of a personal visual idiom. In this course, stress will be placed on how the history of drawing helps to reveal a student’s potential. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 305.
A ART 420 Advanced Sculpture (3)
A focus on contemporary concerns and attitudes in three-dimensional work and media requiring an application of concepts and experience learned and acquired in prerequisite courses and through research, which results in finished sculptures. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 320 and A ART 321 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 421 Topics in Sculpture (3)
Further exploration of sculptural concepts with a focus on individual problems, covering a wide range of media, methods and techniques. An emphasis is on the development, interpretation, realization and presentation of one's ideas. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 320 and A ART 321 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 430 Advanced Painting (3)
A studio course for students with two or three semesters of oil painting experience. Individual attention is combined with technical and formal criticism in the development of a personal visual idiom. In this course, stress will be placed on how the history of painting helps to reveal a student’s potential. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 330.
A ART 434 Topics in Drawing (3)
A studio course for students with at least two semesters of drawing experience. In depth study of selected topics in drawing not otherwise covered in the curriculum. Students will be guided through several pictorial models and procedures, seeking both mastery and a pictorial persona. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 205.
A ART 435 Topics in Painting (3)
A studio course for students with two or three semesters of oil painting experience. In-depth study of selected topics in painting not otherwise covered in the curriculum. Students will be guided through a variety of pictorial paradigms, seeking both mastery and a pictorial persona. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 330.
A ART 440 Advanced Printmaking (3)
A studio course for students with at least one 300-level class in etching or digital printmaking. Students will create images on and of paper with more complex etching, digital printmaking, woodcut, or collage processes. Projects will emphasize individual direction, ambition, research, and personal expression. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 340 or A ART 341 or A ART 343 or A ART 349, or permission of instructor.
A ART 444 Advanced Photography and Digital Imaging (3)
Advanced work in fine art photography; covers traditional chemical-based black and white as well as digital techniques and image-making skills, including web, CD-ROM and DVD design. Installation and presentation techniques are investigated in preparation for work beyond graduation. The convergence of traditional photography and digital media is explored through hands-on projects and readings designed to increase students' aesthetic and technical vocabulary. Students are also introduced weekly to the work of significant contemporary artists who work with photography, and are expected to work independently on the development of their portfolio. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ART 344 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 446 Topics in Photography (3)
Expansion of camera skills and photographic techniques. Individual interests and abilities play a major role in established course content. May be repeated for credit when topic varies (up to 12 credits). Prerequisite(s): A ART 244 or permission of instructor. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 490 Internship in Studio Art (1-6)
Designed for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Students work with art professionals for one semester. Internships may include assisting the Times Union Photography Department, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the New York State Museum, and several local galleries, or assisting professional artists. Students complete an academic component consisting of required meetings with the faculty supervisor in the area of focus, and may involve a journal and portfolio. Art majors may use three credits toward course requirements above the 300 level. Internships are open only to qualified juniors and seniors who have an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. Consent for the internship must be obtained in the preceding semester by the submission of a plan of intent and a signed contract with a professional organization or individual artist. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, 2.50 or higher GPA, and permission of instructor.
A ART 491 Senior Studio (3)
As the capstone course for the studio art program, this class is a requirement for all 60-credit studio art departmental majors. It is only offered in the fall semester, and it is to be taken in their senior year. Students are required to create a new body of artwork in their chosen concentration (painting and drawing, photography and related media, printmaking, and sculpture). At the end of the semester each student is expected to exhibit his or her new artwork at an off-campus art venue. Often this results in a group exhibition in which all the students in the class exhibit their artwork together. For this group exhibition, students are required to organize and execute all aspects of the event (staging, lighting, publicity, documentation, refreshments, etc.). Field trips to art institutions in the capital region as well as New York City to look at examples of contemporary artwork and exhibition design will serve as firsthand examples for what they are doing in the classroom. Throughout the semester, students will also learn how to prepare for a career in the arts. Information concerning documenting artwork, disseminating artwork samples, as well as graduate school in art, artist residencies, grants, awards, fellowships, and art-related employment opportunities will be covered in this course. Majors in the 36-credit studio art program will be allowed to enroll in the class if seating is available. Prerequisite(s): senior 60-credit art major or permission of instructor.
A ART 492 Internship in Art Museum Management and Operation (3–4)
Designed for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in Arts Management or the Gallery/Museum administrative field. Projects may include computer database, archival records retrieval and storage, media relations skills, collections management, and exhibition organization and documentation. A final project will be assigned. Internships are open only to qualified juniors and seniors who have an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. Prerequisite(s): interview by gallery administrative staff and permission of Art Department Chair. S/U graded.
A ART 496 Mentor Tutorial (3)
A tutorial in which readings, discussions, visits to museums and galleries are assigned to build awareness of the relevant traditions supporting an Honors student’s development. This tutorial will also include consultation on graduate school applications and instruction on taking slides of works of art. Prerequisite(s): admission into the departmental Honors Program.
A ART 497 Independent Study (1–4)
Directed studio project in a selected art area. May be repeated with approval of department chair. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing and permission of instructor and department chair. Course fee applies. Consult the Schedule of Classes.
A ART 498 Honors Project I (3-6)
Studio project in a selected area of concentration. Topics and issues vary according to the needs and goals set by the students with their mentors. The goal of this project is to allow students adequate space and opportunity to cultivate a distinctive personal direction and generate a significant body of work to pursue graduate study. Students will attend appropriate MFA critiques. Prerequisite(s): admission into the departmental Honors Program and permission of instructor.
A ART 499 Honors Project II (3-6)
The continuation and completion of a studio project set forth in A ART 498. Upon completion of the project, the student will be required to make an oral defense of the work before the Honors Committee. Successful completion of the program earns an Honors Certificate in Art and a nomination for graduating with “Honors in Art” from the University. Students will attend appropriate MFA critiques. Prerequisite(s): A ART 498.
