The Foundation Year
The Foundation year provides students the opportunity to
fully investigate a wide range of artistic mediums before
deciding on a major course of study. Building on the prior
knowledge and expertise gained in the Foundation year, students
choose one of the following majors in their sophomore year:
art education, ceramics, graphic design, metals, painting
and drawing, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.
The Foundation year is required for all art majors. In addition
to preparing art majors for their course of study, the Foundation
area administers several sections of "Introduction to Drawing
and Design" which are open to students from any major on
campus. Art majors engage in a rigorous first year Foundations
program in which they take, along with their General Education
requirements:
- Drawing: Visual Thinking I
- Drawing: Visual Thinking II
- Integrated Design I: Space and Form
- Integrated Design II: Forces
- Art Seminar
In "Drawing: Visual Thinking I", students get exposure to
a wide range of drawing materials and rendering techniques
through an intense involvement in figure drawing, perspective,
proportion, contour drawing, and value studies. In "Drawing:
Visual Thinking II", these approaches are pursued on a deeper
level. Students also engage in more experimental techniques
involving abstraction, technology, collaborative projects
and non-traditional materials. In "Design I: Space and Form",
concepts of perception are explored including basic design
principles, color theory and painting techniques, composition,
collage and movement studies. In "Design II: Forces", sculptural
and time-based projects are pursued with an emphasis on
technical construction skills, the inherent meanings of
materials, conceptual thinking, performance, environmental
art, and time-based art. "Art Seminar" exposes students to
contemporary artists, designers and craftspeople, through
a dynamic art lecture series, readings, videos and discussion
groups. The artist lectures are open to undergraduate and
graduate students from all departments as well as the public.
This gives Foundation Art students exposure to a vital artistic
community.
In the Foundation year, the integration of technology and
traditional media is a primary goal. To this end, we have
launched the Digital/Tactile Studio, which has facilities
for both state-of-the-art computer technology and traditional
drawing/painting/collaging techniques. In this setting,
digital training becomes enriched by traditional media,
taking the artwork "out of the box" of the computer
monitor and into the tactile world.
Possibilities for experimentation are encouraged within
a structured program. When students successfully complete
the first year Foundation Art program, they will have gained
technical and conceptual problem-solving skills, providing
a strong basis from which to choose their major course of
study in art. |
