BFA Fine Arts Curriculum

First-Year Requirements

AHD-1018 Introduction to Modern Art

AHD-1019 Global Perspectives

FID-1130 Drawing I

FID-1135 Drawing II

FID-1220 Painting I

FID-1225 Painting II

FID-1430 Sculpture

FID-1530 Digital Fabrication

HCD-1020 Writing and Thinking NYC

HCD-1025 Writing Visual Culture

Second-Year Requirements

The recommended course load is 15 credits per semester. Second-year students must take 9 studio credits per semester.

Requirement A

One semester of:

AHD-2010

The Origins of Art 

FID-2020

Sophomore Seminar

Requirement B

Choose at least one of the following studio elective courses in drawing each semester: 

FID-2120 through FID-3167

Drawing: Perception Up Close

Drawing: Lines, Traces, Residue

What is 21st-Century Drawing?

Conceptual Drawing 

Figure Drawing 

Anatomy

Anatomy and Motion

Fur, Feathers and Scales: Comparative Animal Anatomy

Urban Botanicals

Requirement C

Choose the remaining number of required studio credits from the following elective courses: 

FID-2000 through FID-3999

Students should select courses that will benefit them in defining their studio practice. Second- and third-year level courses (FID-2000s and FID-3000s) are interchangeable.

Third-Year Requirements

The recommended course load is 15 credits per semester.

All students should see their advisor about individual art history and humanities and sciences distribution credit needs.

Third-year fine arts majors must take:

Requirement A

One semester of:

AHD-3200 Ideas in Art: 1960 to the Present

or AHD-2302 History of Video Art: 1965-1985

or AHD-2303 History of Video Art: 1985 to Present

Requirement B

Choose 9 studio credits per semester from among the following elective courses: 

FID-2000 through FID-3999

Students should select courses that will benefit them in defining their studio practice. Second- and third-year level courses (FID-2000s and FID-3000s) are interchangeable.

Requirement C

Visiting Artist/Critic Seminar

Fine arts majors are required to attend all visiting artists/critics lectures during their junior and senior years. 

Fourth-Year Requirements

The recommended course load is 15 credits per semester.

Students should see their advisor early to determine remaining credit needs and requirements. You must be able to complete all 120 credits of the BFA degree, including all course and credit requirements, to be eligible to graduate.

Requirement A

One semester of:

AHD-4140 Senior Seminar

or AHD-2302 History of Video Art: 1965-1985

or AHD-2303 History of Video Art: 1985 to Present

FID-4500 Senior Workshop I

FID-4505 Senior Workshop II

FID-4507-FID-4521 Senior Workshop III

FID-4524-FID-4544 Senior Workshop III

FID-4554-FID-4577 Senior Workshop IV

FID-4582-FID-4596 Senior Workshop IV

FID-4850 Thesis I

FID-4855 Thesis II

Students may substitute a fine arts digital, electronics or bio art course for two seven-week senior workshops. Both seven-week workshops to be substituted must be offered within the same semester.

Requirement B

A senior project consisting of a cohesive body of work and a written thesis that supports the ideas and concerns expressed in the work must be completed. All students must submit 15 high-resolution images (TIFF and JPEG formats) of artwork completed during the senior year.

Requirement C

Visiting Artist/Critic Seminar

Fine arts majors are required to attend all visiting artists/critics lectures during their junior and senior years. 

General Course Listing

AHD-1018

Introduction to Modern Art

One semester: 3 art history credits

Beginning with the invention of photography in 1839, this course will reflect the visual expansion of practices involving painting, sculpture, film and architecture. Surveying the discourses surrounding the prominent “isms” (impressionism, symbolism, cubism, etc.) of the 19th century and finally arriving at the inception of pop art in the 20th century, radical shifts in iconography, material applications and the infusion of media into fine arts will be cited. Seminal texts and visits to museums will augment this course. 

AHD-1019

Global Perspectives

One semester: 3 art history credits

As much of the world is connected through the World Wide Web, a global perspective of the arts, crafts and architecture is relevant to contemporary understandings concerning non-Western art. Discussions of the indigenous, the colonized and the transcultural will be explored. From concepts such as memory, ceremony, domestic life, the body and beliefs about the natural and cosmic worlds will intersect with visual culture. The paintings, drawings, ceramics, architecture, textiles and food cultures from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Oceania will focus on how ideas are represented in objects and edifices reflecting cultural difference. 

FID-1130 / FID-1135

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.

FID-1220 / FID-1225

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.

FID-1430

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.

FID-1530

Digital Fabrication

One semester: 3 studio credits

This studio course is an introduction to computer-based fabrication techniques through fundamental software: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Sculptris. Along with studying the basic tools, terms and techniques of digital art, students will explore how computers can assist artists in the composition and conception of visual art as it relates to painting, drawing and sculpture. Applications and printed matter techniques that will be explored are fabric and photo printing, CNC laser and plasma cutting, and 3D digital sculpture. 

HCD-1020

Writing and Thinking NYC

One semester: 3 humanities and sciences credits

This New York City-themed course helps students become critical and independent writers. To help establish a solid foundation in writing, the course introduces different types of writing using persuasive rhetoric in three writing genres—narration, description, and cause and effect. Course readings are drawn from a variety of New York-based texts, including historical documents, short stories, drama, poetry and essays, which will be used as discussion and writing prompts. By the end of the course, students will have an enhanced understanding of writing as a means to think and better communicate their ideas.

HCD-1025

Writing Visual Culture

One semester: 3 humanities and sciences credits

In this writing-intensive course, students will learn how to consider artworks from aesthetic, social and political viewpoints to gain a better understanding of contemporary visual culture. Using writing as a means to clarify ideas and present them coherently, the course will first introduce students to methods of examining art by considering its intersections with history, literature and science, and current discussions on race, gender and sexuality. It will then explore the significant role visual culture plays in reflecting and shaping social values by looking at how cultural institutions engage with current issues, such as social practice and climate change, through exhibitions, commissioned works and provenance research. Topics include: the question of who owns antiquities; repatriation of artworks; representations of artworks from different cultures; public memorials; recent exhibits in response to discussions about diversity, equity and inclusivity.

Second-Year Art History Requirement

AHD-2010

The Origins of Art

One semester: 3 art history credits

The Arts serve as a record of the history of ideas and society. This course will explore the development of what we call art, by examining its emergence and development in the context of specific Western and non-Western societies and civilizations. To do so, the class traces the changing nature of representation in painting, sculpture and architecture from the Paleolithic to the early 19th century. Topics include art and ritual, iconoclasm and theories of God, the separation of art and craft, the social history of art and the rise of the individual, idealism and aesthetics. Discussion, slide presentations and museum visits are a part of the course.

Second- and Third-Year Drawing Courses

FID-2020

Sophomore Seminar

One semester: 3 studio credits

Limited to 15 students per section

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

FID-2120

Anatomy I

One semester: 3 studio credits

Anatomy can offer a concrete structure for drawing and painting the human figure. This course relates the study of the skeleton and the muscles to the live model. 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. An anatomy text such as Albinus on Anatomy by Hale and Coyle or Anatomy for the Artist by Jeno Barcsay is required. 

FID-2123

Anatomy and Motion

One semester: 3 studio credits

The study of human anatomy—its muscles and bones—is of great benefit to artistic practices. We will study the underlying anatomy of bones, joints and muscle groups as they function in action, as a form of gestural drawing. Demonstrations and supporting drawings from the past, such as Leonardo’s anatomical studies, will provide a platform to explore expression of the human form. 

FID-2127

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.

FID-2131

Drawing: Perception Up Close

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.

FID-2142

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. 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.

FID-2146

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. 

FID-2159

What is 21st-Century 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.

FID-2173

Urban Botanicals

One semester: 3 studio credits

In this class we 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.

FID-3113

Drawing: Lines, Traces, Residue

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course emphasizes experimentation and the growth of individual artistic practices related to mark-making, including lines, traces, residue, and drawing on and off the page. Students work from prompts to explore new ideas and approaches as well as build self-initiated projects. Visits to exhibitions and performances supplement course content and address the question of what drawing is or could be in relation to the cultural issues of the day. Students have regular critique of their work as well as journal keeping and exhibition reviews. 

FID-3167

Conceptual Drawing

One semester: 3 studio credits

What is drawing? Historically we think of graphite or charcoal on paper. Prior to the mid-19th century in Western cultures, it was often a tool in a process, maybe in preparation for an oil painting or a sculpture. In the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century in the West, drawing finds a place to stand on its own as an art form employing ink, watercolor, collage, pastels, and various dry mediums. But what is drawing now? How can we securely differentiate drawing from painting, sculpture, photography and video? Do we even want to? Can the digital exist within the hand and vice versa? We live in an age of “the image” where our experience is mediated through simultaneous and multiple layers of information. How can drawing reflect and respond to the present? 

Second- and Third-Year Painting Courses

FID-2207

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. 

FID-2214

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.

FID-2217 

Painting: Out of Your Head

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. 

FID-2228

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.

FID-2236

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.

FID-2242

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. 

FID-2251

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.

FID-2263

Contemporary Watercolor and Beyond

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course is designed for adventurous students using watercolor—one of the ancient art-making mediums still in use. In the class, form, composition, color, and basic techniques will be discussed and students will explore the expressive and stylistic possibilities of the medium in the 21st century. As the course progresses, projects will focus on visual problem solving and unconventional uses of this paint: different formats, including personal books and diaries, multi-panel paintings using the model, collage, narrative assignments and abstraction. Group and individual critiques, and discussions of historical and contemporary uses of watercolor will be included.

FID-3217

Painting Workshop 

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course will explore methods and materials in relationship to individual goals as an examination of painting mediums. Inclusive of formats from representation through abstraction, artists working today utilize both historical and current practices. We will look at these applications through individual discussion, assignments and field trips. Focus will be on developing a personal vision and exploring the options for expression through the manipulation and understanding of materials. Students will be encouraged to consider how “thinking through their materials” will enable them to strengthen their work. We will consider the many technological innovations in media, leading to changes in the practice of painting that are specific to the 21st century, as well as the many historical practices that have been upgraded to utilize modern alternatives. 

FID-3223

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. Home assignments, slide presentations and museum visits are included.

FID-3236

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. 

FID-3242

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. An assortment of hand tools and power tools are available for fabrication of projects, as well as access to the sculpture studio. Photographs of this course can be viewed at rpasvaphotos.com.

FID-3251 

Painting: Studio Practices

One semester: 3 studio credits

Painting will be explored through experimentation and the development of images, techniques, materials and attentive observation. Color relationships, composition, glazing, figuration, abstraction and digital components of painting techniques will be covered. Painting will be investigated as an ongoing historical and cultural narrative, communicating through an evolving and evocative language of signs and as a site for both revision and critique. There will be a series of assigned projects with the goal of developing each student’s unique hand and point of view. Group and individual critiques will deepen students’ abilities to analyze and describe their works and ideas. 

FID-3268

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. This is 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. Students will be encouraged to explore form and express content. 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

FID-2413

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. During group sessions specific analysis of mixed-media use for each student’s project will be reviewed and organized in terms of production and aesthetics. 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. Home assignments will be extensive in order to acquire an independent work ethic.

FID-2421

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; the castings 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.

FID-2426

Soft Sculpture

One semester: 3 studio credits

Coming into prominence during the 1960s, soft sculpture employs materials that are designed to integrate various components, such as cloth, rubber, foam, yarn, felt, paper, fibers, and other non-rigid materials. In this course students will examine professional fabrication techniques as we engage in various processes to explore forms and surfaces through mechanisms and structures, such as sewing, casting, form building and pattern-making. Each session will begin with a presentation and discussion of creative visual practices utilizing soft materials. After the fourth class session, students will have time to work on their own projects. Individual critiques will be given, which will include fabrication logistics and planning.

FID-2431

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 their 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.

FID-2438

Sculpture: Materials, Methods and Practices

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.

FID-2461

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 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-2483

Silver Jewelry Making

One semester: 3 studio credits

This studio course will focus on basic metalworking for creating jewelry. Techniques covered will include: soldering and annealing, metal construction and forming, polishing and stone setting, as well as decorative finishes for surface treatment of metals, such as texturing, patinas, antiquing and stamping. Each student will begin with designing and creating a ring set with a stone, followed by personal projects that employ the areas covered in class. There will be time for experimentation. Individual instruction on additional techniques such as making chains, jump rings, clasps and hooks will be given for projects that require these techniques. Assignments vary each semester.

FID-2487

Glass Workshop

One semester: 3 studio credits

Stained glass and glass fusing techniques will be covered in this course. Stained glass is the art of attaching cold glass pieces into a mosaic form using copper foil and solder; glass fusing is the process of layering pieces of glass in a kiln and firing them until the glass melds into one piece. We will hybridize these two art forms while looking at contemporary sculptors and jewelry makers who are implementing these ancient methods in new ways. Emphasis will be placed on applying traditional techniques to each student’s specific vision, whether grounded in jewelry making, sculpture, or another form. 

FID-3403

Ceramics

One semester: 3 studio credits

Ceramics is one of the oldest of all art forms, with a fascinating history that reflects the development of human civilization—culturally, artistically and technologically. In the mid-20th century ceramics experienced a profound shift of status from traditional craft to an expressive fine art material. This studio-based course will explore various ceramic techniques, with a focus on both sculpture and vessel making. Through a series of class projects, each student will create a body of ceramic work by developing personal concepts and a distinct artistic voice. Students will explore forming methods, including slab construction, coil, extended pinch and throwing on the wheel. Tools such as the slab roller, extruder and the pottery wheel will be introduced. There will be glaze workshops with demonstrations of low-fire glazes, underglazes, slips, decals and luster surfaces. Critiques, presentations, discussions and viewing exhibitions will be woven into the structure of the course. 

FID-3413

Sculpture Now!

One semester: 3 studio credits

This is a hands-on, lo-tech sculpture course for students who want to make stuff. What kind of stuff? Objects, installations, hard/soft, tiny/large, intuitive/conceptual; we will explore it all. The personal preferences of students will determine material and fabrication options. The goal is to expand the creative practice and then build on that. Making stuff is part of that process, along with individual critiques and group discussions. To broaden our experience we’ll attend exhibitions, films, lectures and/or performances that relate to our activities. It’s all part of having a large appetite for Sculpture Now!

FID-3422

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 and 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. 

FID-3446

Digital Sculpture: Designing the Future

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course introduces contemporary methods to create 3D sculptures and other physical objects by utilizing state-of-the-art technology. Students will work individually and collaboratively on sculptural projects, which encourage a combination of digital and handmade work. A diverse range of materials are provided—from plywood to plexiglass and lightweight foam to 3D printed, full-color sandstone. Fabrication techniques include 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC routing. These techniques accommodate a wide range of projects, including interactive installations, traditional sculpture, product design, intricate figurines and large-scale public art. The goal is to improve traditional workflows with digital techniques. Software and equipment instructions are provided.

FID-3453 

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 course will touch on issues of gender, social and political activism, and the history of media communication.

Second- and Third-Year Interdisciplinary and New Media Courses

FID-2513

Cut-and-Paste 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 Adobe Photoshop and digital editing software.

FID-2661

Embroidery and the Digital Sewing Machine

One semester: 3 studio credits

Digital embroidery transforms a handcrafted 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 held at the conclusion of the course.

FID-3521

Art and Fashion

One semester: 3 studio credits

In this course we will experiment with sewing, felting, weaving, collaging and knitting clothing and accessories, as well as different methods of embellishing and altering them, to make art in dialogue with fashion. We will look closely at what our materials and choices mean, and how the act of wearing something changes the art object and the body wearing it. Student projects may include clothing that turns the body into art; interactive wearable sculptures; conceptual or impossible garments; and costumes or objects for performances, installations and videos.

FID-3542

Performance Art

One semester: 3 studio credits

Performance art is a way of extending and expanding your studio practice. It’s a way of working out ideas using your body as a time-based material. This course is designed for anyone interested in the inherent practices and narratives of performance art, and anyone who wants to push the disciplinary limits of their work. Each week students will make their own experimental performances while exploring the history and evolution of performance art. Group exercises will hone physical and vocal skills as well as build confidence. We will look at and engage with a wide range of performance forms, including Dada, happenings, Fluxus, conceptual performance, punk, drag, social practice and mixed-media spectacles. 

FID-3611

Electronics and Interactivity

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 beeps when you touch it, this is the course for you. In this course students will construct several electronics projects that illustrate the possibilities of physical computing, and to provide students with tools for further exploration. Using Max/MSP/Jitter we will build custom electronics and program these microcontrollers to create strange and meaningful forms of interaction. 

FID-3626

Video Mapping

One semester: 3 studio credits

Video mapping (or spatial augmented reality) is an exciting projection medium that can turn almost any surface, regardless of its shape and size, into a dynamic video display. This course is intended for students who want to move into this powerful, creative medium and will focus on exploring popular video mapping software and hardware technology. Students will create a video-mapping project that will be featured on an architectural space in Manhattan.

FID-3632

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 animals which can glow-in-the-dark by inserting jellyfish genes into their genomes. In this course students will be introduced to the emerging field of biological arts through hands-on laboratory practices and discussions. In the lab, students will create a “post-nature” journal, employ bacteria as a painting material, clone plant tissue, and grow biomaterials using mushrooms and other natural substances. Students will learn proper techniques for conducting experiments with controls. Discussion topics will range from bioethics, climate change and genetic manipulation to ideas embedded in science fiction. Guest speakers include scientists, bio artists and cultural critics. Students may work in a variety of media from drawing and painting to living sculpture to animation and performance.

FID-3642

Projects in Bio Art

One semester: 3 studio credits

Altering nature is a current topic in the arts and sciences. From climate change to genetically modified organisms to novel ways to make vaccines, we are experiencing a biological revolution. Bio art has opened up the tools of science to make art, which in turn creates many practical and ethical questions about how we live. Projects in this course include working with live plants, painting with bacteria and constructing sculptures out of mushrooms as well as filming and photographing unseen entities made visible through the use of microscopes. Students will learn about eco-plastics, processes for making natural pigments, organic taxidermy and faux leather-like skins. In addition, we will examine food production, pollination and molecular cuisine. This hands-on course is supplemented by visiting artists and field trips. No prerequisite required.

FID-3639

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 final project relating to the subjects covered in class. Students will be introduced to non-toxic plastics and natural pigments as well as other biomaterials. 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-3643

Food in the Era of Climate Change

One semester: 3 studio credits 

You are what you eat–or are you? Do you know what is in your food? From farm to fork what happens in between? Is what the food producer tells you true? This course focuses on how food production, industrial farming and GMOs have become part of our daily life. Projects will consist of growing plants hydroponically, DNA analysis of local food, and time-lapse photography and microscopic imaging of foodstuffs. In addition, the cultural differences, taboos and evolution of eating practices will be explored. We will look at culinary styles around the world, and their social, economic and political ramifications. Urban farming, molecular cuisine and digital gastronomy, as well as pesticides and contaminants will be examined. Part forensic and part horticulture in practice, we will gather plants to extract pigments for watercolor; design food sculptures, including stencils for cakes; and use spices in novel ways. We will explore the effect microorganisms have on food–from cheese to E. coli to yogurt. From the good, the bad and the ugly, how has genetic engineering affected our lives? What effect is global warming having on food sources? Performance, painting, sculpture, public art, photography, illustration and cartooning, as well as community-based projects are welcome.

Second- and Third-Year Printmaking Courses

FID-2806 

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 screen printing. 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. Water-based silkscreen ink is used in class allowing for soap-and-water cleanup.

FID-2821

Etching Techniques

One semester: 3 studio credits

This introductory etching course explores the wide range of materials and techniques that are used to create both linear and tonal images with zinc plates. Techniques covered include line etching for pen-and-ink effects, drypoint for velvety lines, soft ground for both charcoal-like lines and textures, aquatint for gray tones and lift grounds for the qualities of watercolor. Inking techniques will include black-and-white and color intaglio, à la poupée, stenciling, and chine collé for added color and texture. All processes will be discussed and demonstrated, along with monoprints, collagraphs and carborundum prints. Students will develop the skills to proof, edition and curate their prints. Ongoing critiques will be included.

FID-2829

Monoprint, Woodcut, Linoleum

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course will explore various printmaking processes, including woodcut, linocut, monoprint and collagraph to expand each student’s skills and techniques. These methods can be interpreted for many different artistic styles, from fine art to illustration and bold graphic design. Students will learn the fundamentals of woodblock and relief printing. Relief printing involves carving away at a block of wood or linoleum and then inking the surface with oil-based ink. The block is then transferred to paper by being run through a printing press. This course begins with an exploration of techniques for planning and carving out prints, and then takes students through various approaches to making complex, multicolor relief images using reduction cut and jigsaw techniques.

FID-2834

Bound and Unbound: Relief Print in Book Form, Portfolio, Serial Image

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course will use a variety of relief-printing techniques, including woodcut, linoleum, and monoprint to create original artists’ books or portfolios of prints. Images will be carved into the block, the surface inked and transferred to paper. Students will have the option to create editions of each work or to work on a series of monoprints. Various bookbinding methods, including zines, Japanese stab bound, accordion and portfolio will be covered.

FID-2857

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. 

FID-3827

Lithography

One semester: 3 studio credits

The majority of mass printing is produced by the lithographic process. It has the remarkable ability to reproduce all the subtle qualities of charcoal, pencil, ink, watercolor, and more. This innate characteristic is why so many artists over the years have chosen to work in lithography. Goya, Lautrec, Picasso, Rauschenberg, Johns and Bourgeois, to name a few. Lithography is a medium that readily lends itself equally to painting and drawing, as well as various digital and photographic media. This course will offer traditional hand-drawn and state-of-the-art methods in realizing multicolored, professionally printed editions or work resulting in unique monoprints. These will include the options to work with hand-drawn aluminum plates, Bavarian limestone, photographic plates or any combination of these techniques.

FID-3847

Letterpress

One semester: 3 studio credits

Letterpress is a versatile and adaptable printing medium that mixes easily with other processes and imparts a sense of depth and texture to impressions on paper. This course will give a thorough introduction to letterpress printing. Accurate color registration is easily accomplished and the experience of hand-setting vintage metal and wood typefaces will enhance each student’s knowledge and understanding of typography. Die-cutting with letterpress allows students to shape their printed projects. Starting with handset wood and metal type we will move onto the use of photopolymer plates from digital files and linocut and collage plates (collagraph) for printing. Letterpress can print on T-shirts and bags as well as plastics and papers. Historical examples of futurist/Dada and 19th-century ‘color explosion’ printing will be shown. Each session begins with a demonstration followed by studio time to work on individual projects, from type-based graphic designs to fine art limited editions. Instruction in the operation and maintenance of several presses will be covered. Illustration students may explore animation techniques on the presses, design students can concentrate on letter/word/text, and seniors can build and print final portfolio packaging.

FID-3862

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. Methods of making color separations for multicolor prints using traditional hand-drawn and modern photographic techniques will be included. Bookbinding techniques will be demonstrated, such as Japanese bookbinding, accordion folding and signature binding. Large-scale digital output is available.

FID-3876

Experimental Silkscreen Printing

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course will explore silkscreen printing possibilities for all levels from beginners to experienced printers. We will explore tools, materials and methods for printing on a variety of surfaces, including plastic, metal, canvas, textiles, T-shirts, ceramics and skateboards. Learn about jigs to drill and form metal and Plexiglas. Get studio tips and logic. This is a hands-on make anything tour de force. We will discuss how to set up a working silkscreen studio in your home. Students can work on projects to present for thesis and other studio courses.

FID-3892

Copperplate Etching

One semester: 3 studio credits

Copperplate etching is known as the noble printmaking medium. Etching is the Western media of printmaking that has solely been used by artists to create artworks. From Schongauer, Dürer and Rembrandt to artists like Jasper Johns, David Smith and Alex Katz all worked on copper. This etching course explores the wide range of materials and techniques used to create linear and tonal images of intaglio printmaking. 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, à la poupée, stenciling, and chine collé for added color and texture. All processes will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will develop the skills to proof, edition and curate prints. Ongoing critiques will be included. 

FID-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. 

VND-2134

Risograph Printing: An Introduction

One semester: 3 studio credits

As technology transforms our lives, many artists have turned to print media and Risograph printing—a vibrant and flexible medium that bridges digital and analog techniques. In this course we will explore the possibilities that this dynamic medium offers through print design assignments, readings and critiques. Students will receive technical training in print design for the Riso process through in-class printing, demonstrations and presentations. Feedback and guidance will be given in group and individual critiques. An overview of Risograph printing and its range of techniques, as well as examples of Risograph and printmaking-based work will be included. Each student will prepare and print a portfolio of various Risograph projects in the form of print editions, zines, cards, promotional flyers, and other printed matter. Group assignments will foster a spirit of collaborative problem solving. By the end of the course, students will have a clear understanding of the Risograph process as well as a new set of digital and analog design skills that can be applied to other mediums.

Third-Year Art History Courses

AHD-2302

History of Video Art: 1965 to 1985

One semester: 3 art history credits

What is referred to as “video art” has become a ubiquitous feature of 21st-century art practice, yet it is an art form whose emergence is still a relatively fresh aspect of contemporary art history. This course will explore the origins of video art, examining its sources in film, photography and performance art. Through screenings of key works; discussion with artists, critics and curators, and in directed readings, students will be exposed to important works and individuals associated with the first two decades of video. Special attention will be paid to an understanding of the cultural and social context that supported the emergence of video art. We will focus upon the evolution of video art from both a technological perspective as well as the development of a video’s critical and institutional framework. Artists whose works will be viewed and discussed include Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Peter Campus, Vito Acconci, Frank Gillette, Juan Downey, Joan Jonas, Chris Burden, Lynda Benglis, Ira Schneider, Andy Mann, Martha Rosler, Allan Sekula, Shigeko Kubota, Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Mary Lucier, Woody and Steina Vasulka, Ilene Segalove, William Wegman, Tony Oursler, Antoni Muntadas, Keith Sonnier, Bruce and Norman Yonemoto, Dara Birnbaum, Ant Farm, Videofreex, TVTV, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Graham, Doug Hall, Richard Serra, Howard Fried, Terry Fox, Paul Kos, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley and Ernie Kovacs. 

AHD-2303

History of Video Art: 1985 to Present

One semester: 3 art history credits

As video art became more widely accepted and the tools became increasingly affordable and available, the medium quickly emerged as a primary site for the global dialogue that characterizes contemporary art practice. Among the topics to be addressed in this screening, lecture and discussion course will be the emergence of Asian, Latin American and European Video Art, the continued development of sculptural video installation work and the emergence of the market for video art. The blurring of the lines among video art, digital art forms, digital cinema and art made for the Internet will also be addressed. Artists whose works will be viewed and discussed include Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Peter Campus, Vito Acconci, Frank Gillette, Juan Downey, Joan Jonas, Chris Burden, Lynda Benglis, Ira Schneider, Andy Mann, Martha Rosler, Allan Sekula, Shigeko Kubota, Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Mary Lucier, Woody and Steina Vasulka, Ilene Segalove, William Wegman, Tony Oursler, Antoni Muntadas, Keith Sonnier, Bruce and Norman Yonemoto, Dara Birnbaum, Ant Farm, Videofreex, TVTV, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Graham, Doug Hall, Richard Serra, Terry Fox, Howard Fried, Paul Kos, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley and Ernie Kovacs.

AHD-3200

Ideas in Art: 1960 to the Present

One semester: 3 art history credits

This course will examine the developments of modern and contemporary art from the 1960s to the present. Topics might include a variety of themes and movements such as pop art, minimalism, postminimalism, conceptual and performance art alongside issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and identity.

Fourth-Year Seminars

Visiting Artist/Critic Seminar

Fine arts majors are required to attend all visiting artists/critics lectures during their junior and senior years. Renowned artists, critics and curators will present their work and ideas through visual presentations and dialogue. 

AHD-4140

Senior Seminar

One semester: 3 art history credits

This course examines in depth a specific theme or conflict relevant to contemporary art practice. Through focused readings and rigorous class discussions, students will gain knowledge and understanding of current issues relevant to their senior thesis work.

Fourth-Year Fine Arts Studio Courses

FID-4500 / FID-4505

Senior Workshop I and II: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Video Art, Multimedia

Two semesters: 3 studio credits per semester

Senior Workshop: (aka The Monday Night Team) 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-4507 through FID-4544 / FID-4554 through FID-4596

Senior Workshop III and IV

Two semesters: 1.5 studio credits per section

Senior Workshop is a tutorial in which students develop their senior project with two instructors. A finished studio project is required. Students are expected to be critically informed and historically aware of the conceptual underpinnings of their practice.

FID-4850

Thesis I

One semester: 3 studio credits

A studio-based project and accompanying written thesis are graduation requirements for the BFA Fine Arts program. Under the guidance of the instructor, students will work to formulate the ideas that will become the written thesis, and will consider appropriate strategies for the research, form, presentation and distribution of those ideas. The first goal is for students to express themselves clearly, critically and thoughtfully, using language that personifies their ideas. The second goal is for students to explore writing as a personal process and as an artist’s tool. This course will explore a range of artists’ writing forms, including exhibition statements, biographies, theses and grant applications. Students will develop an understanding of the research process, including finding sources, organization, and proper academic formatting and citation. A deeper appreciation of one’s own writing in relation to the development of one’s artistic practice will be underscored throughout the semester.

FID-4855

Thesis II

One semester: 3 studio credits

This course will continue to guide students through the BFA thesis process; initial ideas will be developed into a final presentation. The primary goal is to provide structure for the process of writing multiple drafts of the written thesis. To achieve that goal students will explore brainstorming, research and writing strategies, outlining, time management, topic development, mechanics and organization, writing style and voice, public speaking strategies and academic integrity. The course also examines the manifold opportunities that exist in visual culture today, from gallery exhibitions, public art and collaborative ventures to any entrepreneurial endeavors that may develop. By the end of the course students will be ready for a professional life, post-BFA.