Art
Department of Art & Design
The College of Arts and Sciences
Chair
Dan McDonald, Associate Professor of Art
Faculty
Keith Dull, Professor of Art
Wendy Schaller, Associate Professor of Art
Michael Bird, Assistant Professor of Art
Cynthia Petry, Assistant Professor of Art / Director of Coburn Gallery
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science in Education
Associate of Arts
Student Learning Outcomes
The Art Department provides programs in fine art, art education, and computer art and graphics programming (CAGP). The mission of the Art Department is to provide education in the visual arts and to prepare students to function in a productive capacity within the larger culture, including the qualifications necessary for pursuit of graduate studies. The Art Department provides a comprehensive and contemporary approach to the field and is committed to maintaining an environment that encourages seriousness of purpose in the creation, criticism, exhibition, and understanding of art. To fulfill the mission, the Art Department has established the following student learning outcomes:
Apply knowledge and skills in the use of basic tools, techniques, and processes to work from concept;
Deliver discerning critiques of their own work and that of others;
Illustrate ideas visually;
Produce creative and analytical portfolios reflecting knowledge and skill development; and
Identify and articulate the significance of major periods and works in the history of art.
Evidence of a student's ability to fulfill these learning outcomes is measured in their ability to successfully complete the following elements of the departmental assessment process (see Degree Requirements):
Complete coursework as outlined in their major requirements;
Exhibit high standards of achievement in the Foundations Portfolio Assessment;
Exhibit high standards of achievement in the Concentration Portfolio Assessment;
Exhibit high standards of achievement in the Senior Review Assessment; and
Fulfill the Senior Exhibition Requirement.
In addition, CAGP students through courses in computer science and the allied field of mathematics, will:
Employ discrete structures;
Examine computer architecture;
Practice programming;
Design and analyze algorithms; and
Implement critical thinking.
Facilities and Equipment
Six studios and one specially equipped lecture classroom accommodate the needs of our faculty and students. Studios are well-equipped with specialized tools for each of the disciplines offered.
Printmaking equipment including a 36" intaglio press and a lithography press
Ceramics lab with 16 wheels and both electric and gas-fired kilns
Computer lab for digital arts and graphic design with archival large format printer
Sculpture studio equipped for metal fabrication, metal casting, wood working, etc.
Slide/video library
The Coburn Gallery at Ashland University provides exhibitions of contemporary and historical significance for the campus community and the Ashland area. Eight exhibitions annually provide excellent opportunities for supplementing academic studies.
Description of Majors
Fine Arts
Our majors in the fine arts offer concentrations in painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, illustration, and digital art. These majors prepare students for careers as professional artists or for post graduate studies. Students begin with introductory drawing, design, and art history classes in the foundations sequence. Upper level work in the students' concentration area, as well as electives from the other areas, gives graduates well-rounded art training that allows them to develop creative ideas in a variety of media. A series of reviews after the foundations sequence and during the junior year prepares students for the senior exhibition which takes place in the department‘s Coburn Gallery. A year-round program of exhibitions in the gallery by serious fine artists allows students the opportunity to deepen and expand ideas through constant exposure to new concepts and techniques. A student exhibition with cash awards, juried by an outside juror, gives students the opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional setting. Students interested in the B.F.A. degree must receive approval from the individual area professor, confirmed by the department faculty.
Computer Art & Graphics Programming
This program is a combined major with the Mathematics/Computer Science Department and is designed to educate technologically literate artists. These graduates will enter the workforce with both creative and technical skills in Programming and Digital Fine Arts. In the first two years, students take the Art Foundations Sequence and the prerequisite Math and Computer Science programming courses. Upper level students will take advanced classes in digital art and Computer Science classes related to computer graphics. In their upper level courses students will use industry-standard software to develop personal bodies of work in preparation for their senior exhibition requirement. A two-track curriculum allows students to complete their degree by focusing on either digital art or web programming, depending on the final courses chosen.
Art Education
This program combines training in studio art with teacher education instruction, leading to teacher certification. The advantage of this program lies in the amount of studio training received in conjunction with education classes. Graduates are not only trained to teach, but also to be well-rounded, practicing artists.
Degree Requirements
General Requirements – In recognition of the time commitment necessary for an adequate fulfillment of the requirements of the classroom/ studio, students are required to attend all classes as scheduled and remain in the class for the prescribed time. Academic penalties may be invoked in cases of excessive absences.
The Department of Art and Design reserves the right to retain work done under classroom instruction.
Assessment – The assessment process is designed to monitor student development in the various areas of skill and knowledge the department teaches. This process is conducted on a yearly basis and takes place outside the context of individual classes. It is intended to benefit the students by giving them a set of guidelines by which they may improve artistic skills and understanding. The process is also intended to help departmental faculty update and improve the content of courses, and the program as a whole, as needs are identified. The process includes Foundations Review, Concentration Review, Senior Review, and the Senior Exhibition.
Foundations Review follows the completion of at least four of the five studio foundations courses (2-D Design, 3-D Design, Color Theory, Drawing I, and Drawing II). Students present a portfolio of foundations work to a committee composed of Department Art and Design faculty. The committee gives written and oral assessments of strengths and weaknesses, and makes appropriate recommendations. Students will demonstrate proficiency in two-dimensional composition, three-dimensional design, the usage of color, the usage of spatial devices, observational and drawing skills, understanding of anatomy, and the quality of craft and sensitivity to artist‘s materials.
Concentration Review should take place near the end of the second semester of a student's concentration. Candidates present a portfolio of upper level studio work that is critiqued in open session by the Art Department faculty, art majors, and visiting artists. The faculty will provide written assessments of the work, indicating areas of strength and weakness and advising the student how best to fulfill the senior exhibition requirement. Students will be advised as to whether or not their portfolio meets department expectations relative to the process of producing a body of work sufficient for a final exhibition. The areas evaluated are the seriousness of the artistic direction, the consistency of the artistic direction, the volume of work created, and the potential for artistic growth.
Senior Review takes place the semester preceding the senior exhibition. Candidates are expected to present a further refined portfolio of work leading to the senior exhibition to be critiqued in open session similar to the Concentration Review. The faculty will provide written assessment of progress towards the student’s readiness with respect to the senior exhibition. If a portfolio does not exhibit the necessary progress the student may be required to repeat the review process or postpone the senior exhibition until sufficient progress is made.
Senior Exhibition is a graded component of Senior Seminar and is the final graduation requirement. When applying for graduation, students must submit a body of work to the Art Department faculty for approval. Candidates must provide a minimum of three pre-approved works for the exhibition and display them in a professional manner that conforms to the standards of the Coburn Gallery and the Art Department. Areas evaluated are the cohesiveness and excellence of the body of work, the professionalism of the presentation of the body of work, and the degree of understanding and application of techniques of documentation of artwork
Art History Course Rotation
ART 256 Western Art I is offered every fall semester ART 257 Western Art II is offered every spring semester
One art history elective is offered each semester on rotation as follows:
ART 352 Art of the Renaissance
ART 353 Baroque Art
ART 354 19th Century Art ART 356 20th Century Art
Art Courses and Descriptions