Cory Shea, video stills from Reflection Grave, © 2008

Department of Art, Architecture and Art History

3 Divisions within the Undergraduate Program:     Studio Art      Architecture       Art History

Bachelor of Fine Arts:

Studio Art

Design

Bachelor of Arts:

Studio Art

Art History

Animation

Art Education

Ceramics

Digital Media: Still Imagery

Digital Media: Time Based         

Painting

Photography
          
Printmaking
                                   
Sculpture

Interdisciplinary Studies

BFA Studio Art Check sheet

Link to Studio Art Course Listing

BFA Art Education Check sheet

Art Minor

Disciplines within the
Design Program:

Architecture

M.F.A. Design Requirements

How to Apply

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Art

The Studio Arts Program offers a broad view of contemporary art that is both innovative and experimental. The program begins with a foundations year that provides a rigorous grounding in interdisciplinary art making. By the end of the second year each student is guided to develop a focused expertise and a plan of study. While there are recommended sequences of classes, undergraduates are encouraged to diversify their educational experience through open electives. Flexibility is emphasized to develop both an individual disciplined direction in approaching media, materials and techniques and, in turn, receptivity to applications in new genres. Additionally, team-taught seminars afford opportunities for in-depth conceptual and critical explorations within the context of trans-disciplinary practices. The degree program culminates in a thesis project in the student’s final semester.

*Students interested in Interdisciplinary Studies will form a committee of two full-time Studio Art faculty members and develop an academic plan of study along with a sequence of courses that address their particular areas of interest.

Students intending to follow a discipline sequence will first meet with the advisor associated with that discipline. Acceptance into a Discipline is by portfolio review. The disciplines within the Studio Art Program are as follows:

DISCIPLINES

Disciplines consist of thematic groupings of select courses offered throughout the Department of Art, Architecture and Art History and the Five College Consortium (Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith Colleges). Applications of focused expertise include sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, new genres (digital media, still and time based, animation, installation, performance), and art education.

As well as the aforementioned, the Department of Art, Architecture and Art History has the New York Professional Outreach Program (NY POP) that takes place between the Amherst campus and New York City. Students travel to New York City where they meet artists, curators, writers and gallery directors. Visiting Artists, curators, and other arts professionals are also an integral part of the program. The Summer Program in La Napoule, France is one of the few international programs available to students as an extension of the Foundations Program.

ANIMATION

Courses in animation introduce students to contemporary production processes and principles of animation that may be applied within classical 2- D, stop frame and digital media time based animation. Filmmaking, narrative and design, along with an emphasis on experimental, non-commercial applications are central to the pursuit of animation at the undergraduate level.

The Discipline of Animation: Course Sequence

Art 201 Advanced Drawing 3 cr
Art 202 Advanced Drawing Prob 3 cr
Art 297Q Animation Fundamentals 3 cr
Art 374 Animation I 3 cr
Art 397Q Animation II 3 cr
Art 404 BFA Degree Project 9 cr

Recommended Discipline Electives (Select 2) 6 cr
These courses may also be used as studio electives

Art 391 Intro Visual Culture 3 cr
Art 397N Digital Media: Still Image 3 cr
Art 297B Color Theory 3 cr

ART EDUCATION

Courses in Art Education provide students with a strong background in studio work and the necessary courses in education in order to be certified as an art teacher in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Certification permits the teacher to work at either the elementary or secondary levels. Through a reciprocal arrangement teachers certified in Massachusetts may be qualified to teach in several other states. Student teaching is done for a full semester, usually in schools located in the vicinity of Amherst. Because of the national reputation of the Art and Education Departments of the University of Massachusetts, graduates in Art Education are in a very strong position for employment.

PAINTING

Students in painting are expected to develop a high level of technical skill, as well as an integrated understanding of painting processes in relation to a broad range of media. They are equally encouraged to develop creative independence, an inquiring approach to the formal, technical and conceptual problems associated with the practice of painting, and to test the limits of both conventional and current practices. Courses are structured to ensure that each semester builds upon the previous semester in terms of content, skill development and individual research.

The Discipline of Painting: Course Sequence

Art 201 Advanced Drawing 3 cr
Art 202 Advanced Drawing Prob. 3 cr
Art 220 Painting I Representational: Oil 3 cr
Art 221 Painting II Representational: Waterbased 3 cr
Art 223 Painting III Thematic Painting 3 cr
Art 320 Painting IV Advanced Painting 3 cr
Art 420 Painting V Pre-Thesis 3 cr
Art 401 BFA  Degree Project 9 cr

Recommended Discipline Electives (Select 2) 6 cr
These courses may also be used as studio electives, 18 cr

Art 397N Digital Media: Still Image 3 cr    
Art 297CC Digital Media: Time Based 3 cr    
Art 397M Painterly Print: The Monotype 3 cr    
Art 391 Visual Culture 3 cr    
Art 297B Color Theory 3 cr    
Art 491A New York Professional Outreach 3 cr

PRINTMAKING

The discipline of Printmaking offers a full range of courses in all of the traditional print media: relief, intaglio, lithography, and screen printing, as well as digital. Our courses in printmaking combine a rigorous inquiry and research into the means, methods and practice of image making, thus enabling a solid foundation in technical, conceptual, and critical approaches. Students are encouraged to experiment and test the limits of both conventional and current digital printmaking practices in the realization of their individual ideas and interests.

There are courses in introductory and upper-level Intaglio (copper plate and photopolymer), Lithography (stone, aluminum plate, photo and offset), Digital Media: Still, Monotype, Serigraphy, and Relief Printmaking, as well as Book Arts. The relief and intaglio area has four American French Tool etching presses, the largest having a 48" x 84" press bed. The adjoining lithography area has a large stone library and three Charles Brand presses, two of which have 30" x 50" beds. The screen printing studio is entirely water-based and is equipped with darkroom facilities as well as a large vacuum-frame exposure unit. The lithography and intaglio areas share a flip top NuArc exposure unit for photo processes. The adjacent Digital Print Center has 3 Mac G5's and one PC computer workstation equipped with large flatbed, slide and film scanners and up to date software for digital imaging, and an 24" Epson 7600 and a 44" Epson 9880 inkjet printer for both archival color output and production of film positives for photo processes in all media.

Health and safety issues are of prime concern in the Printmaking area, and proper shop procedures and related health and safety issues are addressed at the beginning of each course. Access to the studios is open to all students currently enrolled in a print course for that studio.

The printmaking faculty have created working relationships with programs in France, Finland and Italy and encourages students to take advantage of exchange and internship opportunities abroad.

The Discipline of Printmaking: Course Sequence

Art 201 Advanced Drawing 3 cr
Art 202 Advanced Drawing Prob 3 cr

Required Discipline of Printmaking Electives: (Select 5) 15 cr
These courses may also be used as studio electives( Select 6) 18 cr
Art 240 Relief Printmaking I 3 cr
Art 241 Intaglio I 3 cr
Art 244 Lithography I 3 cr
Art 340 Relief II 3 cr
Art 342 Lithography II 3 cr
Art 341 Intaglio II 3 cr
Art 297BB Digital Imaging: Silkscreen 3 cr
Art 345 Digital Media: Photopolymer Gravure 3 cr
Art 275 Digital Media: Still Image 3 cr
Art 375 Digital Media: Time Based 3 cr
Art 397M Painterly Print: The Monotype 3 cr
Art 391 Visual Culture 3 cr
Art 297B Color Theory 3 cr
Art 491A New York Professional Outreach 3 cr
Art 401 BFA Degree Project 9 cr

SCULPTURE and CERAMICS

3D Studies is a hybrid practice. After introductory courses are taken to insure a grasp of materials and techniques, students are encouraged to investigate and develop a conceptual framework for making their work. A firm base of skills can be acquired by working in wood, clay (throwing, hand building, glazing and firing) mold making, welding and plaster. In keeping with other vital programs in 3 D Studies, courses offered provide opportunities for individuals to explore object making, site and environmental practices, installation, performance, and new genres.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Courses in photography are designed to provide students with a solid foundation in technical practice and conceptual, innovative and critical approaches. It is recommended that individuals learn both black and white and color, darkroom and digital processes and, in turn, broaden their definitions of photography within the context of art making. Opportunities to experiment with both traditional and non-traditional materials are presented in relation to explorations in “documentary,” performative, textual, and site-specific practices. All courses include a theoretical component where photography is discussed within the larger framework of visual culture. Students are also encouraged to take courses in digital media (still and time-based), photographic history and film studies.

The Discipline of Photography: Course Sequence

Art 201 Advanced Drawing 3 cr
Art 230 Photography I 3 cr
Art 231 Photography II 3 cr
Art 330 Photography III (color) 3 cr
Art 431 Photography IV 3 cr
Art 401 BFA Degree Projec 9 cr

Required Discipline Electives: (Select 2) 6 cr
These courses may also be used as studio electives

Art 391 Intro to Visual Culture 3 cr * (strongly advised)
Art 271 Intro. Digital Technology 3 cr
Art 275 Digital Media: Still Image 3 cr
Art 297DD Digital Media: Time Based 3 cr
Art 297B Color Theory 3 cr
Art 376 Information Design I 3 cr
Art 398 Information Design II 3 cr
Art 491A New York Professional Outreach 3 cr

DIGITAL MEDIA: STILL IMAGERY

Digital Media: Still engages the means, methods and practices of captured image making using digital formats. Students will learn the digital workflow while focusing on the formal concerns of pictorial organization using structured work methods. With an understanding that the computer itself is a meta-medium, students are encouraged to incorporate different media into their projects. Theoretical and historical information is presented in relation to technological advances in order for students to think about the computer as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Go to course Website...

DIGITAL MEDIA: TIME-BASED

Digital Media: Time- Based explores the creative possibilities of digital video and sound. Coursework focuses on a strong foundation of technical skills in relation to the histories of film and video in their larger cultural contexts. Students will be encouraged to investigate concepts of sound and time (duration, speed, rhythm) in relation to narrative, documentary and experimental practices. Go to course Website...

The Discipline of Digital Media: Still / Time Based: Course Sequence

Art 201 Advanced Drawing 3 cr
Art 202 Advanced Drawing Prob 3 cr
Art 275 Digital Media: Still Imagery 3 cr
Art 345 Digital Media: Printmaking 3 cr
Art 347 Digital Media: Silkscreen 3 cr
Art 375 Digital Media: Time Based 3 cr
Art 401 BFA  Degree Project 9 cr

Required Discipline Electives: (Select 2) 6 cr
These courses may also be used as studio electives
Art 230 Photography I 3cr
Art 271 Intro. Digital Technology 3 cr
Art 297B Color Theory 3 cr
Art 376 Information Design I 3 cr
Art 398 Information Design II 3 cr
Art 391 Visual Culture 3 cr
Art 597CC Digital Media: Time Based Adv. 3 cr
Art 491A New York Professional Outreach 3 cr

Click here for printable B.F.A. Studio Art Program Check Sheet

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The Department of Art, Architecture and Art History provides a variety of opportunities for foreign study. Students spend a semester or a full year studying abroad. Exchange programs currently exist with schools in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Venice, Italy and Lahti, Finland. These programs allow students to study at a foreign art school with tuition and housing cost equitable to that of the University of Massachusetts. Information can be obtained from Michael Coblyn, Department of Art, Architecture and Art History. Students may also participate in the numerous foreign study programs offered by other institutions. Information can be obtained from Frank Hugus, Director of International Programs, Hills South, (413) 545-2710.

THE SUMMER PROGRAM IN LA NAPOULE / PARIS

The summer program in Europe offers students an environment conducive to pursuing creative work and a European experience where travel and the study of art on location are an integrated part of the studio program. Students and faculty are in residence at the Chateau de La Napoule from July through August.

The chateau is located about three miles west of Cannes on the beautiful French Riviera. Studio workshops, unlike formal classes, are structured around working artists in residence who share their expertise, experience and points of view through daily studio practice and critiques. The program stresses a strong work orientation and self-motivation. Students are encouraged to develop a personal expression and should feel free to follow their aesthetic interests. Written and illustrated journals reflecting the European experience are required and considered extremely important. Faculty will work with students individually as well as in group situations. All participants, including faculty, will be involved in their creative work during the program

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN FILM STUDIES

The Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies engages in a variety of film and video-related activities that benefit students and the larger academic The Certificate Program in Film Studies offers undergraduates a comprehensive interdepartmental course of study in the history, criticism, theory, and aesthetics of the moving image. Film Studies faculty from the departments of Anthropology, Art and Art History, Asian Languages and Literatures, Communication, Comparative Literature, French & Italian, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Honors, Legal Studies, Music, Political Science, Spanish & Portuguese, the School of Education and the School of Management offer more than 30 courses each semester that explore the dynamics of screen representation in topics such as media and culture; race, nation and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; film styles and genre; production and distribution; technology and new media. Since the Program began in 1991, Film Studies graduates have used the Certificate to compete successfully for admission to prestigious film schools and graduate programs; for positions in film and video production; for employment in film and video distribution and exhibition, digital and new media, and as editors, producers, actors and independent filmmakers.

The Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies is the home of the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival, an annual series that brings to the campus and Five College community important new international films and visiting filmmakers. Certificate students are encouraged to participate in the Festival’s one-credit colloquium and internship program. The annual Five College Student Film and Video Festival showcases the best work of undergraduates in the Five Colleges and offers a unique opportunity for Certificate students interested in production to screen their work and to participate in producing and organizing the Festival. The Michael S. Roif Award In Film Studies is a competitive annual prize awarded to a single student or divided between two students enrolled in the University’s Undergraduate Film Studies Certificate Program whose film, video, or moving-image-media work demonstrates exceptional creativity and accomplishment. The award is based upon a gift, made by his family, in honor of Michael S. Roif, a University alumnus and film enthusiast.

Digital Print Center   

The Role of Technology in the Studio Art Program