Art at Bluffton College

The Art Department's program is structured to enable all students to gain a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of visual art, to define individual aesthetic attitudes and to develop personal goals with an emphasis in the studio disciplines set in a liberal arts tradition.

The liberal arts form an integral part of the artist's education, giving access to our culture's past and present and helping students understand themselves as individuals, as artists and as members of a complex and changing society.

While vital avocational art enrichment is offered to all Bluffton College students, the Art department is structured to prepare its majors for elementary, secondary and supervisory teaching positions and for graduate study leading to professional careers in art and design. Bluffton art graduates are currently working as elementary and secondary school art teachers, college professors, museum directors, design artists for publications, freelance artists, silk screen printers, interior designers and production craftspersons.

Students interested in certification to teach art K-12 and 7-12 see professional education multi-age license visual arts and education.  

Major (46 hours)

* ART 202 Design 1 (3)
* ART 204 Drawing (3)
* ART 205 Figure Drawing (3)
* ART 207 Design 2 (3)
* ART 213 Painting (3)
* ART 217 Ceramics 1(3)
* ART 223 Sculpture 1 (3) or * ART 233 Sculpture 2 (3)
* ART 327 Art History 1 (3)
* ART 328 Art History 2 (3)
* ART 329 Art History 3 (3)
ART 390 Independent Study in Art (2)
* ART 400 Art Now Seminar (1)
* ART 405 Portfolio Organization and Review (.5)
* ART 410 Senior Exhibition (.5)
 
one of the following
ART 225 Printmaking 1 (relief) (3)
ART 226 Printmaking 2 (intaglio) (3)
ART 227 Printmaking 3 (silkscreen) (3)
ART 228 Printmaking 4 (lithography) (3)
 
Three additional studio courses are required (9)

ART 202 Design 1 (3)
ART 245 Introduction to Computer Graphic Design (3)
ART 255 Graphic Design 1 – Desktop Publishing (3)
ART 265 Graphic Design 2 – Photo Editing (3)
ART 270 Graphic Design 3 – Illustrating (3)
One of the following:
    ART 345, ART 350, ART 360, ART 430 (3)

Courses
ART 202 Design 1 (3)
Concentration on the theories and use of color, analysis of historical compositions and devices and assigned problems that strengthen the student's ability to compose.

ART 204 Drawing (3)
A series of problems designed to develop confidence in drawing while examining a number of ways of implying space in a two-dimensional surface. Theory is supported by work in the studio and extended through traditional and contemporary visual references. Students are encouraged to develop a personal approach through the use of a sketchbook. Prerequisite: ART 202.

ART 205 Figure Drawing (3)
Drawing from the human figure in both conventional and imaginative ways using various media, manners of treatment and modes of modeling forms. Discussion and viewing of historical as well as contemporary work will expand perspectives and through studio assignments students will develop a personal approach.

ART 207 Design 2 (3)
Theory and practice of the fundamental principles of design as applied to three-dimensional art and crafts. Introduction to and practical experience in a variety of traditional three-dimensional media including clay, wood, metal, fabric and glass. Projects may include clay relief sculpture, functional wood objects, centrifugal casting, stained glass and batik. The understanding and practical experience gained here is intended to prepare the student for more complex three-dimensional art experiences. ART 202 recommended but not required.

ART 213 Painting (3)
An introduction to the material and subject possibilities of painting. The emphasis is on construction, composition, paint handling and color. Individual and group criticism, combined with field trips and discussion of painting ideology, expands the students' perspectives of themselves within historical and professional contexts. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204.

ART 214 Watercolor (3)
Specific compositional problems exploring the possibilities of design and expression in watercolor technique. Use of the figure, stilllife and landscape as initial references. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204. Offered alternate years.

ART 217 Ceramics 1 (3)
Introduction to work in clay including hand building techniques, use of the potter's wheel, decorating and glazing methods, kilns and firing processes. Practical experience through participation in all phases of ceramic production. Survey of traditional and contemporary approaches to clay focused on promoting individual student response to the medium.

ART 223 Sculpture 1 (3)
Development of three-dimensional form using processes of addition and subtraction. Construction in wood using basic carpentry skills, lamination and joinery. Instruction in cutting, welding and brazing metals. Stone and wood carving. Mixed media assemblage. Survey of historical and contemporary sculpture with special attention to additive and subtractive approaches to media. Prerequisite: ART 207 recommended but not required. Offered alternate years.

ART 225 Printmaking 1 (relief) (3)
An introduction to relief printmaking employing basic relief techniques including linoleum cuts and woodcuts. The initial emphasis is on black and white images executed through studio assignments. Introduction to color reduction block printing. Discussion and viewing of historical as well as contemporary work will expand perspectives and the student is encouraged to develop a personal approach. Offered every fourth year.

ART 226 Printmaking 2 (intaglio) (3)
Introduction to the medium of intaglio through demonstration, various methods of making plates, hard and soft ground, drypoint, mezzotint, aquatint and embossment are explained and demonstrated. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204. Offered every fourth year.

ART 227 Printmaking 3 (silkscreen) (3)
Basic techniques in screen printing including direct and indirect stencils. Building and stretching screens as well as darkroom work with enlarger and Kodalith film are demonstrated. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204. Offered every fourth year.

ART 228 Printmaking 4 (lithography) (3)
An introduction to the techniques of direct lithography from stones and metal plates. Various traditions of printmaking and historical contexts are examined. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204. Offered every fourth year.

ART 230 Introduction to Graphic Design (3)
Exploration and application of design principles, layout and typography. Introduction to illustration, historical influences past and present, concepts of drawing and pictorial design, tools, (introduction to the airbrush) techniques and terminology of the discipline. Prerequisites: ART 202 and ART 204. Offered alternate years.

ART 233 Sculpture 2 (3)
Development of three-dimensional form using processes of manipulation and substitution. Modeling of clay, plaster, wax and Styrofoam with replacement in metal using the lost wax process and other foundry procedures. Mold-making techniques introduced with further casting in a variety of materials. Survey of historical and contemporary sculpture with special attention to modeling and casting techniques. ART 207 recommended but not required. Offered every third year.

ART 240 Photography (3)
An introduction to photography including camera handling, film exposure and processing, composition, black and white print production and presentation of photographs. Exploration of specialized equipment and techniques. Brief history of photography. Offered alternate years.

ART 245 Introduction to Computer Graphic Design (3)
This course provides a thorough investigation of the graphic arts computer as a tool of graphic design. Provides a practical approach to desktop publishing (DTP) and pre-press. Concentration is on visualization, design and digital techniques. DTP's practical applications include advertising, public relations, newsletters, brochures and other communication materials. The student will be introduced to: QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoship and Adobe Illustrator.