Course - Fine Arts
(Prerequisites are shown in parentheses)

ART 101
ART HISTORY SURVEY I.
An analysis of art, archeology and history in the Pre-historic, Ancient World, Middle Ages, into the Early Renaissance. The focus is on art, architecture and relevant cultural context in the development of Western Art using contemporary methods and theories. Some non-Western history and themes will be included for context.

ART 102
ART HISTORY SURVEY II.
This survey of art begins in the High Renaissance and continues through the 1990’s, focusing on European and American Art. Using current methods and theories in art history, specific artworks, artists and styles are discussed stressing the social, political, philosophic and individual influences.

ART 111
DRAWING I.
The beginning drawing student is introduced to traditional drawing materials and techniques. Historical ways of seeing and drawing are introduced and explored. Emphasis is placed on contour, gesture, perspective, and value drawing. The abstract ideas of composition, line quality, the construction of form and space and use of critical analysis will be introduced

Drawing studio	Painting lab	3D studio

ART 112
DRAWING II.
A studio drawing cours that is a continuation of Drawing I with an emphasis on developing personal imagery, techniques, and points-of-view. Observation, exploration, revision and critique will being a process useful to the expression and development of a personal direction.
(ART 111)

ART 115
COLOR FUNDAMENTALS.
An introduction to color theory and the basic properties of color. Various types of color contrast are studied, and the essentials of subtractive mixing are covered. Psychological and emotional effects of color are also explored.

ART 130
2-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN.
This is a basic course in the manipulation of a 2-D elements (i.e. line, shape, form, space, color, value, and texture) and the principles of organization. Through a series of lectures, experimental exercises, and applied problems, students will learn the essential language of two dimensional design including critical thinking.

ART 201
FIGURE STUDY I.
Through observational drawing this course explores the various historical methods used to describe the rhythms and structures of the human figure. The primary modes are: gesture, sighting and measuring, planer analysis, contour drawing, anatomical analysis, and both optical and planer use of value.
(ART 112)

ART 202
FIGURE STUDY II (MODELING).
A study of the construction of portrait and figure executed from life in clay. Students gain a greater understanding of the skeletal and muscle structure of the figure through exercises that include armature forming and building the figure from the inside out. Students learn basic mold making and casting techniques.
(ART 201)

ART 211 / ART 311
DRAWING III / DRAWING IV.
A course for focused drawing where students use drawing as verb and noun. Projects will enhance visual perception and technical skills. Instruction and homework will include studies in contour, gesture, composition, perspective, proportion and relationships, figure studies (the A-frame), creative conceptualization and gestalt, or perception of the whole.
(ART 111, 115, 130, 230; PHO 121 for ART 211 / ART 211 for ART 311)

ART 221
20TH CENTURY ART HISTORY.
A study of art focused primarily after 1945, including images and ideas in painting, sculpture, photography, film and design. Emphasis is placed on understanding and interpreting works in a cultural context, exploring technological, scientific, social, political and individual aspects.
(Art 102)

ART 222
ART HISTORY – SPECIAL TOPICS.
A lecture course on a more specific area of art history than the survey courses can cover, such as African Art History, Art of Egypt, History of American Art, Japanese Art, Mayan Art and Archaeology, Native American Arts and Cultures, and Theories of Art Criticism. The subjects rotate on a yearly basis.
(Art 102)

Additional topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Summer Travel Abroad. This course is designed to increase awareness and appreciation of contemporary art through in-depth and intimate exposure to contemporary and historical art, artists, and architecture. Students increase creative thinking skills and global awareness by living in and exploring a foreign culture. Each Summer Watkins students have the opportunity to travel as a class led by a Watkins instructor to cultural capitals such as Berlin, Barcelona, Venice, Paris, and London.
• The “Other” in Art and Visual Culture: Race, Culture, Gender and Sexual Orientation. In the past several decades issues surrounding diversity in all ways imaginable have become some of the defining concerns in contemporary thought. The course begins with an examination of images of the ‘other’ in art history, punctuating ways art has served to support predominantly, white, heterosexual, Eurocentric ideals. Once the function of representation has been exposed, attention is turned to contemporary art, including media and film, which leads students into an encounter with artists who are consciously considering and reevaluating through their work what it means to be marginalized within Western culture.

ART 230
3-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN.
An exploration of the formal elements of three-dimensional design and the basic verbal and visual vocabulary for dealing with sculpture. Students will study mass, line, plane, volume, surface design, size, and shape through exercises using varying materials and processes.

ART 231
SCULPTURE I.
An introduction to the basic tools, techniques, processes and materials of sculpture. Both subtractive and additive methods are experienced. Assignments cover wood construction, metal construction, plaster casting, mixed media, found object, and/or carving.
(ART 111, 115, 130, 230; PHO 121)

ART 232
SCULPTURE II.
Building on Sculpture I, students are expected to develop a cohesive body of artwork that shows a more refined sense of materials, techniques, and concepts. Emphasis is placed on preparing for the presentation of a student’s artwork in a gallery setting.
(ART 231)

ART 241
PAINTING I.
Painting I is a beginning course that emphasizes the manipulation of paint and visual form. Observational painting will introduce the student to traditional/historical uses of paint and painting tools. Experimentation will expand vocabulary and begin to clarify historical and personal choices.
(ART 111, 115, 130)

ART 242
PAINTING II.
An intermediate level course that includes the further development of form and paint manipulation with an emphasis on developing a personal and cultural aesthetic. Students will be asked to solve problems that are formally and conceptually more complex. Required reading and writing assignments will support and clarify personal directions/points of view.
(ART 241)

ART 251
CLAY I.
An overview of ceramic processes, introducing students to various handbuilding, wheelworking, slip/glaze applications, and kiln-firing processes. Projects deal with aesthetic concerns common to both sculpture and vessel-making.
(ART 111, 115, 130, 230; PHO 121)

ART 252
CLAY II.
The student will develop technical and aesthetic skills in ceramic handbuilding and wheel throwing processes. Various tools include the slab roller, extruders, plaster molds, and sand blaster. Slip/glaze applications include both high and low-fire techniques with gas and electric kilns.
(ART 251)

ART 261
PRINTMAKING I.
An introduction to basic printmaking techniques, including relief printing, monoprint, intaglio (etching), and screen printing using an experimental and empirical approach to the graphic media. Emphasis is on investigating visual structures by means of the print process.
(ART 112, 115, 130, 251, 230; PHO 121)

ART 262
PRINTMAKING II.
This course emphasizes the development of visual ideas through the materials, tools, and chemistry of the lithographic process. A portion of the semester is spent producing a limited edition. The instructor introduces the profession of fine art printing through discussions on issues of collaboration, ethics and distribution in class.
(ART 261)

Figure study

ART 301
FIGURE STUDY III.
Advanced studies in drawing the human form. Special concentration on the development of self-expression with various drawing mediums.
(ART 201, 202)

ART 321
CONTEMPORARY ART HISTORY.
A study of art since the 1970’s, with a focus on Post Modernism, multiculturalism, Earth Art, Installations, and New Media are the subjects of this class. Rather than looking at the art as part of a movement, the work and artists are explored as a way of understanding the process of moving from idea to form.
(ART 221)

ART 331 / ART 431
SCULPTURE III / SCULPTURE IV.
Nurtures the development of a cohesive body of work based on sophisticated techniques and a maturing sense of aesthetic direction. Group and individual discussions emphasize the development of critical vocabulary along with advanced technical exploration.
(ART 232 for ART 331 / ART 331 for ART 431)

ART 332
MATERIALS & PROCESSES.
An examination of contemporary materials and modes of art making common to the 3D disciplines. Theme topics offered each semester vary, reflecting current art issues and faculty specialization. Cross-disciplinary seminars combine lecture and studio with specific assignments, visiting artists, and field trips.
(ART 231, 241, 251, 261)

ART 335 / ART 435
TIME BASED MEDIA I / TIME BASED MEDIA II.
An exploration of hybrid art forms with elements of multimedia production, sculpture, and performance. Students create artworks that incorporate any process that involves the passing of time: video, slides, light, sound, computer, performance, sculpture, etc. The course includes extensive viewing and research of documentation of similar contemporary art practices.
(ART 231, 241, 251, 261 for ART 335 / ART 335 for ART 435)

ART 341 / ART 441
PAINTING III / PAINTING IV.
Continued study and development of individual and cultural expressions, from realism to abstraction.
(ART 242 for ART 341 / ART 341 for ART 441)

ART 351 / ART 445
CLAY III / CLAY IV.
Advanced study of aesthetic and technical information as it applies to contemporary ceramic sculpture. Projects include personal concept development with ceramic technologies, investigations into alternative clay techniques, and mixed media, installation and site-specific considerations.
(ART 252 for ART 351 / ART 351 for ART 451)

ART 361 / ART 461
PRINTMAKING III / PRINTMAKING IV.
An advanced course in which students work with printmaking processes appropriate to their concepts. Students receive specific technical instruction on their chosen process and the possibilities of combining techniques are introduced. This exploration of mixed-media techniques stresses the metamorphic and serial potential inherent in printmaking.
(ART 262 for ART 361 / ART 361 for ART 461)

ART 371
ADVANCED SEMINAR I.
Second semester Juniors meet for interdisciplinary critiques focusing on the quality of goals, concepts, and techniques in student work. Students research topics and artists important to personal development. Visiting artists, slide lectures, studio visits, and exhibitions are incorporated into the class structure. Students work with faculty to develop a personal body of work that represents depth and breadth of exploration of appropriate media. The business of being an artist, such as issues, applying for grants and residencies, photographing artwork, and writing a resume and artist’s statement are discussed.
(Advisor approval required)

Painting Studio

ART 471 / ART 473
ADVANCED SEMINAR II / ADVANCED SEMINAR III.
Seniors meet for interdisciplinary critiques focusing on the quality of the goals, concepts, and techniques in student work. Students research the topics and artists important to their own development. Visiting artists, slide lectures, studio visits, and exhibitions are incorporated. Students work with faculty to develop a personal body of work that represents depth and breadth of exploration of appropriate media. Focus is on the life-support aspects of being an artist, such as business and tax issues, applying for grants and residencies, finding a studio, photographing artwork, and writing a resume and artist’s statement.
(ART 371 for ART 471 / ART 471 for ART 473)

ART 490
SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITION.
This course is designed to provide students with practical experience in preparing and producing a body of artwork for exhibition. Over the course of the semester, students are required to write a proposal, meet regularly with advisors, and write a thesis paper based on the artwork produced for the senior exhibition. An exhibition of a cohesive body of work, complete with invitations and reception, is required for graduation with a B.F.A. in Fine Arts.
(ART 471)

ART 495
ART INTERNSHIP.
A semester long internship with either the Tennessee Arts Commission or the Frist Center for the Arts. Students work in a supervised professional arts environment assisting with arts administration, outreach, exhibition preparation, and art handling. Students will keep a regular work schedule and record a diary of activities with reports to their advisor throughout the semester.
(Junior year class standing, Advisor approval)