The art department’s programs are designed, through studio and lecture courses, to help students gain understanding and expertise in several aspects of the visual arts. Within the art major students have four options: (1) graphic design, emphasizing visual design for the communications media; (2) illustration, developing images for publications and communication; (3) photography, which involves bo
th fine art and advertising photography; and (4) studio art. Within the studio art option, there are two potential areas of emphasis: painting, and sculpture. All four options have a common foundation program with specializations diverging in the junior year. The liberal arts component of the Art program is vital; it promotes and develops a set of skills that are of fundamental importance to any citizen and critical for the successful artist or designer. These include the ability to think critically, the development and refinement of verbal and writing skills, and the acquisition of a diverse and extensive visual vocabulary and knowledge base. This combination of professional artistic training and acquired liberal arts skills enables visual artists to successfully develop, create and articulate their creative visual dialogues. Department of Art faculty are professional practitioners who are recognized and accomplished in their fields of expertise. In the classroom, they encourage experimentation, nurture creativity and cultivate independence of thought. Gallery Talks and Visiting Artist Lectures feature an impressive array of Artists, Illustrators, Curators, Gallerists and Critics. Museum and gallery studies are integral parts of the student’s learning process. Students are expected to visit museums and galleries at least once a semester. In order to facilitate meeting this requirement, the art department arranges semi-annual bus trips to some of the most prominent museums and art galleries in Manhattan and the surrounding area each semester. The Department of Art is located on the Westside Campus in the newly constructed Visual & Performing Arts Center. This modern facility houses all three departments of the School of Visual and Performing Arts: Art, Music and Theatre. The Art wing includes studios for Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography, as well as the MFA program and Art Gallery. These professional quality spaces add tremendous value to an already quality arts education. It is a diverse and invigorating environment that inspires, motivates and fosters a vibrant culture of creative problem-solvers.
