Art and Art History Department

Artists help maintain and develop the cultural life of a society by means of their unique expression of the basic truths of existence. The experience and practice of visual art creates an awareness of these basic truths, and especially of the imaginal and creative aspects of life, which is vital in the formation of the complete human being. The Art Program therefore seeks to develop the critical aesthetic faculties within the student and to nurture that knowing and judging capacity of the human spirit. Students from other academic disciplines gain breadth and insight from courses in studio art and art history, which share common ground with the other humanistic disciplines and creative arts, and which complement the sciences.

The Department views the experience and practice of the visual arts, particularly at the undergraduate level, as an interdisciplinary pursuit. Within the Art major, the five areas offered are art history, ceramics, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. The art student is involved in the artistic and scholarly environment of the Haggerty Art Center, with stimulation provided by independent study offerings, the presence of graduate students, and on-campus and Dallas/Fort Worth area exhibitions and collections, as well as visiting artists and lecturers. All of these construct the real environment needed for growth in the arts.

The study of art as a major is divided into the art core and the area of emphasis. The art core is taken in the freshman and sophomore years and includes History of Art and Architecture I and II, Basic Drawing I and II, Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Design, and Human Figure. In the sophomore year, preferbly the Fall semester, the art student usually participates in the Rome Program.

The area of emphasis is designed to guide the student, either in the studio or art historical study, toward the full realization of his or her personal integrity and intellectual potential. The student may pursue the following areas: art history, ceramics, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. The student may also pursue the secondary, or all-level certificate in the teaching of art.

By the junior year, the art major emphasizing studio work is intensely involved in a major studio and elective studio work while also taking one course each semester in the history of art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A critique of the student's work by the art faculty takes place in the second semester of the junior year. In the senior year, the studio major prepares for the senior exhibition and comprehensive examination through Senior Studio and Seminar. Reviews and critiques are a regular part of the year.

The pattern for the art major emphasizing art history is much the same through the sophomore year. The Rome semester is especially significant, for the student is able to experience works of art in their original context and to study the impact of the classical tradition on Western art. In the junior and senior years, the student takes a wide range of upper-level art history courses which integrate a knowledge of visual culture and architecture into a liberal arts education and life. These courses, along with Senior Research and Senior Thesis, introduce the student to critical analysis and research methods, thus preparing the student for the comprehensive examination and the final research paper presentation.

Whatever the area involved, the Department seeks to give the art major basic principles, not merely standard solutions, so that he or she has the training, judgment, and flexibility to go on to successful graduate or professional work in art, art history, or other areas.

Basic Requirements/All Studio Areas

A total of 45 credits: two semesters of participation in senior seminar (one credit per semester); 12 in art history (6 advanced); 31 in studio courses including 15 credits (12 advanced) in one studio area (beginning studio, two intermediate studios, and two senior studios), the core studio requirements of Drawing I and II, Human Figure, Two-and Three-Dimensional Design, and six credits of electives in other studio experiences outside the area of emphasis. Satifactory completion of the Senior Exhibition and Comprehensive Examination is required. It is recommended that art majors take Aesthetics for the philosophy elective and seek appropriate electives in other departments.

Comprehensive Examination

In the second semester of the junior year the work of the student is reviewed by the entire art faculty. A second review follows in the first senior semester and a final review in the last semester prior to the presentation of the Senior Exhibition, a small solo-exhibition on campus. It must contain work done during the senior year predominately in the Senior Studio course. The exhibition is selected, designed and constructed by the student. It is judged by the faculty in an oral examination as part of the Comprehensive. In the senior year art majors also must pass a slide examination on the history of art.

Basic Requirements/Art History Area

The Art History Area of the Art Majors requires 24 credits in Art History, 18 of which are advanced hours; two one-credit senior seminars; two credits in Gallery Practicum; ten credits in studio (drawing, design, and figure); and six credits in advanced art electives. A 35-page research paper, oral examination, public slide lecture, and the art history slide examination required of all Art majors constitute the comprehensive examination. French or German is the recommended language. Electives such as Aesthetics and Historical Methodology are also recommended. Internships in area museums or galleries may be taken for additional credit.

Art History Concentration

The Art History Concentration provides a coherent set of experiences for students interested in pursuing this area short of a major. It requires 18/19 credits including four art history courses, at least three advanced, one course reflecting on theories of expression or methodology, one studio course, one credit of Art Gallery Practicum.

Studio Art Concentration

The Studio Art Concentration requires 18/20 credits including at least three advanced studio courses, and one art history course. Two studio areas must be represented.

Teaching Certification in Art for the State of Texas

Along with the art major, a student may qualify to teach in grades 6-12 or work towards an all-level certification. Other students may wish to use the art major, or the appropriate number and kinds of art credits, to prepare to teach in grades 1-8 or 8-12. All combinations may require summer study in order to complete the program in four years. Because of the need for careful sequencing of both art and education courses, the student should consult both departments.

Core Program-Studio and Art History

Recent Mid-Semester Senior Exhibitions