Provide A Quality Professional Degree Program In Studio Art
The BFA in Studio art will be a professional degree program in which students will acquire the skills and knowledge required to pursue a career as a fine artist and/or a Master of Fine Arts Degree at the graduate level.
Objective
Foundation Skills
Students will learn basic skills in drawing and design, and have an awareness of contemporary art.
Indicator
BFA Review
BFA review portfolios will be required of all students pursuing the BFA before they enroll in upper level Art courses.
The BFA Portfolio Review will be held at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and include a selection of coursework from Art 130 and 131 (WASH) Art 163 (Drawing) Art 164 (Life Drawing 1) Art 262 (Foundations in Digital Art)
Students who do not pass the BFA Review will become BA majors in Studio Art. Students who choose the BA at the outset of their art studies are not required to take the BFA Review, but the Review provides an assessment of work done in the Foundation courses that the BA students are required to take.
All BFA Candidates participate in BFA Review after completion of Sophomore level art foundation courses to assess their retention and integration of skills learned. Students bring work from these classes to the review and are assessed by a panel of faculty.
Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to make sophisticated compositions using the elements of line, shape, color, form, texture, value and scale and the principles of balance, movement, symmetry, organization, and figure-ground relationships. Students will be evaluated on their ability to keep a sketchbook and to creatively solve problems by exhibiting works that are unique examples of harmonious design. Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to convey concepts through the use of the elements of design.
Criterion
Passing The Review
The BFA review will be held once a semester. A panel of at least 5 Art faculty will review each portfolio. Using a scale of 1-10 to evaluate the student work. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 7 or higher. The Faculty will use a rubric developed by the BFA review committee. It is expected that at least 80% of students pursuing the BFA in Studio Art will pass the review.
Finding
Improvement From Previous Year
28% of all BFA students failed the BFA review in 2009-2010. The previous year, 42% failed. The number of students participating in the BFA review increased from 48 in 08-09 to 93 in 09-10. Improvements in student Portfolios were seen in the work done in WASH, and the weak areas overall tended to be in Drawing, particularly Figure Drawing. Faculty found that the drawings presented in the BFA review tended to be weak in terms of composition, content, and uniqueness of technique and style.
Action
Add A Drawing Course And Evaluate Course Content
The Art Department will add a drawing course to the foundation program. A second semester of drawing, 'Drawing 2' will be required before students take Life Drawing 1. Drawing 2 will emphasize conceptual aspects of drawing, the ability to convey a concept, and thematic development. Portfolios from all of the figure drawing classes will be evaluated by faculty over the summer. The content of the second semester of figure drawing, Life Drawing 2, will be developed to emphasize content and personal expression.
Objective
Students Will Demonstrate Expertise In Artistic Expression
Students will learn to create art in a variety of media and produce a cohesive body of work.
Indicator
Senior Exhibition
Graduating seniors are required to publicly exhibit work before the BFA degree is granted. The work in the exhibition will demonstrate • a proficiency in skills and techniques related to the medium used in the artwork. • the student's ability to produce a cohesive body of work. • the student's ability to express a concept through a work of art. • an awareness of contemporary art and its relation to art history.
Criterion
Faculty Review
The work in the Senior Exhibition will be evaluated by members of the studio art faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 75% or higher using a scale of 0-100%.
Finding
Inadequate Indicator
The graduating senior exhibition is held each semester and includes students graduating in all of the art department majors. In the spring semester there were 6 students graduating with a BFA in studio art. They were asked to submit works that demonstrated a cohesive, thematically related body. Less than half submitted what faculty considered a cohesive body of work and one student only submitted one piece. Because of the large number of students in the exhibition, there was not enough room for students to exhibit more than 2 or 3 pieces. Another weak area was the demonstration of the awareness of contemporary art and it's relation to art history.
Indicator
Final Project In Advanced Drawing
Students will be required to take ART 463, Advanced Drawing, students will develop a concept and produce a series of paintings that are visual expressions of the concept. The paintings will • be a unified, cohesive body of work. • be personal expressions. • demonstrate expertise with materials and techniques. • be sophisticated in execution and design. • clearly convey the concept through technique and subject matter.
Criterion
Advanced Painting Criteria
The projects will be evaluated by a committee of Art faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100% to determine successful completion of the project, it is expected that at least 80% of the students will score 75% or higher.
Finding
Students Working In Series
All of the students scored above 75% on the assessment of this portfolio of work. The significance of the findings are especially important in the demonstration of the students ability to produce a cohesive body of work. There is strong evidence that studio majors are producing bodies of work that are thematically coherent and demonstrate a thematic development throughout a series of drawings.
Indicator
Container Project
Students will be required to take 3 hours of upper level 3-D Art Studio. Students in ART 482 will complete a two-part project using a containers or boxes as material and subject matter. Students will create a box or container that is a self portrait. In the second part of the project, student will use a found container. The content of this piece will relate to the original history of the container. The students will learn about and use symbolism and metaphor and deal with the environment in which the symbolic and/or metaphorical objects reside.
The completed sculptures will • be visual metaphors that conveys meaning. • demonstrate a relationship between the materials used and the content created. • demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship. • show an expertise with materials and an ability to create a meaningful 3 dimensional form.
Criterion
Container Project Criteria
The container projects will be evaluated by a committee of Art faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100% to determine successful completion of the project, it is expected that at least 80% of the students will score 75% or higher.
Finding
Successful Project
83% of the students completing the Container Project scored above 75. The average score of all the students was 80.
Action
Require A Senior Capstone Class
The curriculum committee will create and require a course for Senior BFA Studio Art majors that will have an exhibition requirement. Each student in the course will be required to have an exhibition that demonstrates the ability to produce a body of work that is related thematically, stylistically, and demonstrates expertise in at least one studio area, and shows an awareness of contemporary art theory and practice.
Objective
Art History And Contemporary Art Theory
Students in the BFA Program in Studio Art will learn the History of Art and understand theories and trends in Contemporary Art in relation to the continuum of history.
Indicator
Comparative Visual Analysis Essay
BFA Students are required to take ART 370 and will compose a visual comparison essay using pairs of images from the History of Art. Their essays will
• provide a clear introduction and draw conclusions supported by visual and contextual evidence. • move from specific examples to general statements. • describe the works accurately and clearly. • use vocabulary introduced in classroom lectures and art history textbooks. • convey a clear and convincing image of their perspective. • use external information about the cultural context and artistic techniques gathered from readings and presentations. • present an understanding of the works in a way that is convincing and supported by detailed evidence. • sums up major ideas and draws convincing conclusions grounded in visual evidence and contextual information.
Criterion
Visual Essay Criterion
The essays will be evaluated by a committee of Art History faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100% to determine successful completion of the essay, it is expected that at least 80% of the students will score 75% or higher.
Finding
Expectations Met
86% of the students evaluated scored above 75 on the assessment of the essay.
Indicator
Essay On Art Theory And Criticism
BFA students in ART 493W and summarize the argument presented in one of 4 selected articles of contemporary art criticism and discuss the argument in relation to either a post 1945 artwork or relate it to their own artistic practice.
The student essays will • provide an introduction that is clear and engaging. • draw conclusions supported by presented evidence. • move from specific examples to more general statements in a logical fashion. • use language that demonstrates an intellectual involvement and a commitment to what is being expressed. • describe the issues accurately and in a way that demonstrates a grasp of the theoretical issues. • convey a clear and convincing image of the student's perspective. • interpret works using external information gathered from other sources including the artist's own comments or other critic's responses. • convey a personal understanding of the major ideas in the article and relates them to visual objects.
Criterion
Evaluation Of Essay
The essays will be evaluated by a committee of Art History faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. Using a scale of 0-100% to determine successful completion of the essay, it is expected that at least 80% of the students will score 75% or higher.
Finding
Exceeded Expectations
100% of the students scored above 75% on the essays.
Indicator
Senior Exhibition
Graduating seniors are required to publicly exhibit work before the BFA degree is granted. The work in the exhibition will demonstrate • a proficiency in skills and techniques related to the medium used in the artwork. • the student's ability to produce a cohesive body of work. • the student's ability to express a concept through a work of art. • an awareness of contemporary art and its relation to art history.
Criterion
Faculty Review
The work in the Senior Exhibition will be evaluated by members of the studio art faculty. The faculty will use a rubric developed and adopted by the committee. It is expected that at least 80% of the students will receive a score of 75% or higher using a scale of 0-100%.
Finding
Inadequate Indicator
The graduating senior exhibition is held each semester and includes students graduating in all of the art department majors. In the spring semester there were 6 students graduating with a BFA in studio art. They were asked to submit works that demonstrated a cohesive, thematically related body. Less than half submitted what faculty considered a cohesive body of work and one student only submitted one piece. Because of the large number of students in the exhibition, there was not enough room for students to exhibit more than 2 or 3 pieces. Another weak area was the demonstration of the awareness of contemporary art and it's relation to art history.
Action
Continue Teaching Survey Of Art History
The Art History Surveys will continue to be taught in two semesters. The curriculum committee and Art History faculty will evaluate the methods of teaching and explore alternatives to the sequential survey of history. One method to be considered is a topical approach that will focus on themes and the manifestation of these themes in works of art throughout history.
Action
Refine Advanced Art History Curriculum Requirements
Students pursuing the BFA in Studio Art currently are allowed 3 hours Advanced Art History Electives. These electives will be limited to ART 493W, a topical class which will include Art After 1945, and Theory and Criticism in Contemporary Art.
Action
Require A Senior Capstone Class
The curriculum committee will create and require a course for Senior BFA Studio Art majors that will have an exhibition requirement. Each student in the course will be required to have an exhibition that demonstrates the ability to produce a body of work that is related thematically, stylistically, and demonstrates expertise in at least one studio area, and shows an awareness of contemporary art theory and practice.