ARTD 420  -  Senior Studio Concentration
Spring 2008
(Meeker's Home Page)

Instructors:

Brian Baugh, Assistant Professor of Art (457-2108)

Tyler Hennings, Lecturer in Art (457-2206)

Stacy Lotz, Associate Professor of Art  (457- 2359)

Cheryl L. Meeker, Professor of Art (457-2364)

 

 

Course Content and Objectives
 

Senior Studio Concentration is structured to maximize students’ abilities to work creatively developing skills beyond the 300 level courses.  This means you are responsible for disciplining yourself to be in the studio independently producing works.  Collaboration with your instructor is expected but the focus of this course is independent development.  Before the first meeting, students are responsible for developing a contract by creating objectives and expectations in collaboration with one of the teaching instructors.  Students will also develop a weekly schedule of working studio hours, during which they will pursue the completion of a body of work this semester.  This course will also offer students the opportunity to continue talking, thinking, and writing about art.

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  Contract  
If you have not done so already, you should meet immediately with your instructor to create a contract explaining your reasons for taking this class, what goals you hope to accomplish this semester including the quantity of finished works to be graded, and how often you will be meeting with the instructor. The contract must be signed by the end of the first week of classes or else you will be dropped from the course. 

Click here for a blank copy of the contract.

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 Studio Hours
You should expect to spend 100 – 150 hours on your work this semester.  You are required to set up a weekly schedule of when you will be in the studio working.  Keep a log in your sketchbook.  This is the time when your instructor may be stopping in on a weekly basis to talk with you about your work in progress, have individual critiques, answer questions and give suggestions.  Put these hours into your weekly schedule and on your contract now, discuss them with your instructor, and plan to attend to your work at those times as if you are attending a regularly scheduled class.  You are, of course, not limited to working only during these hours.

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 Group Critiques
 

Attendance and participation are required at the group critiques.  The dates for the critiques are listed in the calendar.

Set up:  Students must have the work for the critique set up in the appropriate studio by no later than 12:00 noon on the day of the critique.  No exceptions.

Written Summary ('Ticket'): Before each group critique you are required to write a summary to give to your professor when you arrive for the critique (your 'ticket').  Writing this summary will help you organize your thoughts so that during the critique you will more easily be able to talk about your work.  In both the summary and critique, describe your work, how you made the work, what ideas or emotions you are hoping to communicate through it, and discuss what problems you may be having.  Be prepared to ask the group questions about your work.  Be prepared to ask questions about the work of others.  Please be advised that you will not be allowed to participate if you do not have a written summary of efforts to turn in at the beginning of the critique.

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Field Trip and other required events

Sometimes we will take a trip to a museum, gallery, exhibition or other art viewing experience.  These could be on campus or elsewhere.  On campus openings, gallery talks, lectures are considered part of this area of the course. Once again, attendance is mandatory for all students. Some dates/details are listed in the calendar below others may follow as the semester progresses.

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Final Evaluative Essay
A final writing assignment is required for concentration students.  Your final essay will be a reflective essay and it needs to be at least 6-8 pages in length.  You need to summarize your efforts this semester and describe how you reached the goals outlined in your contract.  You will also need to mention historical and contemporary influences (at least two) that you discover in your artwork. Mention how these influences  are expressed in your work.  You will also need to describe in detail what you learned from making the work you did in this class.  The due date is listed in the calendar and again late papers will receive a significant drop in grade for the lateness or may not be accepted at all at the discretion of the instructor.

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Evaluation
The teaching staff will meet as a group to determine the midterm and final grades you will receive for the course.  The final grade will be determined with the following percentages:
  • Critique Grades: Students will be given a grade after each critique.
  • Final Evaluative Essay
  • Finished work
    • quantity -(completion of work proposed in contract/effort put forth to reach goals)
    • quality- (success of finished pieces as resolved artworks, evidence of improvement)
  • 60%
     

     

 

 
  • Attend lectures and receptions and individual critiques
  • 15%
  • Active participation in studio hours, and individual studio/other responsibilities (depending on instructor):
  • 25%

 
  • TOTAL

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  • 100%