Course content and objectives:

            Senior Art Seminar is a course designed as the culminating experience for the art major.  The intent of the course is to focus on intellectual development of the students’ knowledge of contemporary artistic issues.  The course materials are structured to encourage students to explore various theory and criticism of art in an attempt to identify the students' personal creative expression within the milieu of theoretical writing and current contemporary practices.  The course will also focus on the individual creative projects students prepare for the Senior Art Exhibition as well as other materials needed to complete the exhibition and the art major – a resume, an artist statement and slide portfolio. 

Course Format:

Studio and Class Projects:
Participation:
Class discussion, leading discussion, and attendance, are considered major components of the course.  The course is organized around the exchange of ideas in discussion so you are expected to participate regularly.  Make your comments count--for participation it is expected you will speak but it is also expected you will have meaningful comments on the readings. Participation means you are familiar with the ideas under discussion and are willing to engage your colleagues in meaningful debate which means we need to listen and learn from each other,  participate in respectful disagreement, ask questions, tolerate thoughtful silence, and realize that the issues we are discussing have been around for thousands of years.  We will need to struggle to accept uncertainty, ambiguity, and perplexity.  It's part of the course.  

Attendance:
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class.  You will sign an attendance sheet.  If you arrive late and do not sign the sheet you will be counted absent. Participation in the course is essential and therefore attendance is crucial. In the event of illness or other mitigating circumstances, you are allowed to miss 3 class periods without penalty.  Each subsequent absence after 3 will result in a one-full letter grade reduction of your final grade.  For instance, a final grade of A would be reduced to B with four absences; C with five absences; etc.  I do not attempt to distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences – it is assumed that when you miss class, you have a good reason for doing so.  Your three absences are to be used for the inevitable doctor’s visits, illnesses, sports events, court appointments, and funerals that may come up during the semester.  Extraordinary circumstances will be dealt with on a one-to-one basis as needed.

Position papers, journals and exams:
Throughout the semester you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to understand the texts and the issues involved in the class.  To do this you will be asked to keep a daily journal where you describe the reading, respond to class discussion, and pose questions.  Journals are due on Thursday and due dates will be listed in the course calendar. These are graded minus/check/plus.  You may not turn in journals late.  

Evaluation will consist of how well you are engaging the material - the complexity, the confusion, etc.  The journal will sometimes vary in what you are asked to do and these variations in assignments will also be included in the course calendar.  For example, one week you may be asked to write on a particular question, another to summarize the writer's argument, or clarify your thoughts on a particular issue. 

Senior Exhibition Requirements:

I.  Work for the exhibition:
A minimum of 6-10 additional hours a week will probably be needed for students to complete the work required for the senior exhibition.  You may use some previously completed work, however, it must be reviewed with the instructor and a selection process is required before the senior exhibit may be mounted.  The number of studio projects completed will depend on the size, content and scope of the works.

II.  Resume, Artist Statement, Two Slide portfolios (one that documents your senior exhibition and one with 20 slides of the work produced at Monmouth College in your four years here):
Students are expected to produce documentation of the senior exhibition.  These will include a resume, artist statement and a slide portfolio. Each student will develop an individual Artist Statement that describes his or her work, motivation, direction and philosophy.    The artist statement and resume will be worked on throughout the course and the slides for the portfolio will be completed after your senior exhibition is hung.  Each student is expected to produce up to 20 slides of documentation and a title page for the senior exhibition as well as 20 slides of your best works for your years in art classes at Monmouth College. You will need two copies of the documentation- one for your own files and one to give to the college.
What's expected:
1. resume (a professional looking resume with references)
2. artist's statement
3. up to 20 labeled slides in a slide sheet (or labeled CD images in a labeled CD case to document the senior exhibition]
4. 20 labeled slides in a slide sheet (or labeled CD images in a CD case) that span the work completed during your time at Monmouth College.

III.  Oral Presentation to Faculty:
Students will also give an oral presentation to art department faculty and answer questions about the work.  You may invite faculty from outside the department for your oral presentation/conversation with the art department faculty.

Evaluation Percentages:

            Students will be evaluated on the following criteria:

a) Class discussion, leading discussion, and participation in critiques – 20%

b) Journal, position papers and exams - 20%

b) Artistic statement and portfolios -20%

d) Senior Exhibition and oral presentation - 40%  

e) Attendance counts

Required Texts:

Bayles, David and Ted Orland.  Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking.  Santa Cruz, California: the Image Continuum, 1993.  ISBN 0-9614547-3-3

Harrison, Charles and Paul Woods, eds.  Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.  ISBN 0631-22708-3.

Lazzari, Margaret R.  The Practical Handbook for the Emerging Artist (2nd edition]. New York: Harcourt College Publishers, 2002.  ISBN: 0-15-506202-6   

Osborne, Richard and Dan Sturgis. Art Theory for Beginners. Hanover, New Hampshire: For Beginners Steerforth Press, 2006.     

Staniszewski, Mary Anne.  Believing is Seeing: Creating the Culture of Art. New York: Penguin Books, 1995. ISBN 0-14-016824-9