Nov 01, 2024  
2017-18 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-18 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Art and Design


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Art & Design Faculty

Professors: Robert Mauro, Scott Rawlins    
     
Associate Professors: Betsey Batchelor, David Copestakes, June Yong Lee, Carole Loeffler (Chair), Karen Misher, Gregg Moore, Jill Pederson, Abigail Ryan    
     
Assistant Professors: Michael DeLuca, Elizabeth Ferrell,

Adjunct Professors: Christine Bomberowich, Matthew Borgen, Mark Dean, Michelle Dean, Maria DiMauro, Robin Fickle, Lara Fiordimondo, Adam Hess, Jennifer Manzella, Krista Proffit, Johanna Kane, Chalikias Konstantinos, Megan Selinger, Richard Torchia, Thomas Walton, Tamsen Wojtanowski, Maryann Worrell

Art and Design Overview

The Department of Art and Design at Arcadia University offers students:

  • Preparation for professional careers in graphic design, and art therapy
  • Preparation for teaching
  • Preparation for graduate study
  • Specialty in Scientific Illustration
  • Specialty in Illustration
  • Traditional studio arts preparation
  • Internationally recognized Art Gallery plus experimental and white cube student galleries
  • Internships, apprenticeships, fieldwork and other real-world experiential learning
  • Opportunities to study abroad at some of the top universities around the world

Accreditation

The Department is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Programs prepare students for professions in graphic design, scientific illustration, art therapy, art education and the traditional studio arts. The program also prepares students for graduate study. Numerous Macintosh and PC computers are available for desktop publishing, computer imaging and CAD. All Art and Design students are encouraged to become familiar with computer graphics, either through supplementary work or in workshops.

Fieldtrips/Internships

In addition to offering a wide range of academic and studio courses, the Art and Design Department schedules annual fieldtrips to area museums, including New York and Washington, D.C. Each trip relates exhibits to studio and historical concerns. Internships at museums and other businesses and organizations provide students with important professional experiences.

Scientific Illustration

The Scientific Illustration program combines study in Biology and Art and Design. Two emphases exist— Scientific Illustration and Pre-Medical Illustration. The former prepares students for careers in biological illustration, graphic design or laboratory research. The latter prepares students for graduate study in medical illustration.

Apprenticeship Program

Apprenticeships give students a competitive edge in the art world. They offer hands-on, real-world work experience, and can help students launch careers as professional artists, curators, designers, illustrators, researchers, leaders of non-profit and community arts organization, and creative entrepreneurs. Through apprenticeships, students utilize the information they learned in such courses as Seminar: Make an Art Exhibition, Exploring Art in Philadelphia, Exploring Entrepreneurship in the Arts, Contemporary Curatorial Practices, Art History courses, and The Artist and the Exhibition: Gallery Practicum. Always tailored to individual interests, students can apprentice with artists, art historians, curators, galleries, museums, non-profits, art collectives, community organizations, art publications, and more.

Art and Design Philosophy

Producing curious, ambitious, and focused students since 1926, the Department of Art and Design offers nationally accredited undergraduate programs that empower the 21st century student. Situated in suburban Philadelphia in magnificent historic buildings, the Department of Art and Design has an educational philosophy dedicated to a highly personalized, interdisciplinary, and global approach to teaching visual art, design, and art history, fostering opportunities for student mentorship by faculty who fiercely champion the strengths and passions of each student.

Art and Design Mission Statement

Our Mission

The Department of Art and Design is committed to promoting academic excellence and cultivating personal relationships in the pursuit of a balanced, globally-minded, contemporary education in the visual arts within a liberal arts context.

The Arcadia University Exhibition Program

Arcadia University is host to an exciting exhibitions program presenting an eclectic and thought-provoking array of art, artifacts, and research materials in venues throughout the Glenside campus.

The program is anchored by the gallery located in the Benton Spruance Art Center, which, since 1985, has served as a recognized regional base of excellence in the visual arts for the general public and the entire University community. Housed in an historic power plant (built in 1892), it presents works by nationally and internationally known artists as well as artists based in Philadelphia. Additionally, each April, this space is used to present the thesis projects undertaken by graduating seniors of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. The gallery also presents biennial exhibitions showcasing the work of department faculty to provide opportunities for full-time and adjunct instructors to share current research with students and colleagues, both on campus and within the region.   

This programming is complemented by exhibitions in two venues located in the University Commons, the Commons Art Gallery and the Great Room Lobby. Exhibitions presented in these spaces include a juried student biennial, solo projects by alumni, as well as student-curated shows. These are joined by exhibitions generated through the Art Research Collaboration (ARC) Exhibition Program, which engages with other university departments, local and international educational partners, alumni, and students to present visual information, artifacts, and other academic research-based materials in an art gallery context.

The Judith Taylor Gallery, located on the ground floor of the Landman Library, is dedicated to hosting art exhibitions organized and created by students, either individually, in groups, or as part of a class. Any student currently enrolled in a university art course may sign out the space to present their own work or curate an exhibition of the work of others. The gallery is named in honor of Judith Taylor, Professor of Photography from 1995 to 2010.

Art and Design Overall Goals, Objectives, and Practices

Our goal is to provide a learning environment in each of our classes that will:

  • Cultivate critical inquiry, analysis and reflection.
  • Embrace and integrate liberal arts education.
  • Foster self-motivation.
  • Encourage each student’s sense of his or her individual vision and potential.
  • Develop effective visual, oral, and written communication skills.
  • Develop a working understanding of and competency with materials and techniques.
  • Acquire a foundation in art history and its methodologies.
  • Provide professional, safe, clean, and accessible facilities.
  • Provide initiatives and opportunities for professional practices.
  • Provide a network for students, faculty and alumni to engage in continuing dialogue.

Portfolio Requirements

The Art and Design Department requires a portfolio review as part of the admissions process. Each student applying to the University as an Art and Design major in a B.A. or B.F.A. degree program must submit a portfolio of work before acceptance into the program is granted. Typically, portfolio reviews are conducted during the University’s Fall Open House programs, Spring Portfolio Review Day in March, Countdown to Arcadia University in April (for students admitted to the University), select National Portfolio Review Days each fall, and select days during the summer. Specific dates and instructions for scheduling a Portfolio Review are listed on the website. (Contact the Office of Enrollment Management for more information.)

The type of work that could constitute a portfolio might include the following:

  • Design and color studies
  • Drawings from observation (still-life, landscape, figure, etc.)
  • Self-portrait (any medium)
  • Prints (blockprints, screenprints, etchings, etc.)
  • Paintings
  • Reproductions, or examples of any designs or illustrations done for high school publications or other organizations
  • Architectural renderings or drawings
  • Photographs
  • Images of sculpture
  • Examples of ceramics or metals and jewelry

It is not necessary to have all the items listed above in a portfolio, but students should include those that best represent their abilities and talents. All art programs look for evidence and skill in drawing from observation, a sense of color and design, and evidence of other creative abilities and creative thinking.

When works are small and can fit into a portfolio, then the originals are desirable. Matted works are acceptable without acetate coverings. Large, fragile, or complex works can be presented digitally.

Online Portfolio Submissions

The Art & Design Department uses SlideRoom for online portfolio submissions. The web portal address is: https://arcadia.slideroom.com.

Application Without a Portfolio

A student who does not have a portfolio or has a limited portfolio still can apply to Arcadia University. If accepted to the University, the student can enroll as an undeclared major. During the 10th week of the second semester in their first year, the student must submit a portfolio to the Art and Design Department for evaluation and consideration for entry into the program. In addition, students must take the four Art and Design foundation courses: FA 102 - Studio Art Foundations I, FA 103 - Studio Art Foundations II, FA 104 - Drawing I, and FA 105 - FA 105 Drawing II. A student must meet with his or her Art and Design adviser to receive guidance on how to build a portfolio. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the portfolio at the designated time. A student who fails to submit a portfolio by the required date will be denied admission to the Art and Design program.

Transfer Students

A student transferring into the University as an Art and Design major is required to submit a portfolio. The contents of the portfolio should be selected to reflect the student’s abilities in the proposed area of concentration but also should contain work representing the student’s overall abilities. A transfer student without a portfolio should follow the guidelines for “Application without a Portfolio.”

Change of Major Within the University

A student who wants to change his or her major to Art and Design is required to submit a portfolio as part of the change of major process. A student who does not have a portfolio is required to submit a portfolio at the completion of the three (out of four) Art and Design foundation courses: FA 102 and FA 103 Studio Art Foundations II, and FA 104 - Drawing I. A student must meet with his or her Art and Design Department adviser to receive guidance on how to build a portfolio. The student is responsible for submitting the portfolio to the Art and Design Department at the completion of the foundation courses for consideration for entry into the program. A student who fails to submit a portfolio by the required date will be denied admission to the Art and Design program.

Pathways to Study Abroad in Art and Design

The Art and Design Department strongly encourages students to take full advantage of the study abroad opportunities that Arcadia University offers. Art and Design majors traditionally have spent a semester or more abroad. Opportunities exist in many countries including England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Italy.

Art and Design majors need to meet with their advisers as freshmen to plan study abroad options. Almost all concentrations in Art and Design have sequenced courses, which are taken in a specific order. Certain concentrations only permit study abroad during a specific semester. Careful planning is essential to avoid having to take an extra semester or year to complete the degree.

Visit the University’s website for more information. Since it is important that students plan ahead for study abroad, they should consult with their advisers as soon as possible and make their intentions known to the Department Chair and the Associate Dean of International Affairs.

Below are some but not all of the schools at which Art and Design majors can study. In addition to formal classes, there are internship programs in England, Ireland, Scotland and Australia.

Specific Art Programs Abroad

  • The Burren College of Art (Ireland)
  • The Glasgow School of Art (Scotland) Fall term only
  • The Queensland College of Art (Australia)

Studio Art/Design Courses Abroad

  • University of Havana (Cuba)
  • Lancaster University (United Kingdom)
  • Griffith University (Australia)
  • James Cook University (Australia)
  • Queensland University of Technology (Australia)
  • University of Wollongong (Australia)
  • Victoria University (New Zealand)
  • University of Canterbury (New Zealand)
  • University of Auckland (New Zealand)
  • The Accademia Italiana in Florence (Italy)
  • The Umbra Institute in Perugia (Italy)

Programs

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