Department of Art
Course Offerings & Majors
The Art Department offers majors in both art history and studio art. Furthermore, students intending to teach in elementary or secondary schools may obtain state certification by taking courses in studio art and in the EducationDepartment. Studio classes seldom enroll more than 20 students. This small size enablesthe instructor to spend time critiquing the work of each student. Approximately 50 students, their numbers split roughly between Studio Art and Art History,major in art in 1997-98.
The slide collection numbers approximately 100,000 slides. An excellentart library, supporting courses in both Studio Art and Art History, is housed in the College library.
The major in Art History consists of eleven courses, including six courses in art history, two in studio, and three in independent study. Courses in Art History address major periods of Western culture as well as newer art historical approaches. The two courses in Studio may be chosen from several media.
The two-semester Senior Independent Study culminates in a substantial written thesis, for example, 'Seeing Double: The Life and Art of Edward MitchellBannister," and "Representation and Performance: Constructing Yvette Guilbert," two recent titles. Art History courses provide pre-professional training for careers in teaching, research, library science, museum-gallery work, or community art programs.
The major in Studio Art also consists of eleven courses: six in studio media, two in the history of art, and three in independent study. Normally, a student declares a studio major at the end of the sophomore year after taking about three creative courses. Wooster offers courses in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture.
Independent work at the junior level is combined with a seminar focusing on individual development and contemporary trends in art. Juniors exhibit their work in a joint exhibition. In the senior year, a student's two-semester effort results in a one-person show. Senior exhibitions, held in the spring,are prepared throughout the year in individual studios assigned to each major. The major in Studio Art is planned to encourage creativity and to strengthen basic techniques that will enable students to continue their study in graduate school, leading to careers, for example, as professional artists, teachers, illustrators, graphic designers, therapists, or architects.
Wooster participates in the GLCA Fine Arts Program in New York City, a semester-long internship for Studio and Art History majors. In recent years, our students have served as assistants to major American artists,worked in noted architectural firms, and experienced the day-to-day operation of established art galleries and museums. The Art Department also encourages its students to take advantage of numerous programs of foreign study in both studio and art history.
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Last updated: October 10, 2000