Department Information

The study of visual arts is designed to be an integral part of the liberal arts curriculum at Holy Cross. Its aim is to increase student sensitivity to the visual arts, to refine the powers of critical analysis, and to provide the student with the means of creative expression.  The rich resources of the surrounding area, especially the museums and architecture of Worcester and Boston, form an integral part of the curriculum and the department provides students with opportunities for internships in these cities. Tutorials are available with individual faculty to allow students to design courses suited to individual needs.  The department sponsors numerous programs for gaining a broad understanding of the practice and study of the arts today: lectures and demonstrations by visiting artists and critics, student presentations of seminar research in open fora, and regular trips to Boston and New York galleries and museums.  There are two divisions in the Visual Arts Department, art history and studio art.  Students may major or minor in either art history or studio art.  Students may also combine a major in one area with a minor in the other. 

Art history reveals the past not simply through a review of data, but through a search for transcendent values that inform creative expression. The field is unusually open to interdisciplinary cooperation, relating in special ways to studies in history, literature, religion, and philosophy. The practice of art history provides both cognitive and discursive skills to probe past developments and confront those of the present. It empowers students to see differences yet discern common links which in a global, complex, culture, becomes a means of welcoming the diversity of the present.

Studio art engages the student in the discipline of visual thinking. The interested student and the aspiring artist study with practicing professionals to gain insight into the creative process and the complex paths to creating art in a contemporary context.

A wide range of courses are offered encompassing Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Digital Imaging. Students also have the option to create tutorials which combine disciplines and investigate new areas. From the introductory to the advanced level classes are "hands-on," emphasizing an experimental attitude towards materials, independent thought and the acquisition of technical skills.

An active program of events augments classroom activities and develops student awareness of contemporary arts practice. There are ongoing exhibits of student work in The Ramp and Fenwick Hall Galleries while the student-run arts organization GESSO sponsors numerous shows in the campus center. The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery provides a venue for traveling exhibits, contemporary, modern and historic art.

Studio classes demand commitment on the part of participating students to broaden their vision and draw connections between the classroom and the outside world. The studio arts encourage precise observation and invention, inspire discussion, stimulate flexible, innovative thinking and develop creative problem solving abilities.