Courses

Fundamental, introductory course in art history and visual culture. Emphasis is on the acquisition of basic visual skills and an understanding of the major periods in the history of art. Exposure to works of art through the collections of The Worcester Art Museum is an integral part of the course.

This class is an introduction to the history of the built environment from pre-history to the modern era (1700). We will examine architecture in its historic context around the globe, focusing on the ways that built forms reflect and shape social, religious, and political dynamics. The course will follow a hybrid chronological-thematic framework, using key issues to unite building issues from different cultures and regions at roughly proximate times. Through class discussions, exams, and writing, students will build foundational knowledge about key monuments and analytical approaches in architectural history.

This course is the second half of a year-long introduction to the fundamental elements of architecture within a global and historical framework. Lectures and discussions are organized around different monuments from the Ming Dynasty and early modern Europe to the present, and they attempt to balance regional and chronological approaches to the study of architecture and the built environment.

An introduction to the visual traditions of film making from its origins to today. Study of a wide range of types including documentaries, comedies, drama, and even science fiction gives student ample choices for their own topics.

Years after the collapse of the World Trade Center, we are profoundly aware of the powerful forces of destruction in our society. Yet these are also countered by stories of survival, preservation, and renewal. This course investigates how cities and landscapes absorb and accommodate radical change over time, with Rome as a fundamental point of reference. The Eternal City has earned its name by being continuously inhabited throughout its millennial history, even as its archeological sites continue to be destroyed, transformed, and reused. In the second half of the course, we will expand our investigation outward to consider how other people around the globe from the United States to Afghanistan continue to grapple with these complex problems in the present.

This class treats the thousand-year period from 500-1500 around the globe, beginning in the Far East and ending in the lands of the first peoples in the Americas. We examine the structures and objects associated with Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism, as well as other, lesser-known belief systems. We follow the paths and engage with the narratives of medieval travelers like Xuanzang, Ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo. As we begin in Japan and move westward, this course echoes some of the traditional nationalistic narratives of western Europe, in which early eastern promise was thought to have been inherited and developed in western civilizations. But in our course, the traditional narrative conclusion of this directional movement is upended, because instead of western Europe functioning as the fulfillment of early promise, our narrative ends with the achievements of the empires of South and Mesoamerica. The dramatic fall of the Aztecs and Incas provides a strong ending for the course. After these conquests, the world was never the same.

An introductory course exploring the art and architecture dating from the inception of Islam in seventh- century Arabia through the 16th and 17th centuries in Safavid Iran, Mughal India, and the territories ruled by the Ottoman Turks. The religious, and social, cultural, and political significance of Islamic art is analyzed.

An introductory course exploring the art of Africa and the Americas. Art is considered within its cultural context ( e.g., Benin, Yoruba, Maya, Aztec, Hopi) and within the larger contexts of imperialism, western and non-western ideologies, and practices of collection and exhibition. Deeper questions about the nature and function of art across cultures provide the focus for discussion.

This course aims to familiarize students with works of art and architecture from South and Southeast Asia (including India and Pakistan) and East Asia (including China and Japan), from prehistory to the contemporary world. We will examine many types of objects, from jades and ritual bronzes, to ink paintings and textiles, to gilded sculptures within temples and palaces. We will also use the historical reality and metaphor of the silk roads -- the textile and its portability -- to draw threads across cultures connecting works of art, their makers, and (sometimes far distant) users. Finally, we will concentrate not only on the objects but also on the cultural and religious surroundings which enable us to understand their various meanings, realizing that meaning may be created through production and use. No background in art history required.

Deals with art from the 4th century and the era of Constantine to the age of the great cathedrals in the 13th century. Architecture, manuscript illumination, stained glass, and sculpture are included. Receives both Arts and Religion Distribution requirements.

Early modern Italy was a commercial hub for the western world, with trade networks radiating across the Mediterranean into Europe, Africa, and Asia. We will consider how conditions in this flourishing economic crossroads favored the development of the unprecedented artistic culture of the early Renaissance. (Formerly Early Renaissance Art.)

From "the rediscovery of classical antiquity" in Rome and the outpouring of artistic energy known as the High Renaissance, we will move outward to investigate the role of art and architecture in shaping the political and cultural realignments that defined this critical turning point in European history.

This course explores the explosive artistic creativity of 17th-century Europe as a process shaped by complex political and economic dynamics as well as by scientific discoveries. We will consider how the emergence of Baroque art was tied to the incipient scientific revolution, as well as the constant need to reinforce rulership, status, and authority.

Traces major European art movements from the late 18th to the mid 20th centuries (including Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, and others) with a focus on the development of Modernism.

Movements discussed include Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, performance and installation art, time-based and digital art, activist art, public art, and current art.

The course studies the art the northern Netherlands at a time when maritime trade with North America and the Middle and Far East made it a global cultural center. Painting and printmaking receive particular focus.

A study of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis on such major themes and styles as portraiture, genre painting, American impressionism, and modernism, including Native American and African American traditions and Asian influences. Art works will be studied in their cultural, social and political contexts. Course requirements include museum visits.

What is "American" about American architecture? What unique patterns can we discern by studying the built environment? This course will trace the evolution of American architecture from the country's earliest days to recent years. We will explore how national identity, local context, and diverse landscapes have contributed to a distinct American architectural narrative. The course will engage primary source texts and local site visits to illustrate the nuances of important themes.

This lecture course explores American and European architecture from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, interweaving major architectural movements with regional dialogues about political, socio-economic, and technological change. Strong emphasis on critical reading, class discussion, and preparation of research projects.

This lecture course probes the catalysts and implements of urban change around the globe since the Industrial Revolution. Using case studies of major cities, the course will explore how local political, socio-economic, and technical shifts wrought physical changes at the scale of the city. Our scope includes those figures who were agents of, and targets of, urban change; as well as the layers of water, sewer, electric, and transportation infrastructure that empower modern metropolises. We will also explore polarities of public vs. private and city vs. country. The course engages local examples, and when possible, includes a CBL component.

What is the role of the museum in today's hi-tech and multicultural society? How has that role changed since the rise of the museum among the educated elite in the early modern period? This course addresses such central questions in the history, mission, and structure of museums. We also explore the ways in which visual display conveys knowledge and builds broader arguments about cultures and society. We engage with the ethics embedded in acquiring and displaying irreplaceable and ritual objects from other cultures. In addition, this course also treats practical issues like funding, organization, and public outreach in museums. Students participate in field trips to different types of museums and learn about careers as directors, curators, collections managers, and educators in museums and historic houses.

This course looks at art and visual material produced in modern and contemporary China. We will start with discussions about the beginning of Chinese modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the new modern art movement in the 1920s and 1930s, and Maos revolutionary art of the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. We, then, will focus on the avant-garde movements in the post-Mao period since the late 1970s and in particular new artistic directions and phenomena that emerged in the Chinese art world since the 1990s accompanying the ongoing economic and cultural globalization.

The art and architecture of the medieval Mediterranean region bore vibrant witness to the conflict and cooperation between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim cultures. This course explores how icons, illuminated manuscripts, palaces, mosques, reliquaries, and other objects and sites can reveal the ways in which medieval individuals viewed "others" and themselves. Students with an interest in art history, religion, history, politics, architecture, languages or literature are welcome; we will look at the "long medieval" period from the late classical through the Renaissance. This is a seminar, and students are expected to engage in intensive individual research.

This seminar will probe the varying philosophical and stylistic definitions of home in the modern period. Is a home always a house? What kind of house? And what defines a modern home? We will explore the roles of patron/architect and developer/resident, definitions of stylistic modernity, modern materiality, and modern settlement patterns. The course will engage issues of race, gender, and power in the home, class and social welfare, as well as the architectural intentions and impacts of iconic buildings from the architectural canon.

Green," in color and concept, is a word that has meant many different things to different societies over the centuries. This course will explore the notion of "green" across time and space, focused on the application of this term to the natural and built environment, and mankind's relationship to them. Topics will include color theory, gardens as place-making tools in varying religious and cultural contexts, the protection and commodification of natural landscapes as public parks, the abundance and loss of trees, the history of "the lawn," the birth of modern environmentalism, and recent narratives about sustainable design of products, architecture, and landscapes.

After studying the origins of landscape imagery, this course considers how landscape art was transformed in American culture. Topics include 19th century paintings of the Hudson River school, photographs and paintings of the American west, and the use of landscape motifs by contemporary environmental artists. We will engage in three main activities: 1) reading and discussing scholarly analyses of the history of landscape painting, nature writing and theories of/about the land; 2) working with a range of primary sources, including materials in local archives and museums; 3) trying our hand at creating new accounts of the landscapes around us.

It is a commonplace that the city and nature are in binary opposition, occupying either end of a spectrum that separates human manufacture from the spontaneous creations of an ideal natural world. But the emerging field of the urban environmental humanities complicates these assumptions: as it suggests, the artificial and natural worlds, the city and nature, are much more closely intertwined than we might expect. In this seminar we will explore a series of global examples from across history to explore foundational narratives of buildings, cities, and nature, the meaning of materials, the role of technology, and the ways that architectural and urban history intersect with natural history. The study of the urbanized world around us can also inform how humanists address the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

This course operates in tandem with the NEH-funded exhibition, entitled "Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece," which Prof. Luyster is curating in the Cantor Gallery in spring 2023. Using the overall framework of Islamic art, and focusing on portable Islamic objects like precious silks, ivories, metalwork, seals, coins, gems, and other media, students in this class will learn deeply about objects in the exhibition. Students will become experts in the exhibition's subject matter and will occupy leading roles in interfacing between the exhibition and its public, assisting at the Makers' Day, and lunching with international speakers (including curators from the British Museum) at the conference

In this course we work closely with the Worcester Art Museum to research and develop a web resource to highlight the connections between the WAMs medieval objects. Medieval in this course does not just refer to medieval European production but to any art object made 500-1500 CE anywhere around the globe, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, or Asia. While these art objects are displayed in different galleries in the museum, many witness connections between people, goods, and ideas that travelled long distances in the Middle Ages. Each student will choose their own object from the WAMs collections and engage in deep-dive original research about that object and its role in society. Each student will then create web resources (including video) to bring that object and global connections to life for WAMs broad audiences.

Designed for majors, this course provides a critical examination of issues and methods in the literature of the history of art. Students also complete a capstone project often concentrating on the collection of the Worcester Art Museum or other important local sites.

Tutorials relate to all areas covered by Visual Arts History 200 courses. One unit each semester.

An exciting introduction to studio art through an exploration of drawing media. Class critiques and discussions, insure the beginning student of a solid introduction to the creative process. Students work with charcoal, ink, graphite, watercolor pencils and other drawing materials. The course includes intensive sketchbook work as well as larger drawings based on observation. In addition, students acquire skill in figure drawing by working from the model. Taught by the studio staff and a prerequisite for many intermediate courses.

For students who are interested in an introduction to the physical world of sculptural art. Students explore the basic tools, processes and approaches to 3-Dimensional art through wood, clay wire, cloth and found objects.

A hands-on introduction to digital art making processes on Macintosh computers. Generate and manipulate images and files within an artistic context. Think creatively, work digitally and examine the potential of digital art making as a new form of art. In addition to class projects and critiques in the media lab, students discuss contemporary artists who use the computer in their work.

This course is an introduction to digital photography, with a particular emphasis on understanding images made through camera-based techniques. Students will learn the rudimentary aspects of the medium through regular assignments culminating in a final portfolio project. Topics include proper camera use (camera settings), exposure, editing, printing, and presentation. Class time will be devoted to lab demonstrations as well as critical discussions of student work. Also, through lectures and discussion, students will become familiar with aesthetic trends and notable practitioners, both historical and contemporary.

This course focuses on the techniques and theory of video production. Through a series of assignments, students will learn the basic technical elements of still and moving image productions. A variety of production formats will be discussed; focusing primarily on creative, lens-based documentary-style productions. Class time will be divided between equipment demonstrations, discussions, and critique. Topics include proper camera use, sound recording, editing, and presentation. Through critical readings and selected screenings, students will gain familiarity with the historical and contemporary trends in visual storytelling through moving images. Students will develop a set of production skills that will culminate in a collaborative group project.

A sketchbook is invaluable for experimentation with drawing, recording memories, practicing instinct and observation and connecting art with the everyday world and experience. This course will explore both studio work as well as Worcester and Holy Cross sites each week and use these sites to build upon fundamental drawing concepts in order to create unique and personal artist sketchbooks. Line, value, shape, form, perspective, measurement, composition and other elements are included using direct observation. A variety of methods and materials of drawing will be investigated and used to explore both contemporary and historical perspectives to make on-site drawings within the parameters of the sketchbook. The course will also investigate the various formats and concepts of both contemporary and historical sketchbooks.

In this dynamic team-taught course, we will explore various mixed media techniques and approaches to the art of collage. Collage, a method for interweaving complex shapes and images, can employ a limitless range of materials beyond paper and glue, such as fabrics, found objects and images, paint, paint skins, image transfers, printmaking, and acrylic gels and mediums. This course will encourage improvisation and experimentation in your work, introduce you to a wide variety of options beyond traditional applications of 2-D media, and lay the groundwork for developing content and thematic exploration. Together we will apply techniques of collaging, drawing, painting, color interaction, composition, and design through projects that progress in complexity, culminating in a vibrant portfolio of non-traditional works of art.

An introduction to the principles, methods, and materials of oil painting in both historical and contemporary contexts. Emphasis placed on developing an understanding of form and space in pictorial compositions, strengthening perceptual abilities, and increasing knowledge of the use of color as it pertains to painting. Supplemental readings and field trips provide further connection and investigations of the history and process of Painting.

A continuation and expansion of the skills acquired in Painting 1. Students are introduced to a wider range of experimental painting methods using oil based media, and will be working in large as well as small scale formats. The context of painting in contemporary art will be heavily emphasized in this course.

Color is the most dynamic and complex of all the visual elements. In this course students explore color theory as it applies to a variety of media, including painting, collage, digital media and installation. Discussion of color and its relationships to composition through harmony and contrast is emphasized. In addition students explore applications of color that are symbolic as well as cultural. Students working in all media will benefit greatly from a solid understanding of color relationships, and will gain the skills to apply their knowledge to any chosen medium.

An explanatory approach to the next level of using digital processes as a fine art medium. Building upon the skills learned in Digital Art Studio 1, students will examine the impact of digital processes on art and artists, research the work of artists who use digital process to produce art, and create computer-based artworks in formats ranging from large format digital prints to web-based art and digital objects.

New Media radically explores diverse and contemporary methods of digital production and output (including but not limited to computer graphics, computer animation, Internet art, and interactive technologies, on platforms ranging from computer monitors to projections, video game consoles to portable electronic devices), raising issues regarding the nature of the physical art object, the expanding role of emerging digital processes in artistic production, and the role new media art plays in the production and dissemination of contemporary artistic practice.

Drawn to Nature explores the natural world as a source of inspiration, as well as a point of departure to develop artistic investigation. Fundamental drawing skills such as line, texture, value, space, and scale will be practiced through visual engagement with the natural world. Subject matter will include plant and animal forms, trees and landscape, specimens in the studio and science lab, and objects viewed through the microscopic. Students will work with a range of dry and wet media, as well as traditional and experimental approaches to drawing. The practice of observational sketching and field journaling will provide source material to develop larger, resolved works. Numerous site visits to various locales on campus, as well as in the surrounding region will provide a variety of subjects for inspiration. The semester will culminate in a final project that develops personal exploration and builds upon the themes explored in the course.

Emphasis is on a structural understanding of the figure and an expressive approach to drawing . The class also examines contemporary figurative artists. Students draw from the nude model in each class session, using a range of media including charcoal, pencil, ink, paper and oilbar. In addition to class work, students develop independent projects.

Collage is a method for interweaving complex shapes and images. Visual fragments from flat fibers and images are combined to create interlocking forms of both actual and perceived shapes. The course will place an emphasis on how edges join in both a physical and illusory way. Students will learn to consider the most sophisticated way to join parts, whether it is gluing, wrapping, weaving, sewing, or using hardware. Collage refers not only to the technique of combining objects and or images in a new way but also to new attitudes and ideas about how the world is perceived and re-contextualized. As a primary medium of the 20th century, the processes of Assemblage and Collage reflect the modern age oftechnology and culture. The students will be introduced to the major artists using these techniques from the 18th century to the modern age. Issues of copyright will be discussed also.

Printmaking is closely linked to drawing, but with a different range of marks, textures, and line quality. This course introduces the printmaking process by focusing on woodcut, monotype and screen printing, Projects are designed to examine different sources of artistic content and engage with the process of making multiples. You are encouraged to improvise, layer, and experiment. Your goal is to find out which materials, techniques and strategies can best realize your individual ideas.

Mixed Media is an intermediate studio art course in which students will explore a variety of experimental and mixed media painting and drawing techniques through the use of collage, found objects, digital media and image transfer. We will be using acrylic paints and mediums predominately in this course, and some assignments may call for the student to obtain additional "non-art" materials from home. This course will encourage improvisation and experimentation in student's work, and introduce them to a wide variety of options beyond traditional applications of painting and drawing, and will lay the groundwork to developing independent and self-directed works. Formal elements such as form, color, paint application, and composition will be emphasized throughout each assignment, as will content and thematic exploration.

Explores the tradition of handmade artists' books and more recent experimental book forms. How do images work together in a sequence? What kind of narrative can be created by blinding images and text into a book form? What are the possible physical forms for the book? In addition to making conventional and experimental books in the print studio, students make a digital book in the Millard Media Lab. Through readings and discussions, this course examines the emergence of the "artists' book" in the 1960's and the work of contemporary artists.

Sculpture 1 explores the elements of 3-Dimensional expression in projects of varied media. Students are exposed to sculptural issues via slide presentations on past and present works in sculpture. Class critiques allow students to refine both concepts and expression to create a personal synthesis.

This course continues to build basic drawing skills and fosters the development of an individual drawing style. The content of Drawing I includes drawing in color, and other drawing forms such as collage and sequential drawing, making longer timed drawings as well as an introduction to abstraction. Students are encouraged to explore new content in their work and examine contemporary themes of drawing. Course includes readings, sketchbook work and research of contemporary artists and their drawings. This course was previously known as VAST 121 - Drawing 1.

A study and practice of the principles of digital design and rapid prototyping tools necessary for bringing 2D and 3D artwork off of the computer screen and into the physical world. Students will learn to use Adobe Illustrator, Fusion 360 and handheld 3D scanners to design content that will be produced using CNC technologies such as laser cutters, Vinyl cutters and 3D printers.

This is an advanced course on the fundamentals of creative photography. Class time will be devoted to lab demonstrations as well as critical discussions of student work. Through regular lectures and discussion, students will become familiar with aesthetic movements and notable practitioners, with a focus on contemporary trends in the medium. An emphasis will be placed on the development of the student's own ideas about photography as demonstrated through a multi-week project culminating in a final printed portfolio. Students will be expected to acquire an intermediate level of technical skill within a digital workflow by refining their image editing skills utilizing Adobe Creative Cloud applications to create inkjet prints. Additional topics will include darkroom processing and large format printing. Students are required to supply their own digital camera with manual controls (DSLR or equivalent), although specialty equipment (such as film-based cameras, tripods, and lighting equipment) will be available for student use.

What role can art play in social protest? Prints have a tradition of being created as forces for social change. This class examines that tradition and how it plays out in current art making. Working in drawing and printmaking, you will be making visual representations of contemporary social issues of concern to you. You will build your drawing skills and learn new print techniques, including relief printing and screen printing. This is a process-based course that focuses on the engagement between ideas and materials, rather than the success or failure of the product. You will be encouraged to think creatively and work with a spirit of curiosity.

The past two and a half years allowed us to turn inward and engage deeply with the everyday and familiar moments of our lived experience. Engaging in the quotidian becomes a field of potential to see the magic in the mundane and the beauty in our everyday lives. Artists from Johannes Vermeer to Jennifer Packer will provide inspiration for the range of ways in which artists have represented the stillness and mystery of the quotidian. This painting course, designed for both beginning and intermediate painting students explores traditional themes of everyday objects, spaces, and moments as themes throughout the semester. We will apply fundamental visual elements of value, form, scale, and space as we work through a series of smaller projects in the first half of the semester and build up to more complex and larger format paintings by the second half. Using water-soluble oil paints, students will learn foundational as well as advanced techniques of paint application.

How can art allow us to slow down, to reframe, and, maybe for the first time, really to see the world around us? How can we, as artist and educator Corita Kent says, "combine the abstract and the concrete, the joy and the laborplay and work all at the same time? How can making art bring us closer to God? To each other? This team-taught course in studio art and Catholic theology is offered in conjunction with the exhibition in the Cantor Gallery, Always Be Around: Corita Kent, Community and Pedagogy. The exhibition will feature selected works from the Corita Art Centers collection and work by contemporary artists. Students will dive deeply into the life and work of Corita Kent, see and work alongside contemporary artists, and create their own artwork. Students will learn about theological concepts and currents in the history of Catholicism that will illuminate Coritas artistic practice; this theological work will give students a distinctive lens to examine and to participate in socially-engaged art. Students will keep a sketchbook, write focused papers, and work collaboratively on a large-scale project to be included in the exhibition. This course will be taught in a studio seminar format.

In this studio course, students explore processes in transforming a digital photographic image to extend beyond a single, static exposure. Students are encouraged to creatively consider how digital photos can be transformed through unique pre-and post-production contemporary methods in creative still and moving outputs. Topics include digital and physical combining of photos, such as digital compositing and physical print manipulation, and the intersection of the still and moving image in creating photo-animations and basic video. Students conduct research and regular critiques at intervals throughout the semester, and the course culminates in a final project driven by student interest. Students are strongly recommended to have their own digital camera with manual controls (DSLR or equivalent). If you are unable to purchase course materials, the Financial Aid Office will be happy to provide you with information and assistance.

Textiles have long been treated as a substrate for imagery. Many artists choose fabric as a medium to explore repetition, collage, and scale. Textile-based imagery can be decorative or loadedit can adorn the world around us and tell potent stories through its pictures and patterns. Textiles can raise questions of utility, presenting images that are made to be touched and handled as well as seen. Working with fabrics can also teach us to improvise, and to creatively juxtapose different materials within a cohesive larger vision. In the first half of this course, we will print on fabric using block printing and silkscreen processes. Then, students will learn basic quilting techniques which they will use to incorporate their printed samples and other found textiles into a final, small-scale quilt of their own design. Design concepts such as color, texture, and composition will guide students process as they integrate fabric samples into this final project. Throughout the semester, students work will express themes of their own choosing, resulting in a final project that is personal, specific, and reflective of their own conceptual interests.

Focuses on developing a "subject " or idea that can serve as the basis for a concise body of artwork reflecting the studio major's individual viewpoint and distinct aesthetic voice. In creating this body of work, students are challenged to take risks and experience both the discovery and failure that is the basis of the creative process. Each student has an individual space in Millard Art Center for intensive work. Students may work in any combination of media that serves their ideas. Critiques, trips, readings and discussion address the process of developing a body of work as well as issues of professionalism as an artist. Student work is evaluated at the end of fall semester for admission into the Studio Concentration Seminar II.

In the second semester of the Studio Concentration Seminar, you are asked to take the culmination of the first semesters efforts and hone it into a mature and cohesive body of work. The second semester of the Concentration Seminar differs from the first in that it is much more goal oriented and schedule driven, due to the fact that you will be working towards the Senior Exhibition. Regardless of the fact that the exhibition will dominate the experience of the seminar, the true goal of this course is to engage with and produce a mature, thoughtful, and strong body of independent work. The exhibition should be a by-product of this ultimate goal. Frequent critiques with Studio faculty and outside visiting artists will help students refine their work. Students will also prepare for the exhibition by further refining their artist statements, and preparing for a public gallery talk about their work during the Academic Conference. After the exhibition, all students will design a professional-quality artist website that can be used for promotional purposes beyond the exhibition.

Tutorials relate to all areas covered by Visual Arts Studio 200 courses.

Tutorials relate to all areas covered by Visual Arts Studio 200 courses.