Fact Sheet 07: Art

Revised June 2007

Art

The Department of Art at West Chester University has established an organized and structured program integrating the visual arts and academic disciplines. A foundation program is required of freshmen and sophomores, which will provide you with a balance of experience in two- and three-dimensional design. The department emphasizes developing creative and intellectual insight in the visual arts. In the junior year, you will select a major area of concentration.

A high-quality faculty interested in you as a student expends energy and effort well beyond the walls of its studios and classrooms. Intensive and individualized instruction prepares you for work at the professional level. The fine arts building, Mitchell Hall, provides a setting conducive to creative endeavors. The art galleries present an ever-changing exhibition of work from all areas of the visual arts. The Senior Art Show is always a highlight of the exhibition season.

Undergraduate Degrees

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Studio Arts (concentrations in graphic design, painting and drawing, and sculpture and crafts)

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Studio Arts. This is a program with a curriculum designed to prepare you as an artist-designer with the best possible foundation in professional studies. It encourages you to achieve the competence necessary for leadership in the visual arts. Modern equipment and furnishings complement the most recent program in the bachelor of fine arts - computer arts.

The bachelor of fine arts degree is regarded as the initial professional degree in art by the National Association of Schools of Art. Its primary emphasis is on the development of skills, concepts, and sensitivities important to the professional artist.

All students must complete a foundation program and then may follow a general program or concentrate in any one of four major areas:

Drawing and Painting
Graphic Design
Sculpture and Crafts
General Studio Arts

Each student is assigned an adviser in the major concentration.

Bachelor of Arts. This degree gives you the opportunity to achieve competence in the practice, theory, and history of art. You are encouraged to make connections between art and other subjects where appropriate to achieve vocational and personal advancement.

The studio art track within the B.A. emphasizes the general study of art rather than the preparation for a professional career in art.

Minors

Studio art
Art history (tracks in art history survey, and art history and its interfaces)

Special Study Opportunities

Internships are available in graphic design.

Typical Courses

American Architecture
American Art
Art of Papermaking
Art of the Renaissance - Baroque
Basic Photography
Ceramics
Color and Design
Digital Design
Drawing
Graphic Design
Painting
Printmaking
Sculpture
Typography
Women Artists

Facilities

The Department of Art is located in Mitchell Hall. There are 12 studios, art history lecture rooms, and two state-of-the-art computer labs.

Related Student Activities

The Student Art Association and the Print Club sponsor educational and social events, including guest speakers, professional artist demonstrations, group exhibitions, and tours to museums and galleries. The Museum Experience Program sponsors trips to museums and galleries in Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. for students and the community at large.

Faculty

The art faculty consists of 11 professional artists and art historians who serve approximately 250 art majors. You can obtain a complete listing of faculty and their academic qualifications for this program from the contact person listed below.

For More Information

Professor John Baker, Chairperson
Department of Art
212 Mitchell Hall
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-2755