SMP I ART 493 St. Mary's Project in Studio Art I

Fall 2005 Mentor: Lisa Scheer

This is the first course in a two-course sequence that is the culminating experience in the art major for students with a studio art concentration. In this first semester students are expected to focus on exploring and developing individual interests in studio art through 1) the creation of self-initiated studio artwork, 2) the pursuit of complementary research into related art and non-art concerns, and 3) the verbal and written articulation of artistic concerns. The SMP 1 semester will culminate in the public presentation of work in progress in a group exhibition in the Boyden Gallery and by publishing an SMP 1 journal.

Course Objectives

1. To develop the skills and insights necessary to create a coherent, meaningful body of studio working in a selected area of focus.

2. To develop a competency in relevant studio art skills and techniques.

3. To develop the ability to conduct an extended, self-generated investigation into an area of studio art through a productive working process.

4. To develop the ability to clearly articulate and express creative insight through verbal and written process.

Course Expectations (see quarterly handout for details)

Initiate and create a substantial body of artwork

Accomplishing this will mean being able to work independently in a consistent and focused manner by keeping regular studio hours (10-15 hours a week). There is no set number of works that must be produced, instead students will set their own goals and schedules in consultation with mentors and be expected to complete all work as self-assigned.

Assess and develop goals in conjunction with studio endeavors

Students are expected to engage in a variety of activities by which they effectively reflect, evaluate, and reconsider their goals in an on-going manner throughout the semester. A number of self-assessment reviews and intentions statements will be assigned.

Students will be paired with another member of the seminar to serve as critique partners. Critique partners will help each other in their on-going assessment endeavors by reading and offering comments on each other’s assessment and intentions writing, taking notes for each other during public critiques, and serving as a general resource for feedback.

Identify and research source materials relevant to studio endeavors

Students are expected to build a knowledge base of other artists and non-art sources to develop a context for the studio work they are creating. Written research entries for at least six art and two non-art sources will be assigned. A visual reference library will also be assembled and developed. All research must be credited and footnoted correctly (MLA format please) this also includes credit for any visual image you copy from a book or grab off the Internet. Be advised that any act of plagiarism (including copying or paraphrasing without correct credit or identification of origin) will result in automatic failure in the course)

In addition to research activities students are required to attend all public art lectures as another way of learning about contemporary art making . On going About Art discussions will occur during class meeting times as a forum to talk about critical issues in contemporary art. For more information see visiting artist/ about art discussion handout.

Present artwork for public review

Students will be asked to present their work four times in the semester, twice for review by seminar members and twice in a more public forum of departmental critiques. Students will prepare and hang a group exhibition at the end of the semester and publish in book form a collection of intention statements, research entries, and assessment writings.

Learn through participation

Art can be a solitary venture or it can be a communal learning experience. SMP in studio art obviously emphasizes the latter. A willingness to discuss your work, seek out and respond to positive criticism, and offer feedback to your peers through participation in reviews and critiques are all an essential part of belonging to a learning community.

In addition to interacting with other seminar members, students are expected to seek out feedback from other faculty and visiting artists (through studio visits, brown bag lunches etc.).

Class attendance, and scheduling

The class schedule clearly spells out what activities occur during scheduled class time and when assignments are to be completed. It is expected that all work will be completed and handed in according the class schedule and that students are responsible for keeping track of assignments and due dates. Students are expected to attend activities as detailed in the schedule (working independently does not mean you are free to come and during established class meeting times!). When work time is specified on the schedule students must work in their studio the entire class time.

Course Evaluation

60% Artwork created for 4 critiques

Studio work will be assessed by both the actual work produced and the quality and amount of effort demonstrated throughout the semester.

10% Participation

Participation will be assessed in terms of the quality and enthusiasm of interaction with peers, faculty and guest artists as described above.

30% SMP1 Journal that will include the following assignments:

Assessments

-Your initial directions proposal

-1st quarter assessment (Q&A formulated from review / new goals)

-Mid term/ 2nd quarter assessment (critique summary / response / new goals)

-3rd quarter assessment (Q&A formulated from review / new goals)

Work Statements

-Mid-term in- progress work statement

-Public (exhibition) work statement

Source Research

- All of your 6 research entries (6 art and 2 non-art sources) with illustrations

- Selected Visual Reference library images

All research and reflective writing assignments will be evaluated in terms of their depth of insight and thoroughness.

Visiting artist Lectures

There are six visiting artist lectures throughout the semester. All but one are scheduled for Monday and Wednesday night immediately following class (8:30 library lkecture hall 321) . See department web site for information on each.

Wednesday, September 7th Janis Goodman (painter and printmaker from DC)

Wednesday, September 21st Diana Al-Hadid (sculptor in residence at Anne Marie Gardens)

Tuesday, September 27th (Cole Cinema) Sue Johnson

Wednesday, October 5th Jen Dohne (our alumni, recently completing her MFA at Vis Arts)

Wednesday, November 2nd George Moore (MICA MFA in graphic design teaching digital)

Monday, November 7th Brian Kreydalus (painter)

About Art discussions

The In The Making book had us think about artists in the context of certain fundamental critical issues. Basic artistic issues are worth serious and on-going consideration because they are, in various ways, always at play in all artwork. A good initial, but not complete list of some basic artistic issues might include the following (a slight paraphrase of Weintraub’s categories):

- The nature of artistic process (both creative process in general and process of making)

- The way one chooses and incorporates outside sources into artwork.

- The type of relationship that is formed between an artwork and its audience.

- The way one chooses to define and manifest self in an artwork.

- The intended purpose for making an artwork.

All artists make creative choices (conscious or unconscious ones) that results in a work occupying a specific position within the range of possible attitudes for each of these (and other) issues. All of these choices constitute the meaning of a work of art (meaning is not just subject matter it is also arises from a work’s attitudes). Understanding how an artwork makes meaning (analysis) can be done by studying the choices various artists have made within each issue and then understanding both the implicit and explicit meaning that each position suggests. Understanding the full meaning potential of your own work means continually identifying and exploring the way your work also positions itself within these most common major issues and others that might be of special relevance to your work (if you had to designate more issues what would they be?)

Your summer reading and writing began a type of analytical consideration that I hope we continue through out the semester. We will continue talking and thinking about these sorts of issues in the context of what I’m going to call ‘about art’ discussions. Sometimes these discussions will take the form of brief group discussions at the beginning of a class session in response to materials I’ll present to the group (DVD’s etc) and sometimes it will happen in the context of in class visiting artist presentations.

I hope that you will be increasingly able to employ this sort of consideration of critical issues in your artist research writings, your self-assessments and artist statements.

About Art Discussion dates:

Monday, September 12 / topic: Manifesting Self

Wednesday, September 21 / topic: Sources

Wednesday, September 28 / topic: Process

Monday, September 26 / with visiting artist Diana Al-Hadid

Wednesday, October 5 / topic: Purpose

Monday, October 24 / with visiting artist Jen Dohne

Monday, October 31 / topic: Audience