Studio Art

Introduction

Canisius University offers a minor in studio art, and classes are open to all students. Studio art courses, and the Studio Arts minor, is designed to provide students with a program of study that will complement major studies in other academic departments. Classes will allow students hands-on experience with creative problem solving and opportunities to integrate artmaking with their careers and lives.

Studio arts courses will introduce students to artmaking, or will build on students continued interest in the visual arts. Courses will allow students to explore a variety of disciplines, and a range of materials and techniques will provide a wide scope of art experiences. Students also have the opportunity to learn from lectures by contemporary artists on and off campus and to visit art exhibits at local galleries and museums. Viewing, critiquing, and writing about art give students a solid grounding for confidently and articulately speaking and writing about their own work and that of their peers.

Students are encouraged to exhibit their work both on and off campus in special events, such as Ignatian Scholarship Day, and in gallery spaces on campus.

This program is intended to prepare students interested in art as a profession for further undergraduate study at an art school or in a major degree program. Additionally, a studio arts minor is an advantage to any student seeking employment in a variety of fields by enhancing critical thinking and visual communication skills applicable to any walk of life.

Advisement

All students should have an advisor in the minor and should contact the Program Director of the Fine Arts Programs directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one. All minors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their minor electives, developing their entire academic program, and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.

Minors are an important part of the undergraduate curriculum.  If students declare a minor by sophomore year, they can usually complete it in a timely manner.  Students should work with their advisor to determine if it is possible that the minor can be completed by graduation.  

To receive a minor, a student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their major(s) and from other minors, and students must complete more than 50% of the coursework required for the minor at Canisius. Please note that “ancillary/supporting” courses required for a major may still count as distinct courses as long as the remaining coursework still meets the 30 credit-hours required for a major. For more information about minor policies, please see the Declaring Majors and Minors page in the catalog.

Curriculum

Studio art courses place emphasis on both technical and conceptual skills through lectures, demonstrations, practice, and critique. The minor requires six courses (18 credit hours):

Learning Goals & Objectives

Learning Goal 1

Studio Art students will use visual design terminology in speaking and writing.

Students will:

• Objective A: Define the elements and principles of design in visual art through group discussion and critique.
• Objective B: Write an artist’s statement, reflective paper or critique using technical terms to communicate ideas using technical terms.

Learning Goal 2

Studio Art students will develop technical skills.

Students will:

• Objective A: Utilize hand/eye coordination to render from life realistically
• Objective B: Utilize skills specific to different studio disciplines such as woodworking, printmaking, carving, sculpting or photography to create work in those fields.

Learning Goal 3

Studio Art students will use written and verbal skills to articulate concepts and techniques critically.

Students will:

• Objective A: Explicate the rationale behind their work materially, conceptually and formally in an artist statement
• Objective B: Engage in critical discourse on their work and the work of their peers during group critiques.

Learning Goal 4

Studio Art students will describe developments and trends in art history and contemporary art via artist statement and group critique.

Students will:

• Objective A: Position their work within a contemporary artistic framework and compare their work within larger art historical themes both written and orally.
• Objective B: Evaluate any given piece of art within a contemporary framework and find its fundamental historical significance during group critiques and in written statements or reflection papers.

Learning Goal 5

Studio Art students will experience placing work on public display.

Students will:

• Objective A: Locate galleries or venues appropriate for the display of their work.
• Objective B: Curate and hang their work for exhibition.

Courses