Art

College of Creative Arts
Dean: Kurt Daw

Department of Art
FA 265
415-338-2176
Fax: 415-338-6537
E-mail: artdept@sfsu.edu (undergraduate); artgrad@sfsu.edu (graduate)
Web Site: http://art.sfsu.edu
Chair: Paul Mullins

Undergraduate Advisers: Allen, Bettelheim, Chadwick, J. Davis, Dawson, De La Rosa, deSoto, Downing, Foster, Hunter, Kavuri-Bauer, Kistemaker, Kuraoka, Laplante, Levine, Mann, Marshall, Mullins, Perez, Pratchenko, Walters, Wilson

Graduate Coordinator: Dawson

Faculty

Professors—Bettelheim, J. Davis, deSoto, Foster, Hunter, M. Johnson, Kuraoka, Laplante, Mann, Marshall, Perez, Pratchenko, Wilson

Associate Professors—Dawson, Downing, Levine, Mullins

Assistant Professors—Allen, Belau, Dawson, De La Rosa, Kavuri-Bauer, Mysliwiec

Programs

B.A. in Art: Concentration in Art Education
B.A. in Art: Concentration in Art History
B.A. in Art: Concentration in Studio Art
B.A. in Art: Concentration in Art History and Studio Art
Minor in Art
M.A. in Art
M.F.A. in Art

Program Scope

The Department of Art offers one of the most diverse and vital programs for the study of the visual arts in Northern California. The program fosters development of specialized skills, encourages personal creative direction, and promotes understanding of the history and cultural traditions that shape artistic expression. The department is oriented towards the fine arts and does not offer courses in graphic art or design; however, many of the courses offered make an excellent foundation for further study in applied fields.

The department offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in art education, art history, studio art, and art history/studio art; teaching credentials; the Master of Arts in Art with an emphasis in art history; and the Master of Fine Arts in Art with an emphasis in studio art. Accredited programs in the fine arts and art history are taught by leading Bay Area artists and scholars. Students in the undergraduate program may choose an emphasis in studio arts, including ceramics, conceptual and information arts (including experimental digital media), painting, photography, printmaking/print media, sculpture, and textiles. Students in the credential and liberal studies programs with an emphasis in art may select courses from the art education area.

Students in the major learn to develop their awareness of the visual world through hands-on studio experience and study the history and theory of the visual arts. Some of the courses are offered in cooperation with the University’s General Education program and many are structured for various levels of experience.

A Minor in Art is offered for students who wish to pursue a secondary interest in art on a structured basis.

The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Scholarship Opportunities

The department offers five scholarships for studio students. The Jules H. Strauss Memorial Scholarship supports undergraduate students in photography, the Martin Wong Scholarship in painting and ceramics, and the Urania Cummings Memorial Scholarship acknowledging contributions to the African American community. Graduate students in any area may be considered for scholarships awarded through the Leo Douglas Stillwell, Jr. Endowment Fund. The Christine Tamblyn Memorial Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Creative Work is available for undergraduate or graduate students.

Scholarships are awarded for creative ability on a competitive basis. Contact the department for further information.

Facilities

The Fine Arts Building features studio spaces for sculpture, wheel and glaze rooms, a hand-building studio for ceramics, a hot glass shop, a textiles dye laboratory, loom and surface design studios, refined spaces for art education, and specialized studios for photography, painting, and printmaking. The building is also home to a 3,800-sq. ft. gallery facility, computer laboratories for the conceptual and information arts program, photography, and printmaking.

The Martin Wong Gallery, named in honor of the artist Martin Wong, affords undergraduates the opportunity to exhibit visual works through class projects and installations under the guidance of faculty mentors.

Additional space for graduate studios and outdoor ceramics activities are on the grounds of SF State’s Romberg Tiburon Center in nearby Marin County.

The department maintains a well-equipped slide and digitized visual resource library as well as an instructional archive/collection of historic and contemporary prints, drawings, and photographs.

Career Outlook

Courses in traditional art media, innovative and multidisciplinary techno-media, art education practice and theory, and in the history of art provide training for a variety of related careers. These include fine artist and teacher of art as well as potential careers in technical illustration, computer graphics, digital media, sculptural or ceramic fabrication, photo documentation, and art writing. Training in art often prepares students for careers in applied design in diverse fields. Artist-trained designers work with textiles, furnishings, book/CD-Rom publishing, fashion, Website, digital, and multimedia applications to name a few. Related expressive media such as theater, cinema, and television also rely on trained artists for visual design and direction.

Courses in exhibition design are offered in the professional environment of the department gallery and provide intense, practical, and theoretical training for gallery and art museum careers. Art and art history students with an interest in working with visual artifacts, and with the diverse professional aspects of presenting art and artists elect courses in this popular area.

Opportunities for the graduate with a B.A. in Art vary depending on the student’s initiative and inclinations. Students dedicated to creative expression or scholarly research in the history of art may elect to pursue graduate education. Others may find opportunities for technical or on-the-job training in the related fields detailed above. Graduate degrees open the door to teaching positions at the college-university level. Students who elect unrelated careers may find access to more rewarding cultural life experiences through their visual arts education.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ART

The undergraduate program provides innovative and rigorous concentrations in art education, art history, and studio art and art history/studio art. The major requires a minimum of 46 units of art courses, including 12 units of lower division core requirements, and a minimum of 28 units of upper division work.

For students transferring from other institutions, a minimum of 12 units in residence is required. Students are required to choose a concentration by their junior year, after they have finished the 12 unit required program of lower division core work. Majors are required to be advised yearly. Graduating seniors are required to submit a senior project at the beginning of the culminating semester in order to complete the degree program.

All art history and studio courses at the 200 level are 3-unit lower division courses. These courses are integral to each of the concentrations, providing introductory experiences in selected areas, and are core prerequisites to all concentrations. They focus on perceptual skills, modes of consciousness, creative expression, and critical thinking. Attention is given to traditions and heritage of the discipline, contemporary issues and forms, imaginative problem solving, and written English proficiency within the discipline. Courses are designed to provide a broad experiential and conceptual orientation to the visual arts and art history.

Area of Concentration

The area of concentration allows for intensive study in one specialty in the visual arts, with a degree of breadth sufficient for understanding and awareness in other areas. Students are encouraged to decide on a concentration by the junior year, and to discuss their choice of concentration with an adviser in that area. In some instances, requirements for a concentration might include a portfolio of work completed to date, evidence of preparation for upper division study, etc. Since some areas are very crowded, students transferring at an advanced level from other institutions should contact an adviser in their proposed concentration upon application for admission to the University. The concentration programs may be structured to fit individual needs after conferring with an adviser and obtaining the adviser’s approval. Students selecting the studio art concentration declare an emphasis in ceramics, conceptual information arts, painting & drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or textiles. Under special circumstances and under advisement of studio faculty, a dual emphasis may be selected in studio art. Six units from other departments in the University may be included in the major with adviser approval.

Before advancing to the 300-level or higher courses or declaring a concentration, all majors must have completed the University’s lower division requirements (including GE Segment II) or equivalent, and the core courses for the major, or equivalent. Change of major students must also have proof of art adviser consultation.

The course requirements for each concentration are listed below.

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated. On-line course descriptions are available.

Core Courses
Required of all Undergraduate Art Majors

Concentration in Art Education

A program devoted to the place of the visual arts in elementary and secondary education, and in general human development. A minimum of 46 units in art is required for the major and to prepare for the Single Subject Credential in Art. Students who are considering teaching art, should see an art education adviser before planning the major. Specific courses and a competency assessment are required for admission to the credential program in this area.

Students must work closely with an art education adviser to plan the 46-unit major program prior to enrolling in the sequence of courses listed below.

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated. On-line course descriptions are available.

Concentration in Art History

The history of visual form examined in relation to the values, beliefs, and institutions of specific cultures.

Concentration in Studio Art

Students should select an emphasis within the studio concentration, mastering skills and theory within a specific discipline/area. In special circumstances students may select two areas within the concentration (See Dual Studio Emphasis).

Studio emphases are described below.

Ceramics: Offers a foundation in ceramic information and techniques and provides a base upon which the student can build professional skills in ceramics.

Conceptual and Information Arts: Prepares artists and media experimenters to work at the cutting edge of technology. Students learn contemporary digital production skills, but they do so in the context of questioning the cultural context of technology and in experimenting with newly emerging technologies. Courses cover topics such as web art, interactive media, non-linear narrative, digital video, experimental sound, alternative interfaces, electronics and robotics, and art and biology. Students in the Conceptual and Information Arts Emphasis are expected to take the ART 410/412 introductory core and ART 610/612 advanced seminars.

Painting: Emphasizes visual awareness and understanding through studio study of painting and drawing media. Painting/drawing is offered as a productive endeavor in itself, as well as a means of acquiring visual skills that may be applied to other disciplines. Attention is given to diverse histories and traditions and their effect on contemporary practices.

Photography: Emphasizes contemporary cultural concerns within the context of photographic history and processes. A variety of photographic technologies are engaged, from nineteenth century handmade processes, black-and-white and color formats to digital imaging hardware and software. Students are encouraged to explore and experiment during the development of individual projects and group critiques.

Printmaking/Print Media: Provides in-depth studio practice in one or more of the major processes in fine art printmaking and the extensions of the field. It emphasizes cultural awareness and critical problem solving within the context of historical and contemporary printmaking processes and thought. Students are encouraged to investigate alternative printmaking processes, such as book arts, mixed media applications, and photographic/digital based print processes as planned progress towards advanced work.

Sculpture: Emphasizes cultural awareness, conceptual development, and artistic expression evolved through research, analysis, dialogue, and hands-on investigation utilizing a wide range of traditional and exploratory materials, processes, and creative strategies.

Textiles: Allows students to learn about textile techniques, their traditions, and contemporary application. Areas of studio focus include 4, 8, and 16 harness loom constructions (both manual and computer assisted), and a variety of surface design processes such as dyeing with fiber reactive dyes, resist dyeing, discharge, painting, and screen printing. Teaching draws on study and physical examples, which emphasize a multicultural approach.

Dual Emphasis in Studio Art Concentration: A dual emphasis is available for students with crossover interests in any two-studio areas listed above, such as painting/printmaking. The emphasis consists of a planned combination of courses, approved in advance. Approval must be made by advisers in both areas, one of whom must be a full-time regular faculty member.

Concentration in Art History and Studio Art

A concentration in art history and studio art is available for students with crossover interests in studio and art history. The concentration consists of a planned combination of courses in both areas, approved in advance by advisers in art history and studio.

To initiate a concentration in art history and studio art, the student is required to consult advisers in the appropriate areas and to draft a contractual proposed course of study on the Concentration Advising Form. The program must be approved by the advisers and the chair of the department in advance. Copies of the form are retained by students and their advisers.

MINOR IN ART

For students transferring from other institutions, a minimum of twelve units in residence is required.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ART

Two graduate programs are offered–an M.A. with an emphasis in art history and an M.F.A. in Studio Art. The three-year professional M.F.A. curriculum is an integrated course of study across a spectrum of studio arts and their adjunct fields of theory, history, and criticism. The M.A. prepares students for doctoral studies and for careers in galleries, museums, and other community institutions. Specializations are available primarily in modern and contemporary—including feminist—art, and a variety of Western European and Asian art topics. Minor specializations may include the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora, the Caribbean, and the Native Americas; and art of the Spanish-speaking world.

The M.A. curriculum normally culminates in a thesis with a concentration in one of the following areas of specialization:

• The Arts of Asia (including Islamic and Asian American)
• Renaissance & Baroque Art
• Arts of Spain
• Modern & Contemporary Western Art
• New Media
• Queer Art History

In some cases the culminating experience may take the form of a gallery exhibition rather than a thesis.

MASTER OF ARTS IN ART

General Information

This program leads to an M.A. in Art with an emphasis in art history. The degree is intended to prepare students for Ph.D. programs in art history and for careers in community art programs, galleries, auction houses, and museums. The curriculum culminates in a thesis. Individual programs of course work and independent study are arranged to meet the needs of the specific student.

Admission to Program

Applications for classified status in the M.A. program are accepted beginning October 1 for admission the following fall. Applicants are required to file two applications, one to the university and one to the Art Department.

The university Graduate Admissions Application and the Art Department M.A. Application are due by early February for the following fall. Call the Art Department for the exact date. Admission requirements are described in the Master of Arts (Art History) General Information brochure. Department application forms and the brochure may be obtained by writing to: Art Department, M.A. Admissions, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132. Information and applications are available on both the university and Art Department web sites.

In addition to these two applications, the requirements for admission to the M.A. in art history include the following:

• An undergraduate degree in art history or a related field which includes at least 18 units of upper division courses in art history and related fields with a 3.5 GPA.
• A 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall average.
• Graduate Record Examination is required; GRE scores are evaluated in conjunction with other evidence of student capabilities.
• A sample of writing in art history (a previous term paper may be submitted).
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended.
• A two-page (double-spaced) statement of purpose.
• A personal interview is recommended.

Acceptance of an applicant for an M.A. degree in the Art Department is contingent upon acceptance to classified status. No more than twelve units taken in unclassified post-baccalaureate status at the university are applicable towards the M.A. Only six units of upper division courses approved on advisement are acceptable for the degree.

A departmental review of each student's progress is required at the end of each year in the program.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: satisfied with a paper written an ART 701. Level Two: satisfied with the thesis requirement.

Foreign Language Examination: written translation with dictionary or a satisfactory score on GRE examination. Examination must be taken before ART 898.

Completion of Degree

In order to complete the M.A. in Art, students must satisfy all university and department requirements. Students who anticipate completing the thesis in one semester, and graduating the same semester, should enroll in ART 898 (Master's Thesis). If an additional semester is required to complete the degree requirements, the student must enroll in ART 897 (Research Projects in Art) the next semester. Any additional time required to complete the thesis which includes advising and/or re-submission of the thesis must be accompanied by enrollment in ART 897. Students are required to be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.

On-line course descriptions are available.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN ART

The three-year master of fine arts program is designed to provide professional training for the student pursuing a career as an artist or artist/teacher. Students are accepted into the program in the following areas of emphasis or combinations thereof: ceramics, conceptual and information arts, new practices, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and textiles. While affiliation with a single area of emphasis is the norm, a broad approach to art-making and the development of a coherent, informed understanding of issues relevant to many forms of creative expression is encouraged throughout the program.

Admission to Program

Applications for classified status in the M.F.A. program are accepted beginning October 1 for admission the following fall. Applicants are required to file two applications, one to the university and one to the Art Department. Admission to classified status requires acceptance by both the university and the Art Department.

The university Graduate Admissions Application and the Art Department M.F.A. Application are due by  early February for the following fall. Call the Art Department for the exact date. Admission requirements are described in the Master of Fine Arts General Information brochure. Department application forms and the brochure may be obtained by writing to: Art Department, M.F.A. Admissions, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132. Information and applications are available on both the university and Art Department web sites.

The Art Department's M.F.A. admission application requirements are listed below. All application materials must be submitted to the art department as a single package.

• A completed Art Department M.F.A. Admissions Application form.
• An undergraduate art degree or an equivalent preparatory degree. Three units of contemporary art history taken within the last five years. If the applicant does not complete this requirement upon admission to the program, enrollment in a contemporary art history course during the first semester is required.
• One copy of official or unofficial transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended. The art department transcript requirements are in addition to the official transcripts required in the application to the university.
• A two-page double-spaced statement of purpose.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Creative work review (20 slide Kodak carousel portfolio or CD-ROM, DVD, or web sites for digital work; please consult the department website to determine appropriate formats and other specific portfolio requirements).

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: the first level requirement is satisfied with ART 700. Level Two: the student satisfies the second level requirement with ART 705.

Completion of the Degree

In order to complete the M.F.A., students must satisfy all university and Art Department requirements. Art Department requirements are described in detail in the M.F.A. General Information brochure. In addition to satisfactory completion of the course of study, the Art Department requirements include satisfactory performance on yearly departmental reviews, a creative work exhibition and review, and creative work documentation. The Art Department accepts transfer units on a course-by-course basis, only upon advisement, and in accordance with the limits established in the section entitled Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work of the M.F.A. General Information brochure. If the creative work project is not complete in the final semester of the program, students must enroll in ART 899 in the semester they intend to graduate. The Art Department requires students to be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.