Art

College of Creative Arts
Dean: Keith Morrison

Department of Art
FA 265
415-338-2176
E-mail: artdept@sfsu.edu
Chair: Sylvia Solochek Walters

Undergraduate Advisers: Bechtle, Bettelheim, Chadwick, Crockett, deSoto, Foster, B., Hawley, Hunter, Kistemaker, Kuraoka, Laplante, Legrady, Mann, Perez, Pratchenko, Raciti, Walters, Wilson

Graduate Coordinator: Foster

Faculty

 Professors--Bechtle, Bettelheim, Chadwick, Crockett, Foster, B., Hawley, Hunter, Kistemaker, Kuraoka, Mann, Pratchenko, Raciti, Walters, Wilson

Associate Professors--deSoto, Johnson, M., Perez

Assistant Professor--Laplante

Lecturers--Leighton, Marshall, Turner

Programs

B.A. in Art

Minor in Art

M.A. in Art

M.F.A. in Art

Program Scope

The Department of Art offers a wide variety of courses of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts, to various teaching credentials, to the Master of Arts in Art with emphasis in Art History, and to 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 in Art may choose an emphasis of study from art history, ceramics, conceptual and information arts, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and textiles. Students in the credential and liberal studies programs with an emphasis in art may select courses from the art education area. Elective courses in glass and metal arts augment the above emphases in studio art. The Department of Art is oriented towards the fine arts and does not offer courses in commercial art, although the courses that are offered make an excellent foundation for further study in applied fields. Students in the department 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 General Education program of the university and many are structured for various levels of experience. A Minor in Art is offered for students who want to pursue a secondary interest in art on an organized basis. The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The Art Department offers two scholarships for studio students. The Jules H. Strauss Memorial Scholarship supports undergraduate students in photography. Graduate students in any area may be considered for scholarships awarded through the Leo Douglas Stillwell, Jr. Endowment Fund. Both scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis for creative ability. For further information, contact the Art Department.

Facilities

Art Department facilities are remodeled and expanded. First floor studios in the original wing of the Arts and Industry Building feature indoor spaces for sculpture; wheel and glaze rooms, and a hand-building studio for ceramics; and a hot glass shop. The second floor remodel includes a textiles dye laboratory in addition to loom and surface design studios; refined spaces for art education and art metal; and specialized studios for photography and painting. Printmaking studios and the department offices have moved into an expanded portion of the second floor. A 3,800 square foot department gallery facility and computer laboratories for the conceptual and information arts program have been opened in an Arts and Industry Addition. The Art Department maintains a current and well-equipped slide library as well as an instructional archive of historic prints, drawings, and photographs.

Career Outlook

The Art Department at San Francisco State University offers one of the most diverse and vital programs in Northern California for the study of the visual arts. The program fosters development of specialized skills, encourages personal creative direction, and promotes understanding of the history and cultural traditions that shape artistic expression. Courses in many traditional art media, in innovative and multidisciplinary techno-media, 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 careers in technical illustration, computer graphics, sculptural or ceramic fabrication, photo documentation, and art writing. Training in art often prepares students for creative 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.

Art Department courses in exhibition design are focused 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 upon graduating 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. Those students who elect unrelated careers will find access to more rewarding cultural life experiences through their visual arts education.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ART

The B.A. provides innovative studio concentrations in varied traditional and new disciplines as well as programs and course work in art education and art history. An art major requires a minimum of 46 units of art courses, including a minimum of 28 units of upper division work. For students transferring from other institutions, a minimum of twelve units in residence is required. Students are expected to choose an Area of Emphasis by their junior year, after they have finished a suitable program of lower division work. Graduating seniors are required to pass a senior project to complete their degree program.

The course requirements for each emphasis area are given under the heading Area of Emphasis below, following the list of Core and Lower Division Requirements. Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).

Program Units
Core and Lower Division Requirements
Art History (must include a minimum of 6 upper division units) 12
Must include one course focusing on the 20th century chosen from the following:
ART 303 The Artist in the 20th Century: Cultures in Collision--Cultures in Fusion
ART 304 Queer Art History
ART 402 History of Architecture
ART 501 Western Art: Special Areas
Appropriate topics:
Women and Art: The 20th Century
Art in the 80s: The Post-Modern Dilemma
History of Photography
Performance and Environmental Art
Dada and Surrealism
ART 506 American Painting and Sculpture: 1940 to the Present
ART 508 African Art History
Must include a non-European course (3 units minimum)
Explorations: one course outside area of emphasis (see below) 3
Art Productions 1
Area of Emphasis (see below) 30
Total 46

Explorations (All are three unit studio courses)

Exploration courses provide studio experiences in selected areas of the Art Department. They focus on perceptual skills, modes of consciousness, and creative expression. Some attention is given to traditions and heritage of the discipline, to contemporary issues and forms, and to imaginative problem solving. Courses are designed to provide a broad experiential and conceptual orientation to the visual arts.

ART 222 Exploration in Textiles
ART 225 Exploration in Metal Arts and Jewelry
ART 231 Exploration in Drawing and Painting
ART 235 Exploration in Drawing and Printmaking
ART 240 Exploration in Sculpture
ART 245 Exploration in Ceramics
ART 247 Exploration in Glass
ART 260 Exploration in Photography

Area of Emphasis

The Area of Emphasis is a program that provides 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 their Area of Emphasis by their junior year, and to discuss their choice of emphasis with an adviser in that area. In some instances, the Area of Emphasis will request 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 Area of Emphasis upon application for admission to this institution. The Area of Emphasis programs may be structured to fit individual needs after conferring with an adviser in the area and obtaining the adviser's approval. Under special circumstances, a dual emphasis may be selected and courses from other departments in the university may be included in the major.

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

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 Single Subject Credential under the Ryan Act. Students must work closely with an Art Education adviser planning their 46-unit major program prior to enrolling in the sequence of courses listed below.

Ceramics, Conceptual and Information Arts, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, or Textiles: Students selecting any of these emphases must take:

Programs in each of these emphasis areas are described below.

Ceramics: Foundation in ceramic information and techniques affording a base upon which the student can build a professional future in ceramics.

Conceptual and Information Arts: A program that stresses integration of intuitive approaches typical of the arts with structured processes of research, planning, and problem solving more characteristic of other disciplines such as the humanities, science, and technology. It promotes non-conventional art media, new media, and the movement of artists into non-art contexts. It teaches students concrete skills related to contemporary theory and technology such as structured problem solving; analysis of biological systems; computers; telecommunications; interactive media; and the electronic synthesis of image, text, and sound. The program places emphasis on the perspectives of critical analysis of cultural systems, language, and media.

Students emphasizing in Conceptual and Information Arts are expected to take the ART 410/412 introductory core and ART 610/612 advanced seminars.

Painting: Program of studio courses emphasizing visual awareness and understanding. Painting/drawing is seen 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: Program of studio courses emphasizing 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: A program of studio courses providing 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 bookarts, mixed media applications, and photographic transferring as planned progress toward advanced work.

Sculpture: A program of study emphasizing 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: A hands-on program designed to allow 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 I: A dual emphasis is available for students with cross-over interests in any two studio areas listed above, such as painting/printmaking. It is also available for students who wish to work in metal arts, glass, or other media where a full range of specialized courses is not currently offered. The emphasis consists of a planned combination of related courses, approved in advance. Approval must be by advisers in both areas, one of whom must be a full-time regular faculty member. Courses in Dual Emphasis I must total a minimum of 46 units, including at least twelve upper division units in one studio area and nine upper division units in the other. Two elective related courses (six units) is possible. In addition, the student is required to take two lower division exploration courses. All other requirements for the B.A. in Art, as listed above, must be satisfied.

Dual Emphasis II: A dual emphasis is also available for students with cross-over interests in Studio and Art History. The emphasis consists of a planned combination of courses in both areas, approved in advance by advisers in Art History and Studio. Courses in Dual Emphasis II must total 46 units to be distributed as follows.

To initiate a dual emphasis, the student is expected to consult advisers in the appropriate areas and to draft a contractual proposed course of study on a Dual Emphasis 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 the student, the advisers, and the department. Students should seek continued advising each semester to assure satisfactory progress in the proposed course of study.

MINOR IN ART

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

Program Units
Three units chosen from: ART 201, 202, 204, 205 3
Units in Art History focusing on the 20th century selected from the following: 3
ART 303 The Artist in the 20th Century: Cultures in Collision--Cultures in Fusion
ART 304 Queer Art History
ART 402 History of Architecture
ART 501 Western Art: Special Areas
Appropriate topics:
Women and Art: The 20th Century
Art in the 80s: The Post-Modern Dilemma
History of Photography
Performance and Environmental Art
Dada and Surrealism
ART 506 American Painting and Sculpture: 1940 to the Present
ART 508 African Art History
Units selected from the Explorations listed above 3
Units of upper division electives which may include three units of Production courses 15
Total 24

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 Arts. 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, a variety of Western European topics, and the arts of Africa, the Pacific, and Native Americas, including the Caribbean.

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 higher degree work in art history and for jobs in community art programs and museums. The curriculum culminates in a thesis with a concentration in one of the following areas of specialization:

Within each area of concentration, 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 November 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 mid-February for the following fall. Call the Art Department for the exact date. Admission requirements are described in the Master of Arts General Information brochure. 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.

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

Only upper division courses approved on advisement are acceptable for the degree.

Acceptance of an applicant for an M.A. degree in the Art Department is contingent upon acceptance to classified standing. No more than six units of work taken in unclassified post-baccalaureate status at the university is applicable towards M.A. degree credit.

A departmental review of each student's progress is required after the end of the first year in the program or after fifteen units have been completed--whichever comes first.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: satisfied with the written application to the department for acceptance into the program. It must include a written Statement of Purpose and a sample of the applicant's art history writing. 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 History, students must satisfy all university and Art 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. It is an Art Department requirement that students be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.

Courses offered in this discipline are listed in the "Announcement of Courses" section (consult Index for page reference).

Program Units
ART 700 Seminar in Art Theory 3
ART 701 Art History: Images and Meaning 3
ART 702 Seminar: Methods in Art History 3
Upper division (400 level or above) and graduate art history courses by advisement 12
Electives (may include art history) 6
ART 898 Master's Thesis 3
Minimum total 30

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/glass, conceptual and information arts, 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 the Program

Applications for classified status in the M.F.A. program are accepted beginning November 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 Art Department's M.F.A. admission application requirements include:

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. Enrollment is required in the semester of graduation. Continued enrollment in ART 899 must be met if the creative work project is not complete in the semester of enrollment.

Program Units
Studio Requirements
ART 704 Seminar in Art (Taken each of six semesters at three units/semester on advisement.) 18
ART 780 Graduate Visiting Artist/Scholar Studio (Taken twice at three units/semester) 6
Studio electives: two courses of three units each. May be taken in Art or in any other department, by advisement. 6
ART 882 Tutorial in Studio (taken twice at three units/semester) 6
ART 890 Creative Work Research 3
ART 894 Creative Work Project 3
Minimum studio total 42
Academic Requirements
ART 700 Seminar in Art Theory and Criticism 3
ART 705 Seminar in History of Art 3
ART 850 Directed Experience in Public Roles for Artists 3
Academic electives: may be taken in any department and may include additional academic art courses in theory, criticism, history, and directed experience, by advisement 9
Minimum academic total 18
Minimum degree total 60