Plastic Arts and Painting

Program Summary

The Department of Fine Arts tries to serve as a locus of course work for students who want to develop their interests in the plastic arts, whether in painting, basic and creative drawing or in ceramics, or in the various aspects of theater, from dramaturgy and studies of tragedy, to dance, ballet, and music. The Department was created with the belief that a good liberal arts education should provide the students with an opportunity to develop their intellectual capacities by pursuing interests of aesthetic quality outside of their regular academic disciplines, and to teach them skills to develop their theoretical interests in conjunction with the practice of artistic expression whether that be in the plastic arts or in drama, cinema, music or photography. The Department does not offer a degree on its own but offers regular courses in conjunction with the academic work of other departments.

The Department of Fine Arts offers two types of courses. The first type of courses, which exclusively consist of studio work in which students develop their expressive skills and interests, at the introductory, intermediate, and the advanced level, offer students course credit toward their degree but with a Pass/Non-Pass grade. The second type of courses, which include a substantial amount of theoretical work as well as practice either in studio, or in situ when it concerns art and architecture of historical content in the region, offer full course credit and a letter grade. The department anticipates to develop further strengths in drama and other performing arts, and in the visual arts inclusive of photography and film.