University of Texas - Arlington (Art & Art History Department)

The Department of Art and Art History has a growing reputation as a center of creative and academic excellence in Texas. The Department is a rich and varied educational environment for the study and practice of art and art history.

Our courses have recently been restructured to respond to a changing creative community and educational needs and to the exciting multi-disciplinary trends of contemporary art and art history. The range of subjects offered provides a great scope for students to specialize or possibly diversify in their pursuit of a degree in art and art history.

Our mission is to provide the intellectual, technical, and instructional resources to support the development of professional artists who view art making as a process of inquiry and self-discovery. The UTA comprehensive Art & Art History program offers a wide range of subjects.

The department boasts a vibrant and student managed exhibition venue (Gallery West) in the Studio Arts Center. In addition, the Gallery at UTA hosts important regional and national exhibitions. The department also has an active Visiting Artist program and links with international exchange programs.

A caring creative and academic community that respects individuality and creativity supports you. We see our role as providing experiences that help develop your potential. There is a dynamic energy here that includes access to some of the most important museums in the United States.


Mission

The mission of the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Liberal Arts at The UT Arlington is to provide and encourage education in visual arts and art history. The curriculum provides students with an extensive education through an understanding of professional, theoretical, visual and analytical processes. To assist students in comprehending the fundamental nature of the visual arts, its boundaries, methods and technologies, the department offers a comprehensive range of media and methodologies. Students will be able to create work in a number of unique and exciting media and articulate an understanding of their work in the context of art, its history, society and culture. The Department of Art and Art History offers degrees in the following:

* Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art
* Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art (with teacher certification)
* Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Art
* Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Art History
* Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Intermedia (Studio), Glass, Film/Video, and Visual Communication

Students are constantly challenged to think in experimental and creative as well as disciplined and established ways as they take their places in a changing and increasingly complex world. They may choose among such varied options as: teaching, visual communication, studio art, photography, curatorial studies, art historical research, film production, or a variety of web based or online content creation.

The Gallery at UTA is an exceptionally valuable resource for students in the department. It presents a full program of major exhibitions in its 4,000-square-foot gallery, including lectures, symposia, screenings and publications.

Situated in the center of two major metropolitan cities, each supporting a nationally significant cultural community, the Department of Art and Art History extends and enhances its programs through co-sponsorship of projects with area museums, off-campus courses and student internships. This unique blend of resources and programs gives graduates of the department a distinctive point of view and better prepares them to make the transition into a challenging professional world.


Facilities

The Department of Art & Art History studios and classrooms are located in two state of the art facilities:

1. The Fine Arts Building at 502 South Cooper Street houses Art History, Film, Photography, Graphic Communication, Animation, Drawing, 2-D Design as well as the Digital Design foundation classes. Also included are Departmental Offices, The Gallery at UTA, and the Visual Resources Center.
2. The new Studio Arts Center at 810 S. Davis Street houses the following studios: Clay, 3-D Design Glass, Metals, Painting, Printmaking, Neon and Sculpture. It is also the site of Gallery West, a student run exhibition space.


Areas of Study

We offer three degree options for students: Bachelor of Arts in Art History, a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with concentrations in clay, drawing, film & video, glass, visual communication, metals, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and art certification. The Bachelor of Arts in Art History encourages students to focus on the historical study of art and professional art history methodologies. The Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art is a broad approach to studio art and allows students the option of selecting a minor outside the department to enhance their studies. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art is formulated for students who desire a more in-depth concentration in one studio area.


Art Education

Teacher Certification in Art

The Department of Art and Art History, in cooperation with the School of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington, offers a Bachelor of Fine Art with Teacher Certification for teaching K-12. The suggested plan of studies is comprised of a series of lectures and media activities dealing with current issues in the teaching of art concepts and media manipulation, as well as the history and development of art. The program is specifically designed to establish a basic understanding of goals and objectives necessary to becoming a professional teacher of visual arts in the public schools and a wide variety of other classroom situations.

The Texas Teacher Certification in Art entails a completion of 139 credit hours earned within the Department of Art & Art History and College of Education academic programs. It entails earning the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art in addition to 27 hours of College of Education coursework that are required to fulfill minimum certification guidelines in Texas.
Art majors are encouraged to apply to the Teacher Education Program within the College of Education after one full semester of coursework has been completed at this university. Consult the College of Education Advising Office for information concerning any additional application requirements and/or State of Texas requirements for certification.


Art History

The Art History Division, which has approximately 670 students per semester, and nationally and internationally recognized faculty, offers courses in the history of art and architecture, from pre-history to the present. Although the focus has traditionally been on art of the West, several courses deal with art history of non-Western cultures, and the recent hire of a new faculty member with expertise in Asian art promises greatly to expand the latter offerings in our curriculum. Upon completion of the major, Art History majors are required to have (1) a general knowledge of the monuments and principal artists of all major historical periods, (2) one or more advanced areas of concentration (e.g. Renaissance, Contemporary, or Non-Western) within the history of art, (3) a solid foundation in art historical theory, analysis, and criticism, and (4) a functional knowledge of the creative process gained through participation in one or more studio courses. Majors are expected to remain actively engaged in research and analytical writing throughout the course of their studies and to achieve adequate mastery of at least one foreign language in order to perform research using primary sources. This rigorous program of study provides strong academic preparation for further study at the graduate level.

Studio arts majors are also encouraged to take courses in Art History, in order to recognize the interrelationships of form, content, and context as they have evolved through the millennia. They are also encouraged to view their own art work as part of this continuum and within the context in which they will function as professionals.

UTA is fortunate to be located in the heart of the DFW metroplex, which is home to several prominent and internationally recognized museums. The Kimbell Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, the Nasher Sculpture Garden, and the Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art are all in close proximity. The convenience of such important museums, in terms of both their respective permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, makes original works of art accessible to the student, which is invaluable for any student interested in art and its history.

In recent years, and despite the competition from other area graduate level programs, UTA art history undergraduate majors have secured internships at almost all of the aforementioned museums. Several majors have taken internships at national museums, including the Houston Museum of Art, the Montgomery Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. Majors are actively involved in the UTA student organization known as the Art History Student Union, which organizes professional and social activities. Increasing numbers of UTA art history majors pursue graduate work in art history both locally (e.g., Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University) and elsewhere (e.g., Tufts University-Boston; the Courtauld Institute of the University of London; University of Kansas-Lawrence), often times with full or partial scholarship funding.


Clay

The ceramics curriculum encompasses many aspects of the medium from the creation of unique clay vessels that satisfy both aesthetic and functional needs, to the construction of larger scale sculptural forms and the speculative, expansive, unnamed form.

Ceramic classes emphasize clay as an expressive medium while offering a concise three-dimensional art experience. Traditional and contemporary methods of construction, manipulation, and imagery are explored, with an emphasis on seeking the integration of form, design, color and concept. The history of the ceramic arts is seen as a rich resource from which the student can test precedents and expand their own aesthetic vocabulary.

Students are introduced to numerous forming methods such as coil and slab construction, throwing, clay figure modeling, bas relief and tile making design, mold making and slip casting, as well as a wide range of glazing and kiln firing techniques. There are usually three classes in the Clay studio per semester which gives each student adequate space to work and store their three dimensional projects. The clay program has a total of 100 - 110 students per year.


Drawing

Drawing is about learning to see. Creative work in drawing requires both visual and conceptual skills. An awareness of the expressive means in drawing as well as the mechanical tools are essential to the development of personal vision, which in turns results in individual expression. It is this expression that must be developed in order to have the ability to see, think, respond and in the end, create.Through the exercise of drawing, visual awareness and acuity increases. It strengthens your ability to perceive two and three-development within the Division of Fine Arts. Although basic of all graphic disciplines, a solid, well-rounded exposure to the various elements and concepts of drawing is integral to a complete development in Fine Art.

Students are advised to follow the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree plan and take the two semesters of basic drawing, followed by upper level drawing courses, and independent study projects.


Film/Video/Screenwriting

The Department of Art and Art History at UTA has an excellent reputation for grooming young filmmakers, successfully preparing them for the creative challenges and emotional rigors of the motion picture industry. This success has not come by luck or chance, but is the result of the deliberate execution of a well-designed, three-tiered program consisting of an introductory level to lay a foundation, an intermediate level to hone skills, and an advanced level to produce high quality portfolio work.

The placement of Film/Video in UTA’s Department of Art and Art History says much about our approach. In many university film programs, including those at the prestigious “film schools,” students receive heavy doses of theory, history, and analysis, but very little hands on training. In fact, it is common for students to graduate from these programs with a degree in film, never having made a single movie. At UTA, our program is designed around a simple premise: the best way to learn how to make movies is to make movies. Treating film and video as a studio art program ensures that students will receive a balanced dose of practical application with their theoretical appreciation.

This process begins in Introduction to Film/Video, where students develop basic skill sets by planning, shooting, and editing their own short video works on digital video. They are exposed to the craft and technology of filmmaking in an environment that takes all the theory, history, and analysis and makes it real.


Foundation Area
(Drawing, Design, Digital Design)

The Foundations curriculum is highly structured and intensive, introducing students to principles and theories in studio art and visual thinking. The courses present and develop many concepts and skills used by artists and designers. The foundations curriculum is fundamental in forming sound studio practice where critical thinking is encouraged through the implementation of principles of visual expression, discussion, and writing. Students must complete these courses before moving on to upper level classes. Moreover, all foundation level courses are required for submission into the BFA program.


Glass

The program in glass allows students the opportunity to explore the sculptural, conceptual and functional aesthetics of glass as an artistic media. A variety of traditional, contemporary and experimental glass working techniques are examined and utilized in the challenging course work. The attitude and aesthetic of the artist/craftsman and his/her relationship to materials, concept and function is used as a resource for the creation and discussion of the student's work. Projects are structured to develop technical, aesthetic and conceptual expertise as well as encourage the student to seek personal expression through the exploration of a wide range of glass techniques and applications.

The glass facilities at UTA provide a world class state of the art studio space and appropriate equipment to explore a variety of techniques addressing all levels of glassblowing, flameworking, fusing/slumping, casting, and fabrication. Classes are limited to small groups of students in order to encourage a tutorial relationship with the instructor and enhance the self-confidence of the student while working with new materials and techniques. Course offerings allow students an opportunity to receive a BFA degree in Art with a concentration in Glass, as well as a Masters of Fine Arts in Glass.


visual Communication

Great design provides for dynamic visual touch-points that serve to connect with people through a visual language that is highly focused and contextually appropriate. Designers seek to: inform, immerse, allow for exchange, embed meaning, persuade, inspire, provoke, validate, entertain and provide inherent value for people. As technology opens up more avenues for communication, the design process is becoming increasingly more complex, demanding stronger and more thoughtful visual solutions from all designers. It is the intention of the Visual Communication faculty at University of Texas Arlington to educate our students effectively and creatively by providing them with a solid framework for communicating ideas visually to an international community.

The visual communication curriculum is based on the understanding of problem solving relative to assigned, increasingly complex projects and experiences. Student designers are encouraged to actively research, analyze, plan, create, prototype, produce, evaluate, refine and reflect at each level of study. Students develop the ability to work in groups as well as individually on projects. In these situations students realize how to manage time and utilize resources to solve problems creatively. The merging of knowledge and creative experiences in an academic environment with industry-based processes, standards and culture is also essential to the development of each individual designer.


Metals

The University of Texas at Arlington Metals Program generates positive individual and artistic growth through a rare amalgamation of traditional bench skills, innovative multi-media design and advanced conceptual thought. Students seeking an art degree in metals, constantly question historical aspects of small-scale metalwork and challenge themselves to experiment with unconventional materials and incorporate various forms of alternative ideologies. Contemporary art issues collide with past archetypes, giving each student a thorough comprehension of metalsmithing and how their work fits into the greater art world.

Artistic growth is encouraged and allows each metals student to question, and perfect, their own conceptual constructs. Specific class projects encourage personal expression; while various class lectures enable students to intellectually question their own work and academically query artforms created by other individuals. Ultimately, this combination of unique personal creation and greater artistic comprehension, allows for a positive approach for individual growth and the overall classroom dynamic.


Photography

The BFA photography program prepares students to be professionals in their field. The study of photography can be applied in a range of professions, including commercial studio work, photo editing in publications, working with photography collections in museums and teaching at the high school or college level. The curriculum is carefully designed to prepare the student to be qualified to enter a career or a graduate program with a strong portfolio and the needed technical skills.

The photography program at UTA was established in 1971. The rapid shift to digital technologies in the past few years has resulted in profound changes in the methods that we use to capture images and produce prints. The faculty have embraced the digital world while maintaining a strong commitment to traditional methods. We believe that the best photographers are able to produce images to communicate and express ideas. The program offers great diversity of curriculum, approach and technology. We have complete facilities for both ‘wet’ darkroom processing and digital work.


Printmaking

The printmaking program at UT Arlington emphasizes the importance of exploring ideas through the printmaking process and investigates the significance of the graphic aesthetic. Students are encouraged to explore ideas relevant to contemporary theory and the role of the artist in society. The focus of the courses is on the inventive and conceptual use of print media while underscoring critical and contemporary issues in art.

Printmaking courses are divided into beginning and advanced levels. Beginning courses are designed to introduce students to printmaking processes, techniques, technologies and history. Advanced courses offer students an opportunity to develop a cohesive body of printed images, allowing an in-depth exploration of particular techniques. Students become familiar with the printed image through demonstrations, discussions, and experimentation. The collaborative atmosphere of the printmaking shop is positive and serves to enhance the overall studio experience.


Sculpture.

The sculpture area is composed of courses that explore a wide range of processes and techniques including the following: woodworking and fabrication (table saw, radial saw, 2 band saws, scroll saw, planer, jointer, drill press); clay modeling, molding and casting in plaster and plastics; metal fabrication with electric arc, MIG and TIG welding, oxy/acetylene welding / cutting and plasma cutting. A recently installed foundry includes a Speedy Melt furnace, gantry crane and wax burnout kiln, facilitating aluminum and lost wax bronze casting. While the initial experiences in sculpture begin with traditional clay modeling, the student is also introduced to recent advances in the sculpture field such as Installation Art, Environmental Art, Conceptual Art and Performance Art. The curriculum facilitates a functional knowledge of the history and theory of sculpture, an understanding of aesthetic principles, and their application to sculptural works.

Sculpture class enrollments are limited to insure safe and adequate working space, as well as to encourage students toward larger scaled undertakings. The new SAC courtyard gives students the opportunity to work beyond the classroom and into a more public realm. Fall 2007 plans include the implementation of a foundry (partially in place already) that will facilitate bronze and aluminum casting processes.

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