Valparaiso University (Department of Art )

The Art Department stresses the development of visual literacy informed by critical analysis, historical study, and a broad range of studio classes. Offering concentrations in Graphic Design, Photography, Art History, Painting, Sculpture, and Art Education, as well as a variety of courses in other media, the Art faculty work individually with students working towards their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts degree.

Many, but not all of our students enroll in art courses for the purpose of personal enjoyment and with no vocational plans. Others combine the study of art with psychology, public relations, education, business or literature. Those who are interested in finding a more rigorous art experience will have no trouble finding it here as well, particularly in the areas of Art History, Graphic Design and Photography.

The Art Minor, in studio art or art history, consists of five courses. Students who wish to major in art may choose one of two degree programs: the B.A. (Bachelor's of Art) at 30 credit hours (10 courses in the art major) or the B.S.F.A. (Bachelor's of Science in the Fine Arts) at a minimum of 54 credit hours (18 or more courses in the art major). The first degree is for those students who intend to go into primary or secondary art education; art history; commercial photography or graphic design. The B.S.F.A. degree is typically for those students who plan to attend graduate school or who want a much larger concentration in an area of their choice. This degree program requires a special portfolio review for admission and culminates in a senior seminar and exhibition.

Our faculty teach courses in graphic design desktop publishing, photography (black/white, color), painting (watercolor, oil), sculpture, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, liturgical design, art education, museum studies, and art history.

We offer 12 scholarships each year to incoming first-year students. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years as long as the student remains an art major and his or her cumulative grade point average does not drop below 2.7. Applicants are reviewed for scholarship awards from September 1 to February 1.


Program Information

Students at Valparaiso University may take art courses without selecting art as a major or minor. The only courses that require a prerequisite are painting and sculpture. Many of our students enroll in art courses for the purpose of personal enjoyment and with no vocational plans. Others combine the study of art with psychology, public relations, education, business or literature. This occurs at the level of the minor or major. The Art Minor, in studio art or art history, consists of five courses. Students who wish to major in art may choose one of two degree programs, a Bachelor’s of Art (BA) at 30 credit hours (10 courses in the art major), or the Bachelor’s of Science in the Fine Arts (BSFA) at a minimum of 54 credit hours (18 or more courses in the art major). The first degree is for those students who intend to go into primary or secondary art education, art history, commercial photography or graphic design. The BSFA degree typically is for those students who plan to attend graduate school or who want a much larger concentration in an area of their choice. This degree program requires a special portfolio review for admission and culminates in a senior seminar and exhibition.


Scholarship Information / Portfolio Review

Scholarships are available to incoming first-year students. These are awarded on the basis of a portfolio review and are not linked to academic merit or financial need. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years as long as the student remains an art major and his or her cumulative grade point average does not drop below 2.75. Applicants are reviewed for scholarship awards from September 1 to February 1. If you are planning to attend Valparaiso University this fall, we would encourage you to submit your portfolio for review as soon as possible. The number of available scholarships is limited, so please make sure that we receive your portfolio no later than February 1.


Studio Art (Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Ceramics)

Instruction in a variety of studio art classes is available at Valparaiso University. Courses in recent years have included drawing, design, figure drawing, beginning and advanced painting, landscape painting, photography, graphic design, watercolor, art of fiber, liturgical design, sculpture, ceramics and printmaking. Instruction in studio art takes place in the spacious, well-lit studios of the Art-Psychology building where space is available for upper level students to create studios. Student gallery space offers exhibition possibilities and long studio hours allow students daily access to the studios. Three-dimensional facilities include welding, woodworking, plaster casting, ceramics, and small metal casting. Field trips to such Chicago museums as the Art Institute, the Terra Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art as well as many different art galleries are a common feature of studio classes.

The introduction to painting course includes sessions on painting materials, techniques, and color theory. Students learn to construct and analyze painting by working predominantly from still life, but also with figure and abstraction. The advanced painting course focuses on meaning and content in student work. Through independent and collaborative work, students begin to develop a body of work that reflects their own interests as painters informed by an awareness of art history and contemporary art trends.

Beginning drawing investigates several subjects, techniques and media, including still life, figure, linear perspective, pencil, charcoal, and in/wash. Advanced drawing stresses the nude figure.

Sculpture class builds on three-dimensional work in the first year course called Introduction to Design. Students sculpt in clay, plaster, wood, and cement and work in additive, constructive and subtractive techniques. Ceramics courses introduce students to clay as an artistic medium and include instruction in coil, slab, and wheel.

Studio courses are limited to 18 students so that each student possesses maximum room in which to work, direct access to all equipment, and a great deal of individualized attention from faculty. Teacher-student ratios in the Department of Art are very low and classes are taught only by faculty (no teaching assistants).

There is no portfolio review for admission to the art major. However, prospective freshman art majors will need to present a collection of their work (slides or photos are acceptable) in consideration for a scholarship. The faculty review portfolios from September 1 until February 1 each academic year. Portfolios should include a variety of media.

During one semester of the junior or senior year, studio art majors are welcome to enroll in the Chicago Arts Program, which will allow them to spend a semester in Chicago, working among artists and attending classes at the facility of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. Students are able to visit artists’ studios, meet other arts students, and get a full taste of the Chicago art world.


Photography

The photography lab is fully equipped for teaching black-and-white and color photography. The large darkroom offers 18 enlargers, each of which prints black-and-white and colors images in multiple formats. A fully automated HOPE processor offers the dry-to-dry RA4 process for images up to 20 inches in width. Color negative development is done via computer-controlled processing as well. Black-and-white methods are traditional and emphasize fine art craft and quality. Two additional darkrooms offer private workspace for special projects. In our shooting studio students can prepare still life, portraiture, or figure subjects with traditional tungsten hot lights or the black line Speed-o-tron strobes. There are also 4 x 5 view cameras available for studio work. The Art Department’s computer lab across the hall offers 18 Power Macintosh 8100s with large color monitors, a Dye-Sublimation color printer, color scanners, and a large array of software for use in digital photography and electronic imagemaking.

Beginning courses offer instruction in every aspect of using the camera, processing negatives, printing film, and presenting one’s work. Courses taught include black-and-white, color, alternative processes, photo-journalism, and special topics in photography.

The Strimbu Gallery of Photography is located adjacent to the Photo Lab and features the work of regional photographic artists in addition that of the University’s photography students. Students are strongly encouraged also to exhibit in local galleries and to apply for juried art exhibitions.

Students concentrating in photography as art majors may be interested in participating in the Chicago Arts Program during one semester of the junior or senior year. This program offers students the opportunity to fulfill an internship in Chicago with a number of professional photographers.

By graduation, a student who concentrated in photography will have built a portfolio that is suitable for applying to a number of positions in the photographic industry. Students also will be prepared to pursue the Master of Fine Arts degree at graduate programs around the country.


Graphic Design

The graphic design program at Valparaiso University offers solid training and preparation for the contemporary design field. With traditional course work in Typography, Corporate Identity, Page Layout, Poster and Package Design and experimental courses such as Electronic Painting, students acquire a broad knowledge of the various design disciplines the profession has to offer. In addition, advanced students spend time with research and writing projects that help to develop important critical thinking skills.

Valparaiso University, unlike many schools, has committed itself to design by offering some of the best hardware and software tools available in college art programs. This means that while students are learning how to design, they do so with the tools that the industry demands. Our computer lab is equipped with 18 computers, large format monitors, high resolution flat bed scanners, laser printer, in-house wide format printing capabilities, and software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Quark Express, Macro Media Director, and Carrara Studio. Our students find everything required to develop their skills as they prepare for a challenging career in graphic design.

Graphics students are encouraged to seek out an internship experience and the University is often able to assist them in securing a local position. This spring senior design students will travel to Dallas Texas to participate in a student design conference and job fair.


Art History & Museum Studies

The Art Department at Valparaiso University offers a minor in art history or an individual major in art history. Students combine their study of the history of art with coursework in museum studies. The collection of the Brauer Museum of Art here at the University is a wonderful resource and students have the opportunity to study it as well as the special exhibitions of art that come to the Brauer each year.

Course work in art history ranges from surveys in art from the ancient world to the present to seminars on a great variety of topics. The following courses have been offered in the last few years: Art and Culture of Turkey, Art and Culture of Italy, American Art and Architecture, 17th and 18th Century European Art, 19th Century European Art, Early 20th Century Art, Surrealism, Art Since 1945, Art History and Feminism, Art and Religion in the Modern Age, and Art and Mass Culture. The Department often sponsors trips abroad during the summer to allow students the pleasure and benefit of studying art and architecture on site. Past trips have included tours in France, Turkey, Italy, and Greece.

The seminar in museum studies introduces the student to the history and practices of museums, with a focus on Valparaiso University’s Brauer Museum of Art. Study includes exposure to careers in art museums, professionals in the field, and the many aspects of museum operations. Hands-on projects enable students to learn about the directorial, curatorial, registrarial, and preparatorial functions of a museum. Internships in the Brauer Museum of Art provide students the opportunity to work within a professional museum setting.


Art Education at Valparaiso University

Students who wish to teach art at the primary and/or secondary school level can receive complete certification at Valparaiso University. Those who wish to teach Kindergarten through eighth grade enroll as education majors and art minors. Those who intend to teach high school art enroll as art majors and education minors. Student teaching is organized through the education department. Students combine courses in studio art and art history with coursework in education.

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