The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art degree equips students to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of the 21st Century by preparing them professionally to gain a working knowledge of art and design principles, skills and applications, to develop problem-solving and creative/critical thinking skills in conjunction with visual, oral and written communication skills, and to create an awareness of historical and contemporary perspectives in art and design.
Students may choose a concentration in one of the following areas:
Ceramics
Jewelry & Metals
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Video
Ceramics
The ceramics concentration is an exciting and energetic area. Students are expected
to become proficient with the basic techniques of handbuilding and the use of the
potter's wheel before they are allowed to develop their own creative direction as
upperclassmen.
Jewelry and Metals
The jewelry and metals curriculum is designed to meet the diverse interests of the
students investigating the contemporary field of Fine Arts in metals and jewelry design.
By focusing the concentration toward a spectrum of processes and methodologies associated
with the craft, a student experiences numerous projects that deal with form, function,
concept and technique. Students are exposed to both traditional and non-traditional
processes and materials, including computer-aided design, three dimensional printing
and other emerging technologies. The constructions of ideas are carried out through
the practice of the projects which include, but are not limited to traditional fabrication,
finishing, casting, mold making, forging, enameling, digital modeling, and three-dimensional
printing output processes.
Painting
Studies in painting at Winthrop look in depth at conceptual interests along with the
development of technical skills to enable personal and collaborative visions to be
realized. Traditional still life and figurative painting are only part of a structured
program of study which examines all levels of contemporary trends and styles.
Photography
Studies in photography consist of a careful balance between the development of the
student's personal interests and the acquisition of technical skills. As each student
moves through the concentration they build a command of technique, meet the challenges
of aesthetic debate, learn about opportunities for work after graduation and are given
some of the essential business information which will help them survive and prosper
in the professional market.
Printmaking
The printmaking concentration is designed around a thorough technical education in
the traditional techniques of etching, lithography and the relief processes of woodcut
and linocut. This, combined with a challenging questioning environment towards subject-matter
and its relevance to contemporary art and the student's personal interests, is founded
on strong drawing skills.
Sculpture
The sculpture concentration at Winthrop is designed to introduce students to both
traditional and contemporary ways of making sculpture. The concentration emphasizes
the development of technical, creative and cognitive skills through an energetic hands
on approach to creating sculpture.
Karen Oremus, Chair
oremusk@winthrop.edu
331 McLaurin Hall
803/323-2126
