Art

Cynthia Clabough, Chair
24H Hewitt Union
315-312-2111
www.oswego.edu/art  
Directory of Professors  

The study of art encompasses both the active creation of visual objects, as well as the investigation of their historical and social context. Students in the Art Department select from a number of programs: a studio, graphic design, or art history track at the Bachelor of Arts (BA) level; a studio or graphic design degree at the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) level; and minor programs in art history, museum studies, photography, and studio art. All programs require a series of foundation or core courses. The BFA degree programs are competitive and interested students must submit a portfolio to be accepted. Prospective students should direct questions to the Art Department office.

Students in the BA program can choose study tracks in Art History, Studio Art or Graphic Design. Many students in the BA program are interested in multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary study and choose to major or minor in a second subject such as arts management, psychology, cognitive science, broadcasting, public relations, communications, advertising and marketing, technology education and information science, to name a few. For students with a variety of interests and skills, the BA offers a better opportunity for study outside of art or graphic design. Students earning second degrees or minors increase their range of opportunities for life after graduation, whether that is professional in a career, or graduate study.

Offerings in art history are particularly extensive for a college the size of Oswego. Students take a two-semester survey of art and may select upper division courses in Twentieth-Century, Chinese, Japanese, Islamic, Native American, or Museum Studies. Students in museum studies and art history look for careers in institutions and archives.

With respect to the BFA Studio Art program, the department offers a variety of courses in ceramics, drawing, design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Program studies also include specific attention to the latest developments in art theory, criticism and art history. Students are introduced to a variety of media through intensive, hands-on classroom experience in well-equipped studio facilities. Through discussions and critiques, students advance from foundation studies to specialize in a medium of their choice. Students use the numerous work-study, assistantship and study abroad programs to gain valuable practical experience. Graduates of the program have been accepted into well-known MFA programs. Students often go on to become K-12 teachers, college professors, gallery workers, and self-employed artists.

Students in the BFA Graphic Design program concentrate on the study and practice of contemporary graphic design theory, techniques and application. The Graphic Design program prepares graduates for positions in the visual communications industry. Students use state-of-the-art computer workstations and peripheral devices in a hands-on studio environment to create a wide range of graphic design projects. The program includes study of print, web, and multimedia design as well as photography and illustration. Electives ensure ample opportunity for study in a wide range of media as well as focus in a specific discipline. Many students are able to participate in a work-study program during their senior year, where they learn within an actual industry environment. Graduates of the program have found employment in a number of graphic communication fields in large and small companies, and institutions throughout the country.

The Art Department is located in Tyler Hall and Lanigan Hall. Inside Tyler Hall are the studios for foundation design, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking, and photography. The building houses a digital imaging lab, woodshop, and two art galleries where a variety of exhibitions are held throughout the academic year, as well as collections of slides, digital images and VCR tapes, which supplement teaching in both the Studio Art and Art History areas. The spacious Graphic Arts facility situated in Lanigan Hall, on the first floor, includes two lecture/critique rooms and two large digital media labs, a room for preparing portfolios and framing, a student lounge, an audio/video projects studio, and a conference room.

The Art Department cosponsors these interdisciplinary minors:

• Arts Management Minor 
• Expressive Arts Therapy Minor  
• Audio Design and Production Minor  

The departments of Art, Music, Theatre, and Curriculum and Instruction cosponsor this concentration area:

• The Arts Concentration - Childhood Education 1-6  
   

Programs

• Art Major – B.A. Studio, Art History, Graphic Design Degree
• Art Major – B.F.A. Graphic Design Degree
• Art Major – B.F.A. Studio Art Degree

• Art History Minor
• Art Minor
• Graphic Design minor (21 cr)
• Illustration Minor
• Museum Studies Minor
• Photography Minor

Courses

• ART 492 - BFA Exhibition
• ART 496 - Studio Practicum
• ART 498 - Internship
• ART 499 - Independent Study