Department of Art and Design
| Department Chair: |
Brenton Good |
| Administrative Assistant: |
Alisa Sentz |
| Professors: |
D. Finch, C. Forsythe, D. Forsythe, D. Kasparek |
| Associate Professors: |
B. Good, S. Matthews |
| Studio Technician: |
Brian Menkis |
Majors and Minors
The Department of Art and Design offers the following majors:
Art (Business) (B.A.)
Art Education with K-12 Teaching Certification (B.S.)
with concentrations in:
Three-Dimensional Studies
Two-Dimensional Studies
Graphic Design
Art History (B.A.)
Digital Media (B.A.) with concentration in Interactive Design (See Interdisciplinary)
Graphic Design (B.F.A.)
Studio Art (B.F.A. or B.A.) with concentrations in:
Three-Dimensional Studies
Two-Dimensional Studies
Graphic Design
The Department of Art and Design offers minors in Art History and Studio Art.
Overview
The Department of Art and Design offers majors leading to a B.A. and B.F.A. in Studio Art, a B.F.A. in Graphic Design, a B.A. in Art History, a B.S. in Art Education and interdisciplinary degrees in Arts (Business) (B.A.) and Digital Media (B.A.). The majors provide a strong curriculum and thorough training in art and design within the framework of a liberal arts education and with a commitment to a Christian world view. Our goals are to foster excellence in the arts and to serve God and society through the use and development of creative gifts. The program has been accredited by the National Association of Art and Design (NASAD), and by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). The department sponsors a complete exhibition calendar as well as annual lectures that are attended by the Messiah community and residents of the Harrisburg area. The department takes advantage of the close proximity to several large metropolitan areas and takes regular department-wide trips to the museums in New York and other cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
The Climenhaga and Frey academic buildings house a variety of art facilities. Climenhaga houses dedicated spaces for drawing, painting, photography, and a multipurpose studio. The Galleries at Messiah, including the Auginbaugh Gallery, are located in the Climenhaga building and the High Center, and host several exhibitions yearly. The galleries exhibit work by nationally known artists, the art faculty, and our students. Frey Hall houses studio spaces for sculpture, ceramics, fibers, printmaking, graphic design, and the senior studios. It also contains an art education room, a seminar room, and specially equipped art history classrooms. The studios are well maintained with appropriate equipment for the processes that are taught within each area.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Studio Arts is designed to provide students with both breadth and depth. Students begin the curriculum with a five-course foundation sequence: Visual Thinking and Digital Tools, Methods and Theories of Art History, a drawing course are taken during the first year, along with two foundational design courses completed by the end of the sophomore year. Students also begin a four course art history sequence which includes a survey of the history of Western Art along with a choice of either Modern or Contemporary Art History. These studies in art history are normally completed by the junior year. During the sophomore year, art students select individual concentrations from three areas: Graphic Design (print media, web, app design, motion graphics), Two-Dimensional Studies (drawing, painting, photography and printmaking), or Three-Dimensional Studies (ceramics, paper processes, sculpture, furniture, fiber arts, and installation). During their senior year (which must be spent on the Mechanicsburg Campus) studio art majors prepare an exhibition of work in their area of study. At the completion of their program art students demonstrate a knowledge of several areas of art and design along with one in depth area. Studio Art majors must maintain a 2.5 grade point average in their major to remain in the program.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Studio Art and The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Graphic Design are both professional degrees focused on a more intensive study of coursework in the field of art and design. The Studio Art B.F.A. has two available concentrations; Three-Dimensional Studies and Two-Dimensional Studies. These programs train professional artists to the highest level possible for undergraduate students and will be especially valuable for those who plan to pursue graduate studies in art and design. The B.F.A. programs balances 21 credits of art and design history and theory with 57 credits in studio courses for a total of 78 credits in art and design. Admission to both B.F.A. degrees requires a portfolio review; for more information, please consult the department website. B.F.A. students are required to go through sophomore review successfully and to maintain at least a 3.0 in their major to remain in the program. Students must plan on spending their senior year on the Mechanicsburg campus to execute a body of work for their senior exhibition.
Sophomore Review
All Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art Education majors are required to go through a sophomore review. This includes transfer students new to the major and/or new to the University. Students in these majors typically go through the review during their fourth semester of study. Students cannot put off the review if they are on campus. If the student is not on campus during that their fourth semester they are encouraged to schedule an appropriate time with prior. Transfer students to the major must accumulate 9 studio credits prior to the review, and must have obtained at least sophomore standing. Transfer students with previous studio credits from other colleges will go through the review when they have earned more than 9 studio credits and have obtained at least sophomore standing.
Students are required to present a portfolio of the work that they have accomplished thus far in their program to a panel of studio faculty. The portfolio must include at least one project from each studio course they have taken (including works done at other colleges). B.A. and B.S. students are limited to approximately 12 pieces, and prepare a 10-12 minute discussion with the panel. No work from high school may be included in this review. B.F.A. students may show up to 15 pieces, and prepare for 15 minutes with the panel.
The faculty panel rates the student’s work, the presentation, student and classroom skill and responsiveness to academic advising. A single score is assigned. Students must score at least 55% to remain in the program. Students are also grouped into the top, middle, and bottom section categories. Students in the bottom section are urged to create a plan with the help of their advisor to reevaluate their goals and to plan for methods of improvement.
Course categories: Foundational studios are offered every semester. Other courses are offered on a rotation basis.
Art Education courses: ART 201, ART 331, ART 355, ART 356
Capstone Core courses: ART 483, ART 485, ART 487, ART 493, ART 494
Ceramics courses: ART 220, ART 221, ART 320
Graphic Design courses: ART 112, ART 211, ART 236, ART 237, ART 312, ART 336, ART 337, ART 338, ART 345, ART 347, ART 405, ART 411, ART 420, ART 431, ART 437
Drawing courses: ART 171, ART 271, ART 339, ART 371, ART 372
Foundational Studio courses: ART 110, ART 182, ART 282, ARTH 111
Painting courses: ART 143, ART 215, ART 315, ART 415
Photography courses: ART 251, ART 352, ART 353
Printmaking courses: ART 232, ART 330, ART 332, ART 442
Sculpture courses: ART 262, ART 263, ART 364, ART 462
Fibers courses: ART 224, ART 234, ART 334, ART 438
Additional 3-D Art courses: ART 136, ART 283, ART 308
Concentrations. Studio Art majors along with Art Education majors choose from one of the three concentrations to do in-depth studio study. Students must take a minimum of five courses in their concentration.
Graphic Design (computer art, multimedia, web, app design, motion, and graphic design). Students use the latest programs that are included in the Adobe Creative Suite CS6 Design & Web Premium such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, Lightroom and Dreamweaver in our Macintosh lab system, which is continually updated. Students choose from a variety of course work that will develop students’ skills and aesthetic sensibilities in the production of computer-generated art work, graphic-oriented materials and Web motion and design.
Three-Dimensional Studies (ceramics, paper processes, sculpture, installation, furniture, and fiber arts). The Three Dimensional Studies concentration offers the student an array of coursework in sculpture and the fine crafts. Students can select from a variety of sculptural processes, installation art, furniture design, and ceramics. They can also choose to study fiber processes such as weaving, wearable arts, dyeing, printing and painting on fabric, along with papermaking and book structures.
Two-Dimensional Studies (drawing, painting, photography and printmaking). This concentration emphasizes the study of a variety of media and processes that are traditionally used to produce two-dimensional work. Students choose to study from an extensive selection of interrelated two dimensional course work including courses focusing on figure drawing, illustration, lithography, intaglio and relief printmaking, screen printing, various levels of painting, and both film and digital photography courses.