New Emphasis Proposal 11-28

New Emphasis Proposal
11/28/05

This new area reflects 2 major shifts in the visual arts: the use of digital media and the presentation of work in varied contexts. These shifts come with special technical challenges and distinct conceptual, theoretical and historical considerations. To teach these effectively requires specific physical and technical requirements and specialized knowledge on the part of faculty.

The strategy is to add these capacities to the department in a way that reflects the importance of concentrated work in these areas, while not proposing a new emphasis for each technology. This plan gains efficiency by combining several practices into one emphasis area. The areas share a special consideration of the context of presentation and the frequent requirement of working collaboratively with other people.

The department (faculty/ curriculum/ building) is an important representation of what comprises the visual arts; for students, the University, and the community. Including these areas in regular curriculum and regular faculty at the proposed levels is reflective of current practice in the visual arts and culture. It acrues appropriate resources for the department to do its work for students, the University, and the community.

The emphasis would assure regular offerings of courses that incorporate digital technologies into studio practice. This relieves the pressure on other areas to include these new areas in the technical instruction in their emphasis areas. This would benefit students in any emphasis by offering these courses on a consistent basis. A regular schedule also would allow patterns of enrollment from other departments such as communications and computer science. These technologies easily combine with other disciplines and as such would connect and inter-relate our other emphasis areas.
As an emphasis these areas can be institutionally supported and developed with proper space, faculty, and organization.
New faculty with these capabilities would add greatly to our aggregate faculty knowledge-base and contribute to more informed interdisciplinary work in the department.
Each of the studios in this area extend in specific ways to other majors in the University. The emphasis would naturally connect with other departments contributing to the development of more interdisciplinary exchange.
The technical and organizational skills addressed in these courses provide readily transferable practical skills to those in the emphasis as well as those who take the courses as studio electives. Possible futures include work or further study in studio, criticism, curatorial, education, technology, arts administration.

Courses:

image studio- incorporates current technologies in the study and creation of images. (possibly cross-listed with prints/painting)
interactive studio- incorporates current technologies in the study and creation of interactive works; web, kiosk, spatial activations
time studio- incorporates current technologies in the study and creation of works that take place over time; audio, video, performance.
Space Studio- creation of site-specific works based in the primary form and experience of space. (possibly cross-listed with sculpture)
Civic Studio- community-situated study and creation of cultural forms in public space. -Service learning component.
Curatorial Studio- the study and creation of visual presentation in exhibitions or projects. This would focus on the techniques, challenges and opportunities inherent in the generation and structuring of visual curations and display in various contexts. This would include the selection and contextualization of existing works as well as collaborative or directorial relationships with artists. Would include criticism component.

Each of these primary courses would be offered concurrently at multiple levels 200,300,400.

BFA Program

(Each student establishes a learning plan with their advisor that projects the intended combination of emphasis studios and studio electives. If plan calls for significant incorporation of other studios, faculty from that area will be consulted. The plan is written and kept on file in department student file. Student and faculty sign-off on changed or continued plan each semester.)

	studio courses (after foundations)	credits
5-8	emphasis courses (at least 4 different courses, max 3 times any one course)	15-24
6-9	studio electives (at least 6 studio electives outside the emphasis)	18-27
	Additional emphasis requirements
1	Senior Seminar 401	3
1	Issues in Art (capstone) 495	3
1	Senior Project B.F.A. 498	6
	total	54

A practicum/internship (instead of one studio elective) will be an option. Positions assisting in art organization will be established as well as a structure for implementing projects in conjunction with other non-profits or educational institutions. This could include projects that overlap with Art Education.
Students would be encouraged to do situated senior projects requiring the organization or establishment of particular context of presentation.

Faculty needs:
The program could be started with the addition of one faculty member; someone with knowledge in digital media (web, video, audio, interactive media). Paul is willing to serve leadership roles in the development of the emphasis as needed, but is ultimately not envisioning heading up the emphasis.
Paul and the additional faculty could be primary faculty in this area and cover cps sections. The program could begin with a visiting position instead of a tenure-track faculty.

Technology:
New technologies are continuously gaining in quality and dropping in cost. Consumer quality today is equal to professional quality 5 years ago. These courses are designed to use technology that is closer to the consumer level. This makes it possible to include these things without huge costs for equipment. Majors in this area would be recommended to purchase their own computers.

Link to this Page

old index last edited on 9 March 2006 at 11:41 am by pm865-25.dialip.mich.net