Art Department

This course will introduce students to the art of drawing. Students will become familiar with conventional drawing materials including graphite, charcoal, conté, ink, and pastel. A disciplined daily working practice and routine will develop throughout the course, offering students transferable skills to all their academic pursuits. This course aims to encourage students to engage in further artistic study and life-long learning. ART 102 is strongly recommended as a complementary course. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 101 or ART 100. Three credits.

This course will continue students’ development in drawing based on the foundation of Introduction to Drawing I. Students will explore the use of conventional drawing materials and techniques while learning basic colour theory, advanced study of value and subtractive drawing, figure drawing, and abstract representation. An end-of-term self-directed artwork assignment is a summation of the course’s learning outcomes. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 102 or ART 100. Prerequisite: ART 101, or portfolio demonstrating drawing skills. Three credits.

This course focuses on design principles and elements such as unity, balance, repetition, line, shape, and colour. The course provides students with a vocabulary and working knowledge of visual communication. Students develop their visual problem-solving skills and explore their creativity through studio projects and class discussions. Three credits.

This course will afford students the opportunity of working in a variety of art media, (two-dimensional and possibly three-dimensional) while exploring techniques, presentations, concept and materials. Projects may include painting, printmaking, sculpture, animation, textiles and more. Students with some prior knowledge of drawing and/or art experience will benefit most from this course. Prerequisite: ART 101, 102 (100) recommended. Three credits.

Long before human beings developed written language, we were making works of art. This introductory survey examines art and architecture within the intellectual and social contexts of their historical production. It provides a working knowledge of the history of art from prehistory through Classical Greece and Rome, to the great cathedrals of the Medieval period. Students will begin to develop critical tools for studying visual culture, and achieve a deeper understanding of cultural history. Three credits.

This section of the art history survey begins with works of art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance, where new ideas (including the notion of genius) had major repercussions for the cultural and artistic history of subsequent periods, including the Baroque, Romanticism, the 20th century, and our contemporary era. Students will learn new ways of observing and interpreting art, enrich their appreciation of art and architecture, and further deepen their understanding of cultural and intellectual history. Three credits.

This course deals with the vocabulary, nature and physical properties of colour: hue, value and intensity. Studio assignments provide practise in learning colour relationships in unified and contrasting colour schemes. Three credits.

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This course covers the stages in the development of scenic designs for theatrical productions, although the elements learned can be applied to a variety of other display-based mediums. While there will be some information disseminated in a lecture format the principal work in the class is based on a range of ‘hands on’ creative projects. These will be in class along with a weekly, larger, project. The course culminates with a major design project for a play chosen by the instructor. This project takes the place of a final exam and as the information received in class is cumulative, it can be worked on throughout the term. Prerequisite: ART 101, 102 or permission of the instructor based on the student’s resume of theatre experience or letter of interest. Three credits.

This introductory course will teach students the fundamental principles of representational painting – artworks created through the careful observation from life. Emphasis will be placed on learning techniques of studio painting and brushwork in conjunction with a thorough understanding of the formal qualities of colour: hue, value, and tone. ART 205 is strongly recommended as a complementary course. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 204 or ART 200 or ART 299 ST: Intro to Painting. Prerequisites: ART 101, 102. Three credits.

This course is designed for students to further their technical and conceptual skills of representational painting acquired in ART 204. Subjects of increasing complexity are explored, including an investigation into landscape painting, the figure and independently researched topics. Prerequisite: ART 204, or portfolio demonstrating painting skills. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 205 or ART 200 or ART 299 ST: Intro to Painting. Three credits.

This course introduces the copper-foil method of stained glass. Students will create original designs, with encouragement and support to engage with their unique style preferences, perspectives, and cultures. They will learn basic technical skills to complete a two-dimensional stained glass artwork using materials (including coloured, textured glass) and equipment in the studio. Prerequisites: ART 101, 102, 115 or portfolio demonstrating drawing and design skills. Three credits.

In this intermediate-level course in the copper-foil method of stained glass, students will create original designs inspired by their unique style preferences, life experiences, and perspectives. They will build upon and extend the technical skills learned in ART 211 to produce a three-dimensional stained glass art project, such as a lamp. Prerequisite: ART 211 or portfolio demonstrating stained glass design and studio skills. Three credits.

“Batik” is the Javanese name for an ancient and contemporary art form originating in many parts of the world, notably Asia and Africa. Dyes and resist (such as melted wax, mud, or paste) are applied alternately to cloth to create permanent designs. After learning basic skills for mixing dyes and applying wax to cloth, each student will create original artworks in their own style, with encouragement to draw upon their perspective, identity and culture. Prerequisites: ART 101, 102, 115 or portfolio demonstrating drawing and design skills. Three credits.

Students will learn two standard techniques of fine-art printmaking: etching and linocut. Students will gain knowledge of printmaking, its materials and tools by means of instructional demonstrations, hands-on printmaking projects balancing technical knowledge with artistic concept and vision, and the study and in-class presentation of other printmakers’ work. A public art event may take place at the end of the course: students will demonstrate learned printmaking techniques in a public location of their choice, on- or off-campus. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 233, ART 231, or ART 298 ST: Printmaking. Three credits.

This studio course introduces pastels as a drawing medium. Pastels are crayon-like sticks of compressed pigment in either a chalk or wax binder. In this course, colour mixing and pastel techniques on a variety of papers will be explored as will the expressive potential of the medium. Students will complete a number of landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Emphasis will be put on developing compositional skills using pastels. Prerequisites: ART 101, 102. Three credits.

From the public announcement of a viable process in 1839, to the present day, photographic images have come to dominate our visual world. This course will examine the history of photography through its technology and through the work of key photographers, styles, and purposes. It will also consider photography as a medium for art in itself, its position and relationships with the traditional arts, and its extraordinary power to construct a world. Three credits.

Students will learn elements of cinematic language, focussing on documentary film: the basic principles of storytelling, cinematography, editing, sound recording, and producing; how to operate as a one-person crew using their own equipment; and how to analyze films to understand cinematic vocabulary. Students must have access to a mobile device or camera that can shoot video and a computer that can run basic editing software. Additionally, students will expand their understanding of cinema through watching films, focusing on independent documentary works by Canadian filmmakers who are underrepresented in the industry (women, Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and LGTBQ2S+). Credit will be granted for only one of ART 259 or ART 295 ST: Digital Video Production. Three credits.

This course examines art from the end of World War II to the present day. Attention will be paid to major movements and artists, the social and political context, and changing assumptions about what art should be and do. Three credits.

In this course, students will learn the basics of animation. Projects include simple 2D animation and stop-motion. There is a self-directed final project in which students will expand on acquired technical and theoretical knowledge of animation fundamentals. Animation comes in many styles, so a high level of drawing skill is not a requirement for this course. A laptop and digital camera are necessary. Open-access free animation software will be used. Three credits.

Intimately linked to identity and experience, the human body has constituted a wellspring of formal and conceptual explorations for artists across time and space. This thematic art history survey critically examines the relationship between ideas about the body and artistic representation. Students will use visual analysis and key concepts, like the Gaze and intersectionality, to study a wide range of artworks, from scientific illustrations to performances, that stem from a variety of cultural contexts. Three credits.

This course is designed for students interested in learning to effectively use digital photography as a means for self-expression, artistic medium, or cultural comment. No equipment is required, except for a smart phone. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 271 or ART 297 ST: Digital Photography. Three credits.

The topic for 2023-2024 is Classical Mythology in Art. How did the world emerge out of chaos? What is the difference between gods and heroes? This course examines artistic representations of classical Greek and Roman myths in order to understand why these stories have continued to resonate with us: how myths translate from place to place, and how works of art about them allude to very different ideas and interpretations as the religious, historical, and social contexts change over time. Three credits.

The topic for 2023-2024 is Introduction to Handbuilding Ceramics. This is a hands-on, introductory studio sculpture class with an emphasis on creating vessels and architectural forms, and exploring figurative approaches in clay. Students will be taught the processes of clay sculptural building, including mold-making, plaster-casting, and plasticine. Students will develop and hone hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor skills through tactile 3-D modelling in clay. Prerequisites: ART 101, 102. Three credits.

Weave your way through Celtic knots and ”horror vacui” fear of empty space,” and discover the art of the Celts. From the Battersea Shield to the Book of Kells, we will trace our way through the extraordinary legacy of weaponry, jewellery, illuminated manuscripts, Celtic crosses, and Sheela-na-Gigs to arrive at a deeper understanding of the people who made them. Acceptable as a course in history. Cross-listed as ANTH 321 and CELT 321. Three credits.
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Students will consider Canadian art practice and institutions from pre-European contact up to the Group of Seven. Topics can include aboriginal practice and the representation of native peoples, the construction of wilderness and place, and the role of the church in Quebec in the context of social and political change. Prerequisites: ART 141, 142 or survey of Canadian art or permission of the instructor. Three credits.

This course will be concerned with developing drawing to accurately reproduce plant forms. Non-flowering and flowering plant form and diversity will be covered. Prerequisite: ART 101, 102 (100) or BIOL 202 or portfolio demonstrating drawing or painting skills. Three credits.

This course provides intensive study of human anatomy with the purpose aimed towards figure drawing. Students will focus on the skeletal and muscular systems, studying both bone specimens and live models. Using graphite and charcoal, students will gain the knowledge to accurately draw the human figure and place their work within the historical context of figurative art. Prerequisite: ART 101, 102 (100) or portfolio submission. Three credits.

Recentering women in the history of art, this course critically examines the structures that excluded them and the narratives that erased them. It looks at how gender has shaped the discipline of art history and at texts that envision more inclusive methods. Students will draw on their experiments with looking techniques to write about women’s contributions to various visual and material cultures, from the discovery of butterfly metamorphosis to the secret “invention” of abstraction. Cross-listed as WMGS 354. Three credits.

This course builds on ART 259. Students will learn key components of cinematic grammar (for example, tone, casting, and pacing) and will create projects, to which they will bring their unique creative vision. Students will also analyze films, primarily those created by underrepresented filmmakers (women, BIPOC, and 2SLGTBQ+). To take this course, students must have access to a mobile device that can shoot video and also a computer that can run basic editing software. Credit will be granted for only one of ART 359 and ART 386 (2021-2022). Prerequisite: ART 259. Three credits.