Art

Chair: Associate Professor Radycki
Associate Professors: Fraleigh; Assistant Professor: Baxter; Visiting instructors: Johnston, Shelley, Spinks; Adjunct Faculty: Ciganick, Colegrove, Faggioli, Johnston, Kearns, Kotsch, Krenos, Zucco

The Moravian College Art Department cultivates a vibrant academic community committed to creative and critical thinking. Our faculty and students share a passion for art as a celebration of the mind’s imaginative and intellectual powers. Art is by nature an interdisciplinary and trans-cultural field that invites students to consider how art reflects and shapes society, politics, ethics, and culture. At Moravian College, art-making is a form of meaning-making that relies on invention, research, and an infinitely curious mind to construct new knowledge, foster self-expression, and explore visual communication. Students are given the opportunity to unleash their creativity through dynamic projects that embrace risk-taking, problem-solving, revision, and self-reflection.

Working at the forefront of new approaches to teaching, learning, and technology, the Art Department is grounded in strong traditional foundations. Our program lays the groundwork for students to integrate and appreciate art throughout their lives, encouraging leadership in their fields and within the global community. Under the mentorship of our outstanding faculty, our students are provided with a strong, personalized academic major, combined with innovative hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for community engagement and collaboration. The Art Department is committed to providing professional opportunities through our internships; in-house graphic design studio; student teaching; on- and off- campus student exhibitions; visiting guest lectures; study abroad experiences; student-run organizations; and participation in conferences, workshops and presentations.

Four concentrations or tracks are available: studio art, art history, art education, and graphic design. Foundational courses in studio art are the basis for all tracks. Working from observation, studio art majors learn technique while developing conceptual strategies. Students utilize a variety of traditional and digital media. Advanced students are eligible to apply for studio space to encourage sustained production of their work. A variety of classes in media-related arts including photography, video, website design, and printmaking are offered. The study of art history integrated into the studio experience is an essential element for creative and intellectual growth. Art education students take courses in art and education and spend a semester in supervised student teaching in order to receive Pennsylvania Department of Education teacher certification. Studio majors create and develop a cohesive body of work that becomes their review thesis, and exhibit on and off campus. Art education activities support and challenge the cognitive, artistic, and social development of all children and adolescents.Graphic design students pursue advanced coursework that focuses on professional creative work.

The Major in Art

The major in art consists of 9 to 12 course units, depending on the track. All four tracks utilize a common core of four courses that emphasize the historical traditions of art, introduce the elements of design and principles of composition, and develop skills in drawing and painting. These courses are Art 113, 142, 170, and 180. The student then selects one of the four tracks:

Studio Art. This track is designed to prepare students for careers in the fine arts in areas such as drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, or photography. It may also serve as a foundation for graduate study in the fine arts. This track consists of 12 course units and is built on the foundation of the four common-core courses listed above. In addition, Art 114, 229, 270, 280, 370, 371, 372, and 380 are required.
Art History and Criticism. This track is designed for students to pursue careers as art historians, critics, or curators in museums or galleries. It consists of 9 course units and is built on the foundation of the four common-core courses listed above. In addition, Art 114, 218, 229, 310, and at least one additional art history course (approved by the advisor) are required.
Art Education. This track is designed for students to receive certification in teaching art (K-12) and to pursue careers in art education. This track is built on the four common core courses lists above and includes 11 course units in art and 9 course units in education, as follows: Art 113, 114, 142, 145.2, 146.2, 159, 160, 170, 180, and Education 100.2, 130, 160, 163, 244, 266, 366, 375-377, and 379.
Graphic and Information Design. This track is designed for students interested in careers in publication or interactive design, or as preparation for graduate study and teaching. This track consists of 13 course units and is built on the foundation of the four common-core courses listed above. In addition, Art 131, 167 or 268, 229, 230, 231, 270, 373 and 374 (or another course as required by the Art Department), plus one from the following: Art 254, 331, 346, 348, or another course approved by the chair, are required. Art 373 is strongly recommended as an elective.

The Minor in Art

The minor in art consists of Art 113, 170, and three additional course units selected with the approval of the advisor. Two of the additional courses must be at the 200 or 300 level. A student may choose courses that emphasize studio art, graphic and interactive design, or art history and criticism. The art minor is available only to students who are not art majors. It is not possible to minor in art education or graphic design.

The Minor in Art History

This program is designed for students outside the art department with an interest in art history. It includes Art 113, Art 114, Art 218, Art 229, and one additional course in art history at the 200-level or above. Certain special topics courses may count towards the minor. Consult with an advisor.

The Minor in Graphic Design

This program is designed as a minor for students outside the art department with an interest in graphic design. It includes Art 131, 142, 230, and 231; plus one additional course chosen from among Art 254, 268, 331, 346, and 374. Certain special topics courses may count towards the minor. Consult with an advisor.

The Minor in Photography

The minor in photography will consider the medium as a professional and academic discipline. Creativity, visual literacy, and communication skills will be stressed through practice and critical theory via strategies emphasizing interdisciplinary relationships among a broad range of curriculum and personal experience. The following courses constitute the photography minor: Art 220, 229, 268, 368, and one course from the following: 131, 254, 346, 395, 398, 381, or 386. The photography minor is not available to students pursuing a major in art.

The Interdepartmental Major in Art

The studio art Set I of the interdepartmental major includes Art 113, 142, 159, 170, and two additional courses that, with the six courses of Set II, are selected by the student with the approval of the advisor.

The graphic and information design Set I of the interdepartmental major includes Art 131, 142, 170, 229, and 231. One additional course is chosen from among Art 167 or 268, 230, and 331. This course and those of Set II are selected by the student with the approval of the advisor.

The art history and criticism Set I of the interdepartmental major includes Art 113, 142, 170, and three additional art history courses that, with the six courses of Set II, are selected by the student with the approval of the advisor.

Art Education

This track is designed for students to receive certification in teaching art (K-12) and to pursue careers in art education. This track is built on the four common core courses lists above and includes 11 course units in art and 9 course units in education, as follows: Art 113, 114, 142, 145.2, 146.2, 159, 160, 170, 180, and Education 100.2, 130, 160, 163, 244, 266, 366, 375-377, and 379.

The art education program at Moravian College places child-centered teaching and learning theories into practice. The primary outcome of this approach is that, through the creation and sharing of personal meaning-making, students foster a greater understanding of themselves and others and awaken to alternative possibilities in the world. Art education provides an opportunity for children to answer the question, “must things be as they are?” In doing so, they cultivate a more peaceful and socially just world, and education becomes transformative. This child-centered approach to art education exceeds the Pennsylvania Department of Education Academic Standards for the Visual Arts.

To carry out the goals of this approach to art education, pre-service art educators must develop their own art practice and use their practice to inform their pedagogy. Thus, they come to understand their studio art practice as research, as the place where they are constructing new knowledge. By mastering art processes and techniques, through the understanding of materials and their potential for shaping ideas, the pre-service educator calls on these experiences as he or she writes curricula that support and challenge the artistic development and learning styles of all children.

Students pursuing art education (K-12) complete all Foundational (F) categories of Learning in Common, and complete 7 or 8 Multidisciplinary (M) and Upper-Division (U) categories.

Departmental Recommendations

Students of art history and criticism who plan to pursue graduate degrees in art history must be fluent in two languages.
Students in the graphic design track who plan to pursue graduate studies should contact their advisor to plan additional courses for study.
Students are encouraged to consult with members of the Art Department when registering for advanced courses.

Notes on Art Courses and the Art Major

In every art course, there is at least one required field trip, for which students are billed by the College.
Art students are required to attend lectures and workshops by visiting artists.
Art students are strongly encouraged to participate in exhibition opportunities and arts events on campus and in the community.
Gallery space is designated for exhibitions by students.
All art majors must participate in a review of their art work during the spring term of the sophomore year.
Seniors in the graphic design track are required to participate in a review of their work in the fall term of their senior year.
Lab fees are required for some studio art classes, including ceramics, printmaking, three-dimensional design, graphic design, and digital photography. Lab fees cover usage of the lab and lab supplies, such as photographic chemicals, clay, printmaking supplies, and computer software and hardware. In courses that utilize the color printers in the graphic design lab, a portion of the lab fee goes toward color printing costs.
Kit fees are required for some studio art classes, including Art 142, 146.2, 170, 180 and 270. Kit fees cover the costs for an art supply kit for the course (paint, brushes, etc.) and are billed to each student's account in approximately the third week of the term.

Courses in Art History

Note: All courses in art history meet for a minimum of 140 minutes a week.

113. Global Perspectives in Art History to the Renaissance. Basic problems of the development of Western art are considered in terms of major civilizations and epochs that produced them, from ancient times to the Renaissance. Introduces non-Western art such as African, Asian, Islamic, Judaic, aboriginal (art of Australia and New Zealand), and art of the Americas. Fall. (M6)
Ciganick, Kearns, Radycki

114. Art History since the Renaissance. Major movements in Western art from the Renaissance to the present. Spring. (M6)
Ciganick, Radycki

212. Artists as Activists. (Also Interdisciplinary 212). How do artists, graphic designers, writers and performing artists raise questions and advocate social change? Global examples of visual culture will include propaganda, graphic design, film music video, and theatre. Relationships between art, images, mass media, and acts of conscience will be evaluated using ethical/philosophical frameworks and formal and contextual analysis. Discussion will include historical, social, and political context of art, its method of production and distribution, and its inherent privileges or risks. Prerequisite: Junior or senior class standing. (U2)
Torok

218. Art of the Renaissance. Development and growth of art in Italy and northern Europe, 13th-16th centuries. Prerequisite: Art 113, Art 114, or permission of instructor. Fall, alternate years. (M6)
Radycki

220. History of Photography. This course explores the social, cultural, political, scientific, and artistic contexts surrounding the history of photography, from its invention to the present day. The course will emphasize how the medium has influenced the way we interpret images and the impact that photography has had on visual culture. Through discussions, readings, hands-on activities, and museum visits, students will become familiar with photography's rich and diverse history. Fall, alternate years.
Hurwitz

222. African Art. (Also Interdisciplinary 222) Students will develop an aesthetic and cultural overview of African art, from prehistory to the present day. Sculpture is the primary medium studied in the course, but textiles, painting, artisanal works and architecture are also included. Students will consider how religion and cultural influences affect the development of regional and national styles. The influence of the African diaspora on art in Europe, Latin America, and the United States will be considered. Students will acquire the critical vocabulary required to analyze and interpret African art, and apply it in both discussion and writing. (M5)
Kearns

226. Art of the 19th Century. Development of art from romantic and neoclassical periods through the post-impressionists. Prerequisite: Art 113, Art 114, or permission of instructor. Fall, alternate years.
Radycki

229. Modern Art. Development of European and American art from the post-impressionists (1890s) to Pop Art (1960s). Prerequisite: Art 113, Art 114, or permission of instructor. Writing-intensive.
Baxter, Kearns, Radycki

310. Art History Methodology: Criticism, Theory and Practice. What is it you want to know about a work of art? The questions you ask and how you go about finding the answers lead straight to the issue of methodology. This course's goal is to understand the development of the discipline of art history and its theoretical underpinnings. It will survey the major art historians, the questions they asked, and the answers they proposed. Additional topics include connoisseurship and contemporary exhibit practices. Prerequisites: Art 113 and 114. Spring, alternate years.
Radycki

190-199, 290-299, 390-399. Special Topics.

286, 381-384. Independent Study.

288, 386-388. Internship.

400-401. Honors.

Courses in Studio Art and Graphic Design

Note: All courses in studio art and graphic design meet for two 150-minute periods a week or as a five-hour seminar once a week.

Art 142 and Art 170 are offered as foundational studio art courses; they are required for art majors, but open to non-majors without prerequisites. Art majors in the graphic design, studio art, and art education tracks should take Art 142 and Art 170 in the fall term of the first year, and Art 270 in the spring term of the first year. Art majors in the art history track should take Art 170 in the fall term of the first year and Art 142 in the spring term of the first year.

131. Introduction to Graphic Design. Foundation skills in the formal and conceptual principles of graphic design: concept, composition, legibility, language, typography. Projects develop visual literacy and skills in text, drawing, and image production using the Macintosh computer as primary design tool. Critical thinking is stressed through analysis of content and its most effective form of visual presentation. Prerequisite: Art 142 or permission of instructor.
Kotsch, Krenos

142. Visual Foundations: Composition, Color and Design. A guided investigation of basic concepts and techniques of visual organization, addressing theory and application of two-dimensional design and color using various concepts, media, and techniques. Weekly projects develop students' awareness of formal elements of composition and interrelationships between form and content. Utilizing fundamental design principles, including line, shape, color, value, space, balance, proportion, and scale, students learn and use appropriate vocabulary to verbalize their creative process and critical thinking. Learning to analyze one's own work and the work of others is as important a skill as making the work. (M6)
Shelley, Johnston, Zucco

145.2. Graphic Design for Presentations. This half-semester course introduces the principles of graphic and information design, focusing on the use of design techniques to clarify communication and improve learning. Discipline-based projects will be created using digital technology and software, with an emphasis on text hierarchy, page layout, illustration, and photography. Macintosh platform. Computer literacy is expected. May not be taken for credit by students who have completed Art 131 or the equivalent. Spring.
Kotsch

146.2. Printmaking and Book Arts. This half-semester course introduces materials, tools, and procedures of printmaking and may include linocut, woodcut, intaglio, solarplate, and paper-making. Final project may include a book designed, produced, and bound by the student. Fall.
Zucco

159. Design: Three-Dimensional. In-depth investigation of basic forms involving a variety of multidimensional media. Recommended foundation course for sculpture. Spring. (M6)
Faggioli

160. Ceramics. This course introduces the fundamentals of ceramic art—including hand-built and wheel techniques—applied to tiles, objects, and vessels, and methods of glazing. Outdoor raku firing will be introduced. The history and use of ceramics will be discussed. The basics of operating a ceramics classroom are included: loading, unloading, firing and maintaining electric kilns, including low-fire and high-fire; purchasing clay, glazes and other supplies; health and safety concerns.
Faggioli

168.2. Introduction to Photo Media. This half-unit course teaches foundational skills in traditional black-and-white and digital photography, with emphasis on the medium as a mode of description, reflection and personal expression. Learning strategies include, but are not limited to, projects, lab exercises, assigned readings, writing assignments, discussions, and critiques.
Kotsch

170. Drawing I. Skills and critical understanding of the fundamentals of drawing: composition, perspective, value, and balance, developed through rendering the observed world. Students engage in the pictorial issues of drawing, especially the relation of subject and context. These fundamentals are taught in context with a pictorial language, rather than elements of abstract design. Fall. (M6)
Fraleigh, Johnston, Shelley

180. Painting I. Emphasis on investigation as related to historical, individual, and creative problems of space, composition, structure, and image. Prerequisite: Art 142. Fall. (M6)
Burmeister, Crooker, Fraleigh, Shelley

230. Typography and Information Design. What language is to writing, typography is to graphic design. Today's designers, who work primarily in digital media, create messages that are both "virtual" (time-based and in perpetual motion) and fixed in place by ink on paper. This course explores how typography shapes content. Designing with letters, words, and texts develops legibility, emphasis, hierarchy of meaning, personal expression, and appropriateness. Students will learn the principles of clear, strong, effective design using current design applications and technology. Projects will explore design as rhetoric, information, and expression. Prerequisite: Art 131.
Spinks

231. Publication Design. Design of magazines, books, and brochures requires collaboration between writers, editors, and designers. Students learn to analyze and organize written and visual narratives. Research, planning, editing, and computer skills are developed and combined with clear and appropriate design vocabulary. Macintosh platform utilizing InDesign and Photoshop. Prerequisite: Art 230 or permission of the instructor. Spring.
Krenos, Spinks

245. Printmaking I. Introduction to traditional and innovative techniques and ideas in relief, silk-screen, etching, mixed media. Prerequisite: Art 170 or permission of instructor. Spring.
Zucco

254. Digital Video. Focuses on the study of moving imagery and its use as an artistic tool for creative expression and social inquiry. Starting with problem solving and idea generation, students move into the traditional language of film, and the theories, disciplines, and procedures used to plan and produce works in video. Through classroom lectures, demonstrations, discussion, and hands-on experience, students learn the basic technical and operational skills involved in video making as well as creative strategies for producing their own individual works. Spring.
Staff

259. Sculpture. Problems of various aspects of sculptural form in a wide range of media. Prerequisite: Art 159 or permission of instructor. Offered as independent study with permission of instructor.
Staff

268. Digital Photography. A critical seminar for the production and study of digital image making. Students learn the basic technical and operational skills involved in creating photographic work electronically. Discussions and readings investigate issues pertaining to art and media culture, as well as similarities and differences between the objective nature of traditional photography and the inherent subjective quality of digital imagery. The class will build a critical, theoretical, and artistic framework to help students develop their own unique vision in the context of digital art making. (M6)
Steinke, Kotsch

270. Drawing II. Development of composition through a wide range of techniques and media. Prerequisite: Art 170 or permission of instructor. Spring.
Fraleigh, Johnston, Shelley

280. Painting II. Continuation of the investigations and problems explored in Art 180. Prerequisite: Art 180.
Fraleigh, Johnston, Shelley

331. Graphic Design: History and Practice. Students refine visual and problem-solving skills in design through research and writing, using text- and image-based design programs. Slide-lectures and readings on graphic-design history and theory focus on grounding design in cultural and historical context. Projects may include identity design, résumé writing, newsletter design. Prerequisite: Art 231. Fall.
Spinks

346. Interactive Design. Introduction to multimedia and principles of information design. Creation and preparation of web graphics, design and critique of web sites, maps, and signage systems. Advanced work in image creation and manipulation. Prerequisites: Art 131 and 268, or permission of instructor.
Colegrove

348. Animation for the Web. The purpose of this class is to give the student an overview of how interactive and motion visual communications are prepared and implemented today. Within this framework, the student will learn professional practices of motion graphic design, including the fundamentals of programming and animated web design. Skills will be developed using major design applications, including Macromedia Flash, Photoshop, and Fireworks. Prerequisite: Art 131 or permission of instructor.
Staff

370. Advanced Drawing. Advanced problems in developing skills of graphic expression. Emphasis on the human figure. Prerequisite: Art 270 or permission of instructor. Fall.
Fraleigh, Johnston

371. Advanced Studio Seminar. Advanced discussion and studio/scholarly work focused on contemporary issues of art-making in the context of criticism and theory and as practice (studio/creative/scholarly work). Site visits to installations and galleries. The seminar culminates in group projects from written proposal to finished presentation, open to the public. Fall.
Fraleigh, Johnston

372. Senior Projects. This class is designed to let students advance their personal creative techniques, content, and vocabulary, using a variety of traditional and digital media, and to develop their own practice. Advisors will come from full-time and adjunct faculty, working with the students to create a significant creative work or collection of work. Prerequisites: Art 371 and senior standing, studio track. Spring.
Fraleigh, Shelley, Steinke

373. Design Internship. Qualified students work 12 hours per week at a graphic design studio, publishing company, or printer. In addition, bi-monthly seminars focus on portfolio development, ethical and professional standards, pre-press specifications, and printing. Prerequisites: Senior standing and permission of faculty supervisor based on portfolio review. Spring.
Spinks

374. Portfolio Seminar. An advanced-level course for graphic design students to prepare them for job searches and the professional environment. The primary focus of this class is direction on creating and writing a body of work organized into a professional portfolio. Students develop expertise, self-direction, and accountability. Prior design work is assessed and revised to meet professional portfolio standards. In addition to assembling a professional portfolio, students gain practice in job interviewing, resume preparation, and purposeful job searching. Prerequisites: Art 230 and 231. Fall.
Spinks

380. Advanced Painting. Advanced problems in painting, structured, composed, and created by the student. Prerequisite: Art 280.
Fraleigh, Johnston

190-199, 290-299, 390-399. Special Topics.

286, 381-384. Independent Study.

288, 386-388. Internship.

400-401. Honors.