Visual Arts
Overview
The major in visual arts is intended to encourage a sensitive development of perceptual, creative, and critical abilities in visual expression.
Visual Arts Learning Goals
- Develop skills of direct observation of the world in order to examine the relationship between seeing and knowing.
- Embark upon a range of material explorations in order to gain technical proficiency and facility with multiple means of artistic production.
- Master the formal elements of visual design in order to articulate ideas and to develop an individual artistic language.
- Independently develop and be self-critical of one’s creative production.
- Engage in critical discourse and extend it to one’s daily life.
- Identify the concerns and motivations informing one’s practice and articulate their significance within global historical and contemporary context.
- Locate one’s work within the larger conversations defining the liberal arts.
Visual Arts Department Website
Options for Majoring or Minoring in the Department
Students may elect to major in visual arts, the art history and visual arts interdisciplinary major, or to coordinate a major in visual arts with digital and computational studies, education, or environmental studies. Students pursuing coordinate or interdisciplinary majors may not normally elect a second major. Non-majors may elect to minor in visual arts.
Jackie Brown, Department Chair
Laurie Holland, Department Coordinator
Professors: James Mullen, Michael Kolster, Carrie Scanga
Associate Professor: Jackie Brown
Assistant Professor: Eleanor Conover
Visiting faculty: John Fireman
Visual Arts
Visual Arts Major
The major consists of ten courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| VART 1101 | Drawing I | 1 |
| Select two of the following: | 2 | |
| Printmaking I | ||
| Photography I | ||
| Sculpture I | ||
| Video I | ||
| VART 3902 | Advanced Studio | 1 |
| Select one 3000-level visual arts course labelled generally as Guided Independent Studio Practice. c | 1 | |
| Select four additional visual arts electives. d | 4 | |
| Select one course in art history. | 1 | |
- c
These advanced studio courses emphasize self-directed work with thematic prompts and in-progress critiques.
- d
Any level course in visual arts may be used to satisfy this requirement, but no more than one of the four electives may be an independent study course.
Visual Arts Minor
The minor consists of six courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| VART 1101 | Drawing I | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Printmaking I | ||
| Photography I | ||
| Sculpture I | ||
| Video I | ||
| Select three additional visual arts courses. e | 3 | |
| Select one course in art history at any level. | 1 | |
- e
Any level course in visual arts may be used to satisfy this requirement, but no more than one of the three electives may be an independent study course.
Visual Arts
- Students who receive a four on the Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: 3-D Design, or Studio Art: Drawing AP exams, and complete VART 1101 Drawing I, VART 1201 Printmaking I, VART 1401 Photography I, or VART 1601 Sculpture I, with a minimum grade of B-, are eligible to receive a general credit toward their degree, but not major/minor credit. If a student has scores for more than one exam, only 1 total credit will be awarded. For information on credit for International Baccalaureate scores, please see the visual arts department. In order to receive credit for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate work, students must have their scores officially reported to the Office of the Registrar by the end of their sophomore year at Bowdoin.
- Majors and minors in visual arts may double-count an unlimited number of courses with another major or minor as long as the course is cross-listed with visual arts.
Information for Incoming Students: Visual Arts
VART 1101 Drawing I, VART 1201 Printmaking I, VART 1401 Photography I, VART 1601 Sculpture I or VART 1702 Video I are recommended to all students as a starting place in the visual arts curriculum, regardless of previous studio art experience. These courses have no prerequisites and presume no previous knowledge or aptitude beforehand, only a strong interest in the subject and the willingness to work. Students who have never taken an art class will be strongly welcomed and encouraged.
Materials and fees: Students are responsible for paying the first $100 of art materials. An endowed fund (the Kaempfer Fund) will pay the cost of additional art materials - up to $600 for photography courses and up to $300 for other courses - for all registered students.
Introductory credit: student requests to apply AP credit or previous college credit to the major or minor will be discussed by the department on a case-by-case basis. We do not waive the requirement of VART 1101 Drawing I as a major or minor requirement or as a prerequisite for VART 1301 Painting I.
Visual Arts
This seminar posits making photographs and writing as complementary, iterative activities. Students will regularly photograph aspects of their daily lives and confront the challenges involved in the creation of images that resonate beyond the commonplace. At the same time, the class will conduct close readings of texts related to the medium and images significant to its history. Comparing and contrasting writing and making photographs will shape class discussions and writing assignments. Students will learn how to use a camera intentionally through specific prompts and class exercises and should expect to share and discuss their images and writing in class. Instruction on the use of digital single lens reflex (dSLR) cameras will be provided — no previous experience with making photographs is needed. Cameras will be available for student use.
Terms offered: 2023 Fall Semester
A hands-on introduction to the creation of interactive art and digital media. Students construct programs to analyze data from physical sensors to characterize motion, proximity, and sound. Through experimental and project based studio work, students design and implement interactive applications for theater, dance, sculpture, installations, and video. Collaborative work focuses on problem solving at the intersections of creative arts and technology. Readings in media theory support the critical examination of contemporary interactive art. Note: This course does not serve as a prerequisite to 3000-level visual arts courses. This course originates in Music and is crosslisted with: Visual Arts. (Same as: MUS 2561)
This course is an introduction to drawing, with an emphasis on the development of perceptual, organizational, and critical abilities. Course projects entail objective observation, exploration of the abstract formal organization of graphic expression, and the development of a critical vocabulary of visual principles. Lectures and group critiques support studio projects in various drawing media.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2022 Spring Semester; 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2023 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester
This course is an introduction to the materials and methods of drawing. In addition to developing confidence with observational drawing and composition, the class will use the Schiller Coastal Studies Center as a site-specific component. At SCSC, students will investigate regional, (art) historical, and material elements relevant to the medium of drawing, invoking the potential for an extended drawing practice that considers the specificity of place alongside foundational studio instruction. Coursework will involve class discussions, demonstrations, independent and collaborative drawing projects, and offsite visits for fieldwork and/or research.
Terms offered: 2025 Fall Semester
How do we design images that visually express what we want to communicate? This question is at the heart of the printmaking discipline, which originated in the book and news printing industries and was later adopted as a tool by visual artists. Offers an exploration of image making through traditional and digital craft. Basic printmaking strategies and materials are introduced, such as ink, pressure, stencils, and multiples. Practices fine art print processes (digital, relief, and intaglio) using contemporary formats such as zines, stenciling, found objects, and collaboration. Exposure to historical and contemporary examples of printmaking through library special collections and museum visits, trips to local print shops and artists’ studios, demonstrations, visiting artist projects, and critiques supplement learning in the printmaking studio. Prior experience with other methods of image making, such as drawing or photography, is not required.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2022 Spring Semester; 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2023 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
An introduction to painting, with an emphasis on the development of perceptual, organizational, and critical abilities. Studio projects entail objective observation and analysis of still-life, landscape, and figurative subjects; exploration of the painting medium and chromatic structure in representation; and the development of a critical vocabulary of painting concepts. Lectures and group critiques augment studio projects in painting media.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2022 Spring Semester; 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2023 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
Photographic visualization and composition as consequences of fundamental techniques of black-and-white still photography. Class discussions and demonstrations, examination of masterworks, and field and laboratory work in 35mm format. Students are encouraged to provide their own 35mm film manually adjustable cameras, but the department has cameras for loan if necessary.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2022 Spring Semester; 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
An introduction to sculpture with an emphasis on experimentation, discovery, and problem-solving. Hands-on projects in clay, wood, and other media are supported by technical demonstrations, images, videos, group discussions, and critiques. By approaching sculpture through multiple formats, students develop an informed awareness of the medium while expanding skills, challenging perceptions, and engaging in creative expression.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2022 Spring Semester; 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2023 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
A course in beginning video production with an emphasis on the expressive potentials of the recording, editing, and sequencing of sound and the moving image. Studio projects are supported by technical demonstrations, readings, viewings, group discussions, and critiques. By approaching video and sound through multiple formats, students will develop a facility with a range of digital imaging and editing tools along with the basics of lighting and audio recording. Students will be encouraged to challenge conventional ways of conveying information and seek new ways to communicate ideas and tell stories. This course originates in Visual Arts and is crosslisted with: Cinema Studies. (Same as: CINE 1171)
Terms offered: 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
A continuation of the principles introduced in Visual Arts 1101, with particular emphasis on figurative drawing. Studio projects develop perceptual, creative, and critical abilities through problems involving objective observation, gestural expression and structural principles of the human form, studies from historical and contemporary examples, and exploration of the abstract formal elements of drawing. Lectures and group critiques augment studio projects in various drawing media.
Terms offered: 2022 Spring Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2025 Spring Semester
Examines the translation of science into stories and digital media that successfully engage public attention. What enables ordinary citizens to form an understanding consistent with the best available scientific evidence? What gets in the way of forming such an understanding? What communication strategies and formats successfully move science to civic society? Case studies include translation of the following areas of climate change science: synthetic biology and algae as biofuel, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and super storms. Class reading and writing assignments and seminar discussions lead to development of group presentations and production of digital media. This course originates in Cinema Studies and is crosslisted with: Environmental Studies; Visual Arts. (Same as: CINE 2120, ENVS 2463)
A continuation of the principles introduced in Visual Arts 1201, with particular emphasis on independent projects.
Through traditional and digital print media, we will explore how prints function and “live” in the common places we inhabit. Silkscreen and letterpress printing, laser-cut, and woodcut techniques will be introduced as we make images by hand and with computers. Installation, book arts, wearable art, and text-based printmaking projects will provide an aesthetic framework for exploring concepts in contemporary printmaking. Studio projects will be supported by critical discussions, museum visits, and field research about historic print examples, zines and posters, animation works, and installations.
The Printed Book introduces students to methods of designing and creating artist's books, a visual art medium that uses the form or function of “book” as inspiration. With an emphasis on design, visual storytelling, and studio technique, students explore the printed page, sequenced imaging, and image/object hybrids through a variety of book structures. Students create and analyze book constructions through hands-on studio work, group and individual critiques, and the study of the cultural and historical significance of books. Readings, lectures, and field trips to library special collections both on and off campus support studio classroom exercises.
Terms offered: 2022 Spring Semester; 2023 Fall Semester; 2024 Fall Semester
A continuation of the principles introduced in Visual Arts 1301, with studio problems based on direct experience.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
A continuation of principles introduced in Visual Arts 1301, with an emphasis on landscape painting. Studio projects investigate various relationships to nature through painting at a variety of sites and through the changing seasons of the coastal landscape. Painting activity is augmented with readings and presentations to offer a historical perspective on different languages, approaches, and philosophies in relation to the pictorial interpretation of landscape experience.
Terms offered: 2022 Fall Semester; 2023 Fall Semester
Review and expansion of concepts and techniques fundamental to black-and-white photography, with exploration of image-making potentials of different formats such as 35mm and view cameras. Seminar discussions and field and laboratory work. Students are encouraged to provide their own 35mm film manually adjustable cameras, but the department has cameras for loan if necessary.
Terms offered: 2022 Spring Semester; 2025 Spring Semester
A continuation of principles encountered in Visual Arts 1401, with an added emphasis on the expressive potential of color. Cameras of various formats, from the 35mm to the 4x5, are used to complete assignments. Approaches to color film exposure and digital capture, manipulation, and printing are practiced and the affect of color is examined. Through reading assignments, slide presentations, and discussions, students explore historical and cultural implications of color photography. Weekly assignments and group critiques structure class discussion.
Terms offered: 2022 Fall Semester
Sustained photographic exploration of situations that appear unfamiliar or foreign to the student's experience. A consideration of connections between the different moments encountered and described by the camera, followed with written and further visual articulation of discoveries made from these insights. Narrative strategies, viewer expectations, and the role of the image in the dissemination of knowledge are central concerns of critiques, discussions, and readings. Photographic prints to be produced only through the exposure of black-and-white film and traditional darkroom techniques. Final project consists of a book, exhibit, or publishable article employing both text and photographs.
Terms offered: 2023 Fall Semester
An extension of principles and techniques developed in Visual Arts1401, with increased emphasis on independent projects. Seminar discussion and critiques, and field and laboratory work. Participants must provide their own non-automatic 35mm camera.
Terms offered: 2023 Spring Semester; 2024 Fall Semester
Students will pursue projects using analog photographic processes. Exposure and development of film, production of prints in wet darkroom, and exploration of other analog methods of image production will be covered. Discussions, critiques, and demonstrations will comprise most of the class sessions.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
A continuation of principles introduced in Visual Arts 1601, with particular emphasis on independent projects.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester
Course builds on the use of everyday objects from Sculpture I and introduces advanced mold making and casting techniques. Students engage with a wide range of materials including clay, concrete, plaster, rubber, wax, and alternative materials like chocolate and soap. Through this process, students can alter and reimagine familiar everyday objects to explore how materials, forms, and images convey meaning in life and culture. Additional themes include art-by-instruction and installation.
Terms offered: 2024 Spring Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
As technology has evolved so has the world of theater and dance. Advanced Design: Media offers students an in-depth look at the technology, theory, and aesthetic involved in creating highly developed projections and graphic sequences for stunning multimedia theater and dance productions. Students will learn the cutting edge 3D computer animation software Autodesk Maya and Adobe Creative Suite to design digital sets for contemporary performance. Assignments will include creating digital landscapes for specific scenes and developing short loop animations for digital prop placement. By the end of the semester students will have re-imagined and developed their original design of a play through computer generated sound and visuals. This course originates in Theater and Dance and is crosslisted with: Dance; Visual Arts. (Same as: THTR 2302, DANC 2302)
Guided independent studio practice. Explore crosspollination between art, science, and the environment through hands-on projects while also gaining exposure to a diverse range of contemporary artworks and interdisciplinary projects. Early assignments guide students through considerations for form, process, and meaning, followed by an emphasis on self-directed projects. This course originates in Visual Arts and is crosslisted with: Environmental Studies. (Same as: ENVS 2433)
Terms offered: 2023 Fall Semester
Guided Independent Studio Practice. Through the study of interdisciplinary media and studio practice, explores abstraction in historical and contemporary contexts in terms of form, content, process, and meaning. After guided assignments, the emphasis shifts to self-directed projects. Choice of media to be determined jointly by faculty and students in the course.
Terms offered: 2022 Spring Semester; 2025 Spring Semester
Guided Independent Studio Practice. An exploration of installation art in the context of contemporary practice, especially as a means to transform space, create an environment, or offer a visceral experience. Early assignments guide students through considerations for form, content, process, and meaning, followed by an emphasis on self-directed projects. Choice of media to be determined jointly by faculty and students.
Terms offered: 2022 Fall Semester; 2024 Spring Semester
Guided Independent Studio Practice. An exploration of the role of time in the visual arts. Through class assignments and independent projects, examines how artists can invoke and transform time. Attention given to historical and contemporary precedents. Seminar discussions, field trips, and class critiques.
Terms offered: 2024 Fall Semester; 2025 Fall Semester
Guided Independent Studio Practice. Explores narrative content, forms, processes, meanings, and approaches in the visual arts, especially in the context of contemporary practice, through interdisciplinary media, as determined jointly by faculty and students in the course.
Terms offered: 2021 Fall Semester
Guided Independent Studio Practice. Concentrates on strengthening critical and formal skills as students start developing an individual body of work. Includes periodic reviews by members of the department and culminates with a group exhibition at the conclusion of the semester.
Terms offered: 2022 Spring Semester; 2023 Spring Semester; 2024 Spring Semester; 2025 Spring Semester