2024-2025 College Catalog

Art, Bachelor of Arts

Department Chairs: Richard Barlow (co-chair) and Leah Frankel (co-chair) 

Faculty: Richard Barlow; Joseph Von Stengel; Leah Frankel; Katharine Kreisher; Stephanie Rozene; Douglas Zullo. Adjunct instructors: Erik Halvorson; Kevin Gray; Jonathan Pincus; Sydney Sheehan*; Brendan Gaffney**; Normandy Alden; Georgia B. Smith

*Gallery Coordinator
**Fabrication Lab Technician

Majors

Art

Minors

Art

About

At Hartwick, Art and Art History students dig deeper. They learn to think critically and creatively about visual culture by studying art history in-depth and in-person. They learn to create art by making art, using both traditional studio methods and new emerging technologies. Hartwick art and art history students master theory and practice through hands-on learning and personal relationships with expert faculty.

Students who choose a major in Art receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Minors in Art, Documentary Photography, and Graphic Communications are also available.

The Major in Art at Hartwick offers a unique opportunity for Art Majors: a comprehensive “art school” approach embedded within a small liberal arts college. Whether you’re looking for a career as a fine artist, designer, maker, educator, gallery owner, art studio technician, arts administrator, or curator, as a Hartwick art student you will get the hands-on experience you need to succeed.

Foundations: The Art Major includes 5 studio fundamentals courses totaling 12 credits and four courses in Visual Culture totaling 12 credits. A unique Foundations year consists of taking 2D Design, Drawing I and one Visual Culture Survey course in the fall semester and 3D Design, Creative Technology and a second Visual Culture Survey course in the spring semester. All foundation courses in Art and Visual Culture should be completed by the end of the Sophomore year. The fifth studio fundamental course is an upper level Drawing Course to be taken at any time before the Senior Thesis.

Additional Courses: All art majors will also complete one Primary Concentration of 12 credits with four credits at the 200, 300, and 400 level and one Secondary Concentration of 8 credits with one 200 and one 300 level course in any two of the following studio areas: Ceramics, Digital Art and Design, Glass, Painting, Photography and Sculpture. Students can pursue a Secondary Concentration in Drawing or Printmaking.

Art Reviews: During December of the second year, declared Art majors are required to participate in the Sophomore Review, which helps them assess their individual progress and goals within the major. The foundation courses in Art must be completed successfully before the student majoring in Art may participate in the Junior Review, a two-week exhibition with group critique held in Foreman Gallery, Anderson Center for the Arts in the spring of Junior year. Successful completion of the Junior Review and fall enrollment in ART 411 Art Theory in Practice is required before an Art major may begin the Senior Project. ART 411 Art Theory and Practice and ART 490 Senior Project in Art are required. The senior project is to be an exhibition of original works, normally earning four credits. The exhibition is held in the Foreman Gallery at the end of the Spring Term senior year.

Art Review Requirements

Sophomore Review

Present 6 art pieces as follows:

  • Piece from 3 Dimensional Design project
  • Piece from 2 Dimensional Design project
  • Piece from Drawing project
  • Piece from Creative Technology project
  • Another Drawing
  • An artwork of your choice

+ a reflective statement on the work you created in the foundations courses

Junior Review

Present 6 art pieces as follows

  • 4 artworks from the Primary Concentration
  • 2 artworks from the Secondary Concentration

+ an artist statement

Senior Thesis Show

1. Complete Art 411

2. Complete Art 490

3. Present a final artwork in the Senior Thesis Show

4. Present your final artwork in the Student Showcase

+ an artist statement

Departmental Outcomes

Knowledge Application and Practical Experience

  • Craftsmanship
  • Artistic Presentation
  • Professionalism

Consideration of Creative Work

  • Aesthetic
  • Conceptual consideration

Research/Concept/Idea

  • Preliminary drawings and research

Effective communication

  • Verbal Critique Participation
  • Written Artist Statement

Material Fee: All studio art courses carry a 25$ per credit hour material/lab fee. This fee is automatically applied to student accounts and offsets the cost of materials and equipment used in all studio courses. Examples include paint, clay, glass, chemicals, inks, computers, and software. By purchasing materials in bulk and tax free the department is able to reduce materials costs for students.

All majors in the department take courses in other disciplines as part of their liberal arts and sciences education. The background and experience gained by students of Art at Hartwick has enabled them to begin careers in a wide range of art-related fields. Others pursue graduate study at such institutions as Otis Art Institute, Columbia University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, Washington University, Pratt Institute, Rutgers University, Massachusetts College of Art, New York University, Hunter College, the University of Pittsburgh, American University, St. Andrew’s University, State University of New York at Albany, Columbus College of Art and Design, Drexel University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and San Francisco College of the Arts.

Potential Art majors are not required to submit a portfolio for review. However, department scholarships are based on portfolio quality.