areas of study studio art | design | art education

The University of Idaho Department of Art & Design consists of four areas of study: Studio Arts, Design, Art Education, and Art History & Visual Culture. Students in all areas interact with each other as well as faculty, staff and graduate students during the standard four-year course of study.

Studio Art

The Studio Art program at the University of Idaho offers a range of courses in both 2D and 3D media that are designed to foster exploration of visual communication and artistic expression. Students are encouraged to work in an interdisciplinary manner that includes traditional and contemporary practices and historical and theoretical contextualization. By emphasizing creative production within an art historical and visual culture context, the curricula also encourages graduates in Studio Art to be critical producers that are adept at expressing themselves verbally as well as visually. Portfolios of graduating seniors reflect the maturity required to gain entry into reputable graduate programs as well as professions related to the arts.

Drawing

Drawing is a fundamental part of the art and design curricula. Students work with charcoal, ink, pastels, and pencil and not only learn the physical act of drawing but also abstract thinking, composition, and a host of other visual design principles. Drawing is an essential part of any career pertaining to visual communication and expression and students from a wide range of disciplines co-mingle in these classes. Advanced drawing courses promote self-directed exploration and further prepare students for work in their chosen disciplines.

Painting

Working from the skills garnered in drawing classes, painting students further refine their understanding of composition, color theory, and other design principles through an exploration not only of technique but of content and meaning as well. Students work primarily in acrylics and as they progress they quickly develop the critical abilities required to push their work in meaningful directions at a professional level. Historical and theoretical contextualization helps students survey not only the meaning of their work but the limits of the media as well.

Printmaking

Printmaking students explore not only the technical aspects of printmaking but the conceptual and expressive qualities of the printed work as well. Students have access to a number of printing technologies (letterpress, lithography, etc.) with which they can advance their practical knowledge and their creative body of work.

Sculpture

Working in three-dimensions demands that students take the knowledge from other studio arts courses and learn new skills and ways of seeing and thinking. Students work in variety of different materials including plaster, wood, metal, and mixed media and have access to a number of tools and technologies through which they can develop an understanding of traditional practices, contemporary sculpture, and their own creative direction.

Ceramics

Students explore the materials and processes in traditional and contemporary ceramics such as firing, glazes, and the expressive qualities of clay. Throughout the curricula students attain a sophisticated understanding of how to go about producing a unified body of work in innovative ways and how to best use the media to express their ideas.

Design ↑

Design at the University of Idaho is multidisciplinary encouraging forward-thinking approaches to design development and problem solving. The program offers students the opportunity to design for a variety of media including print and web. Students are also encouraged to understand the design from a number of disciplines and perspectives including graphic design, interface design, communication design and information design.

It is through a more focused exploration of design issues and problem solving methodologies that students also attain a depth of understanding with an emphasis in a single design discipline. This breadth and depth is apparent in the portfolios of graduating seniors.

Graduates of design areas of emphasis go on to work in the design profession or enter graduate programs.

Graphic Design

Students in the graphic design emphasis gain the ability to succeed in and contribute to the graphic design profession. To succeed, students must master visual communication, become proficient in the techniques of graphic design and have the desire to learn and reflect in a self-directed manner.

Within the graphic design area, beginning students first embark upon a theory-based foundation. This foundation builds on basic design principles and helps students translate their art foundation into a graphic design vocabulary of type and image. Both visual and verbal vocabularies are expanded. Students engage in the study of history and contemporary graphic design works and in faculty and peer critique, gradually moving towards the goal of more precise self-criticism.

Although students continue to refine their formal understanding, advanced students are focused on conceptual problem solving. Projects have been developed to stretch students’ understanding of the substance that makes good design.

Interaction Design

Students in the interaction design emphasis learn the concepts and skill sets necessary to succeed in and contribute to the interaction design profession. To succeed, students must master visual communication, become proficient in the concepts and techniques of interface, information and interaction design, and have the desire to learn and reflect in a self-directed manner.

The interaction design curriculum is integrated closely with other design professions and students are encouraged to begin to pursue special areas of supplementary studies in other design areas in their second year. Supplementary areas of study include traditional fine art studios as well as digital photography, information design, video production, virtual technology and design, architecture, interior and landscape design. Throughout the program students are encourage to define and articulate their professional goals and to develop individual paths towards achieving those goals.

Beginning students first embark upon a common theory and project-based art and design foundation. This foundation gives the student an introduction to basic design principles used in a wide range of design professions. Second level courses allow and help students gain technical experience and focus their experience in the art and design foundation program in specific design areas. Interaction Design emphasis students,

“…travel along two complimentary paths. One is the apprenticeship route, on which we learn from the example of current and past practitioners. The other path is the theoretical route, since understanding some theory — and how to apply it — can shortcut much trial and error.” Jeff Raskin, “Information Design”, ed Robert Jacobson

Following this parallel path Interaction design students in the third year undertake a variety of user-based client projects while at the same time expanding their awareness of and abilities in design theory, design methods, technical writing, history and criticism. Fourth year students articulate a self-initiated project as their senior thesis and have the opportunity to work with design professionals from our international advisory board. Senior thesis projects are designed to prepare the student for entry into the design profession.

Photography/Digital imaging

The medium of photography has been transformed by the digital revolution. Our program has entered the new age in several stages. At the introduction level, learning about creative use of the camera controls and their ability to be used as an expressive medium are done through assignments on slide and negative film that is translated into digital files for review and selection. These skills and concepts are refined in Digital Imaging through class presentations, discussion and student solution to real design problems that involve output as digital printed media and web based solutions. History of Photography is an essential ingredient in the overall learning equation to form well rounded students with a clear knowledge of how their work fits into the larger scheme of the history of the medium. The outcome of this emphasis is to produce visually aware graduates that understand the value of teamwork in reaching solutions and a sense of the potential creative power of the medium.

Art Education ↑

The University of Idaho Art education Program offers an array of classes, field experiences and continuing education opportunities to ensure the quality teaching of visual arts in K-12 schools. The secondary art education program includes a wide variety of studio art courses offered through the Department of Art and Design and education courses, field work and internships offered through the College of Education.   more…