Department of Fine Arts

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Richard J Creighton sculpture

Alma Davenport photography, printmaking

Willoughby R Elliott painting, printmaking

Anthony Fisher painting

Severin Haines painting

Laurie Kaplowitz painting

Eric Lintala sculpture

Bryan McFarlane painting

Anthony J Miraglia painting

Marc St Pierre (Chairperson) printmaking, photography

Stacy Latt Savage sculpture

Kurt Wisneski printmaking

The Department of Fine Arts’ mission is to maintain an environment where artists are committed to the pursuit of teaching, research and creative work. As a faculty of professional artists, we provide a high-quality studio education to students at the foundation, undergraduate and graduate levels through formal, aesthetic, technical and intellectual training. We prepare our students to become creative artists, pursue graduate study or engage in Fine Arts-related professions by granting the BFA and MFA.

Our goals are:

to prepare students to become professional practitioners in the disciplines of painting, printmaking or sculpture; as well as equip them for other art-related careers, by offering high quality education and training in the visual arts
to give students a thorough understanding and appreciation of, and competence in drawing from life through a rigorous four-year drawing requirement which emphasizes and underscores the importance of drawing skills as universal to all visual arts disciplines
to encourage students to pursue their personal directions in art, based on a firm grounding in the fundamentals of their field
to provide those students who wish to continue their education at the graduate level with qualifications for entry and values which will contribute to their success
Our ultimate objective is to develop respect for learning and the creative act, to enable our graduates to contribute to human culture with confidence and dedication.

Specific Requirements for the Different Majors

All Fine Arts Majors are required to take one 300-level Art History elective in addition to the ARH 125, 150 and 200 requirements. Students are urged to take as much Art History as possible or to earn an Art History Minor. Studio Support: Painting/2D Studies Majors are required to take one 200-level sculpture course and one 200-level printmaking course. Studio Support: Sculpture/3D Studies Majors are required to take one 200-level painting course and one 200-level printmaking course.

Studio Electives
Credits are fulfilled by taking studio courses offered by the following departments; Art Education, Design, Artisanry and Fine Arts.

Free elective
Any course will satisfy this requirement.

Common Learning Goals for the Fine Arts Majors

Students should be able to function creatively and intelligently in the studio setting. The safe practice of their discipline is essential. They must demonstrate the abilities to understand visual form and content, to apply skillfulness to solve problems creatively, and to express their ideas proficiently in writing and orally. Graduating majors will have a basic competence in all disciplines represented in the department. They will be notably skilled in two areas: their specialization, which is their primary form of artistic expression, and drawing. They will be able to discern the major achievements in art history, be aware of contemporary art issues, and be able to assess the quality of the visual art’s form and content. The liberal arts education provided by the university’s required selection of academic courses provides them with a recently-updated liberal arts education. Upon graduation, they will be informed of the tools and procedures necessary to undertake graduate study or begin a professional career in the arts, and they will be conscious of the importance of creativity in their lives.