In this design studio students are introduced to the field of architectural design and the design process. We examine various aspects of this functional art including scale, texture, volume, void, light, rhythm, and form. Basic principals of architectural structures and a brief historical overview are presented. Students attempt to apply these principals in solving practical problems. They are expected to develop basic architectural drafting skills to represent three dimensional space in two dimensions. The course includes model building skills and an actual design project. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisites: Recommended Introduction to Arts and Design and/or Two-Dimensional Design. Offered every other year. Class limit: 11. Lab fee: $25. *AD*

Isabel Mancinelli

This course is a mixture of design theory, critique, and actual production of pottery. Class time is divided between handbuilding, including pinch, coil, and slab techniques, and the fundamentals of wheel-thrown pottery. Assignments are occasionally supplemented by in-class discussion of the previous week's work. Six hand-built and twenty wheel-thrown works are required, with reviews taking place during week five and week ten. Level: Introductory. Offered every year. Class limit: 16. Lab fee $85. *AD*

Ernie McMullen

This "hands on" theory/performance course for singers, instrumentalists, guitarists, pianists, drummers, etc., deals with improvisation, a spontaneous exchange or interplay of musical ideas and moods. It offers the musician the opportunity to utilize his/her technical ability to its fullest extent while enjoying the creative freedom of spontaneous composition. The class addresses technical and aesthetic aspects of improvisation in all styles of music (Jazz, Rock, Blues, Classical, Folk, etc.), including the elements of melodic development, melodic cliches, rhythmic and melodic embellishment, harmonic substitutions, and development of the ear. It is multilevel in format, allowing for students of all technical proficiency to participate. In addition to two class sessions weekly (where extensive time will is spent in performance situation), each student also meets with the instructor on a private basis. In short, this course enables students to use the "tools of improvisation" to be able to make a "personal musical statement" while playing, singing, "jamming," etc. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Lab fee: $20. *AD*

John Cooper

This course is the fundamental course for students pursuing studies in Arts and Design, offering insights into the range of issues addressed in the arts and design curriculum while also helping students investigate their own creativity. This course has both studio and theoretical components. Major directions taken by artists, designers, architects, and planners are explored. Areas of investigation include gardens, shopping centers, town planning, perspective drawing, small structure design, color, and aesthetics. Studio work involves both individual and team efforts. Students are expected to observe, document, analyze, and make recommendations for the improvement of the designed world. Students are expected to submit examples of studio work and to participate in the class discussions. Evaluations are based upon the above. Level: Introductory. Offered every fall. Class limit: 20. Lab fee $20. *AD*

Isabel Mancinelli

This is a learn-the-basics course in which the essentials of keyboard harmony are introduced in order for the student to be able to play functional piano. Areas of study include basic chords (major, minor, diminished, and augmented and their inversions), 7th chords, basic fingering and scale patterns, finger dexterity, rhythm drills, aural perception, and reading lead sheets/sheet music. This is a practical, hands-on course for those interested in playing not only piano, but also organ and synthesizers. Introduction to MIDI is also included. Keyboard II is a continuation of practical technique leading to keyboard fluency. Level: Introductory. Lab fee $20. *AD*

John Cooper

This course is a survey of the particular styles of music that have had such a profound effect on America, as well as the world in the twentieth century. Students inquire of the social, cultural, and aesthetic elements that led to the creation of each style. The use of recorded examples provides a chronological examination of the principle musicians and composers as well as an analysis of the more influential soloists and groups. The course includes technical background into the various common musical "bonds of union" between Jazz, Rock, and Blues, as well as discussion concerning the permeation of these characteristics into secular and non-secular music of the 1900s. There is considerable study of the social significance of the music, exploration of the broad cultural and artistic aspects of the music, how these styles changed and evolved, and how their growth related to parallel changes in fine art music. Level: Introductory. Class is open to all students, regardless of musical experience. Lab fee: $10. *HY* *AD*

John Cooper

This course attempts to create a reasonable fusion of technical accuracy and creative expression. Each student is encouraged to develop his or her own style and mode of expression through the use of varied media such as pencil, charcoal, collage, and paint in both color and black and white. Two class critiques are scheduled during the term. Evaluations are based on progress made and overall quality of each student's portfolio. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisite: Previous studio art course or signature of instructor based on review of portfolio. Offered every other year. Class Size: 16. Lab fee $50. *AD*

Ernie McMullen

This "hands on" course deals with the aural, mental, and physical elements of music and its production. It is divided into instructional segments including: Ear Training and Aural Perception, Music Theory, Basic Keyboard Skills, Arranging and Composition, and Basic Guitar Skills. [Detailed descriptions of segments available in Registrar's office.] This course is open to all students, regardless of musical experience. The sole prerequisite is a desire to make music or simply to enrich one's skills as a critical listener of music. Efforts are made to accommodate the special needs of the musical novice, as well as to challenge the experienced performer. Emphasis is on popular song styles, but analysis of Western Art Music forms are included for comparison purposes. Level: Introductory. Lab fee $20. *AD*

John Cooper

This course is designed to give a basic working knowledge of visual language. Areas covered include: point, line, plane, volume, shape, size, texture, direction, space, and representation. Pencil, charcoal, ink, and collage are used extensively. The class period is divided into critique and work sessions with the major emphasis being placed on the group learning aspects of the critique. Twenty problems are assigned during the term with three to four days to complete each assignment. This course or its equivalent is a prerequisite for future work in arts and design. Level: Introductory. Offered every winter. Class limit 20. Lab fee: $10 *AD*

Ernie McMullen

Ernie McMullen

This is a "hands on" class for learning and performing conga, snare drum, drum set, hand percussion techniques, focusing on the role of percussion in European, Latin American, African, and American music. In addition to enjoying themselves and having a better understanding of the world of percussion, students master rhythmic notation, counting and subdivision, time signature, and reading percussion music. Requirements include: test on notation, composition of a percussion ensemble solo that will be performed by the group, and a paper on a percussion topic of student's choice with approval of the instructor. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 12. *AD*

Michael Bennett

This tutorial offers small group instruction in a defined musical or media discipline. It involves at least one 1 1/2 hour weekly meeting with the instructor, and independent or group time of at least 8-10 hours weekly, with more time for advanced work. Requirements include an end of term project or performance. Introductory/intermediate/Advanced. Offered upon demand. *AD*

John Cooper

This course is designed for students who have taken at least two previous arts and design related courses and are prepared to pursue an in-depth project. This seminar combines academic study and studio work, and explores theory and practice related to various visual arts disciplines. The course will provide individual guidance and group critiques for students from various disciplines to meet, present and discuss their work. Contemporary critical issues are addresses through readings, screenings/slides and discussions. We will explore how an artist builds a body of work, and discuss working processes and issues in art and society. The course will include field trips and visiting artists, when available and pertinent. Students will be evaluated on their progress towards their goals, and participation in discussions and critiques. Students may work in video, painting, photography, installation, sculpture, 2-D, or hybrid forms, but students should already have the basic skills required for their chosen project(s). Level: Advanced. Class limit: 12. Lab fee: $30. *AD*

Dru Colbert

A documentary video or film purports to present factual information about the world. A documentary may take a stand, state an opinion, or advocate a solution to a problem. A documentary may function in the realm of art. Documentaries may compile images from archival sources, interview testimonies about social movements or events, record an ongoing event "as it happens", or synthesize these and other techniques. We will look at various documentaries both historic and contemporary, and a number of strategies and styles, including; video diaries/autobiographical works, cinema verite, propaganda, documentary activism, nature documentaries, and experimental genres. Students will learn the basics of video production, including, using a video camera, video editing, production planning, lighting, microphone use, and interview techniques. Students will make several documentary projects, both collaboratively and individually. Students will be evaluated on their participation in group discussions and critiques, and on the documentary projects they produce. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: any introductory level arts and design studio course or film history course (previous video production experience is not required). Lab fee: $30. Class limit: 12. *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

This course explores animation as a form of creative expression, experimentation and personal vision. Various techniques, such as drawing, cut-out, painting on film, and under-the-camera collage, will be introduced. Students will create flip-books, video pencil tests and 16mm animated films. Students will be given exercises and assignments that guide them through processes for making art. Various artists' animated films will be screened and discussed. History and concepts related to animation and film will be introduced through screenings, readings and discussions. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Introduction to Art and Design, 2-D Design, Signature of Instructor. Lab fee: $50. Class Limit: 12. *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

This course is a fundamental study in guitar chord construction, note reading, chord symbol identification, fingerboard facility, theory as related to guitar, chord inversions, and scale and mode work. Students are expected to attain introductory improvisational skills and basic facility in practical guitar performance. Level: Introductory. Students must provide own instruments (acoustic or electric). Lab fee: $20. *AD*

John Cooper

This course explores more sophisticated forms of image making, editing, and theory. Students screen and discuss documentary and video art works, and study writing/criticism in the field, focusing on moving image theories, concepts, strategies, and a wide range of aesthetic concerns. The class will engage in various aspects of production and approaches to cinematography, sound and editing/compositing. Participants work on a project-oriented basis that includes critiques and training in video production skills. Students should be both self-directed and interested in developing a support system for producing each other's work. Students will be evaluated based on video projects (fiction or non-fiction), critical writings, class participation and presentations. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Pre-requisites: Documentary Video Studio, or Introduction to Video Production. Class limit: 12. *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

Puppetry is the art of designing, constructing, and operating puppets, usually for an audience. A puppet is an articulated figure controlled by external means. Puppets have been used for entertainment, education, therapy, spectacles and social/political demonstration. This course will explore both the construction and use of puppets, investigate the theory, history and practice of puppetry, and seek out the role and potential of puppets. Various types of puppets will be made, including hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, and large scale puppets. Students, individually and in collaboration, will create both original and adapted scripts and scenarios for their puppets, exploring relationships between text, story, character and movement of the puppet. In addition to live work, students may choose to develop puppets for use within film, video or multimedia projects. The course will include readings on puppetry, screenings, presentations, demonstrations, and group discussions. Students will be evaluated on 1) participation in class discussions and exercises, 2) quality and effort demonstrated through projects/presentations and, 3) understanding and study of readings and screenings as demonstrated in discussions and projects. Level: Intermediate. Recommended pre-requisite: at least one of the following: Intro to Art and Design, 2-D Design Studio, 3-D Design, Performance Art or The Sculptural Object in Performance. Class limit: 12. Lab fee $30. *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

This course deals with the problems encountered in the development of the student's personal voice in painting. Emphasis is placed on encouraging students to develop the techniques, compositional and color sense, and thematic consistency necessary to the development of self-assured artistic sensibility. Evaluations are based on the student's artistic output as well as his or her devotion to the learning process. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisites: Two-dimensional Design I or other drawing course or portfolio review. Offered every other year. Class limit: 12. Lab fee: $20. *AD*

Ernie McMullen

The Italic hand developed in renaissance Italy to meet the demand for an elegant, gracefully proportioned hand that could be written at speed while maintaining its appropriateness in both formal and informal settings. This tutorial will focus on the study and practice of the basic lowercase form of italic script known as chancery cursive as well as the uppercase forms, humanist, italic and swash capitals. In addition to daily warm up exercises, six large (18x24) pages of writing will be required each week. The first three weeks will focus on the lowercase letters followed by three weeks of uppercase forms. The remaining weeks will focus on numbers, layout and producing finished pages of quotes, literary passages or original writing. Two meetings a week will be required; Wed. will focus on critique and Fri. on new work. Evaluation will be based on the quality and quantity of the assigned work as well as the general level of focus and application throughout the term. Texts will include: The Complete Calligrapher: E. Callery, Italic Handwriting: T. Gourdie, Calligraphy: A. Baker, Calligraphy: A Practical Guide to The Skills and Techniques: D. Harris

Ernie McMullen

In this course we will examine what key physical aspects make communities desirable places to live, work and visit and how principals of sustainability can be integrated into the planning process. New development often undermines a sense of place and poses threats to environmental resources such as water quality. Through analyzing a local town in terms of its natural resources, cultural history, scenic quality and the built environment, students determine how new development and conservation may be balanced. They learn how to use computerized geographic information systems (GIS) as a planning tool in developing their recommendations. Students present their final class project to local community decision-makers. Level: Intermediate. Previous coursework in GIS is not a prerequisite. Class limit: 12. Lab Fee $50.00. I. Mancinelli and G. Longsworth *AD* Offered every other year.

Gordon Longsworth
Isabel Mancinelli

This class gives students an opportunity to investigate time-based art. 4-D art draws on the vast and varied traditions of theatre, dance, media, and music, often crossing boundaries to create hybrid works. This course will focus on concepts and processes related to representing and experiencing events that take place in time. Strategies for planning, proposing, and producing work individually or collaboratively will be discussed and practiced. Some class periods will be workshop in style, and include physical and vocal exercises and improvisations. The course will include basic instruction and use of video cameras and sound recording devices. A majority of the learning in this studio course will happen as students make projects and reflect on their work and the work of others. Documentation and information about contemporary and historic time-based art will be presented. Students will be evaluated based on imaginative exploration of ideas and materials, extent and depth of work processes and research, completion of assigned projects, and participation in class discussions. Level: Introductory. Lab Fee $30.00. Class limit: 15. *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

This course covers the traditions of western "ART" music from the era of Renaissance (1450-1600) through Baroque (1600-1750), Classical (1750-1820), Romantic (1820-1900), Impressionism (early 1900s) and into the 20th century primarily in Europe. Through these five centuries of Eurocentric artistic development the areas of music, art, literature, philosophy, religion, and architecture continuously merge. Extensive study is devoted to how this "convergence of ideas' led to the advancement of the western society and its direct descendant, the Americas. Major composers covered include Gabrieli, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Wagner, Puccini, Chopin, Strauss, Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Debussy, Ravel, Ives, Copland. The course requires extensive reading, listening to recordings, and video observation. Level: Introductory. Lab fee $10. *HY* *AD*

John Cooper

This course explores the history, production and meanings of motion pictures. Using various films as case studies, we will look at the development of film forms, techniques and genres, beginning in the 1890s and progressing through the first fifty years of cinema history. The films studied will include: narrative, avant-garde, documentary, and animation. Students will learn concepts of film analysis and criticism. Students will have opportunities to practice critical skills in class discussions, and in research and writing assignments. Students will be evaluated based on attendance, participation in class discussion, and written papers. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 15. Lab fee: $35. *HY* *AD*

Colin Capers

This intermediate level course offers students an opportunity for in-depth study of contemporary issues, applications, and techniques in graphic design. Course content will vary. Topics include typography, digital imaging, analog imaging, conceptual problems in information design, environmental design, promotional, publication, and editorial design. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Signature of instructor, Graphic Design Studio I. Class Limit: 12. Lab fee: $85. *AD*

Dru Colbert

This course adopts a workshop format, focusing on the management of living plant collections on the COA campus. Emphasis will be on planting and maintenance of woody plants, but some attention will be paid to perennial herbaceous ornamentals. Class activities will include hands-on projects, e.g. pruning campus trees, shrubs, and vines, planting new accessions for the campus-wide arboretum, identifying and labeling plants, developing a map and tour guide for campus plants, studying planting design principals and site requirements, and developing a plan for future additions to the campus-wide arboretum, strategies for dealing with invasive exotics, and replacement of specimen trees. This course may be especially appropriate for those interested in horticulture and landscape architecture. There are no course prerequisites, but some background in design or horticulture is helpful, such as a prior course in plant taxonomy, gardening, arts and design, or architecture. Students will be evaluated on class participation, completion of assignments and an individual project.

Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 16. Lab fee: $40.

Isabel Mancinelli

Visual communication is one of the most pervasive means of human communication. Graphic design, within the realm of visual communication, is a process used to effectively convey ideas and information visually through print, electronic media, products in the marketplace, and structural elements in the built environment. Its application may be promotional, editorial, informational, expositional or instigational.  It may cater to, or critique -- commercialism, colonialism, capitalism, and advertising -- or alternately be used to organize information and visualize complex data, or concepts. Is it possible to construct a visual message that will be received through the din and noise of our overstuffed media environment?  Past other competing messages?  What are some of the contemporary issues surrounding design and the roles and responsibilities of graphic designers in the workplace and in their communities?

In this introductory/intermediate level studio course you will become familiar with visual rhetoric and the basic elements, principles, and processes of graphic design that will help you to construct effective visual messages.  You will work on a variety of conceptual visual communication projects in the realms of information design, editorial design, and promotional design.  Lectures, demonstrations, assignments and critiques will offer a balanced framework for developing skills in creative perception, critical thinking and visual communication.  An emphasis is placed on these elements and evaluation will be weighted more heavily in these areas than technical expertise on the computer.  You will however, be required to learn the basics of several computer graphic applications (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign and/or Quark) in order to complete coursework.  You will receive basic instruction in these programs in class, but will be expected to refer to computer manuals and guide books for specific tools and techniques that may be required to visualize your ideas.  

Level: Introductory/Intermediate.  Prerequisites: Introduction to Arts and Design or Two Dimensional Design I.  Class limit: 12 + 2 w/personal lap tops and appropriate software.  Lab fee: $85  *AD*

Dru Colbert

This course is an introduction to three dimensional design and sculpture. Through a variety of projects students will analyze and apply the classic organizing principles of three dimensional design work. Elements of form, space, line, texture, light, color, scale and time (including sound, sensory perceptions, movement and natural processes) will be explored -- with attention paid to how a work functions, involves a viewer, activates a space, or impacts an environment, physically, psychically or socially. Projects in the class will progress from the creation of objects, to investigations of the sensory and objective aspects of space. Students will experiment with subtractive and constructive processes using traditional as well as contemporary materials such as found, recycled and natural objects. A diverse range of materials and techniques will be introduced and demonstrated. Discussion of historic and contemporary artists' work will augment the course. Students will be evaluated based on completion of projects, participation in class discussions and individual/group critiques. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 15. Lab Fee $75. *AD*

Dru Colbert

Dru Colbert

Nancy Evelyn Andrews
John Cooper

Drawing the human figure is regarded by many visual artists as the most frustratingly challenging and sublimely rewarding of all artistic undertakings. Long and devoted practice is required for the integration of all of the complex elements that go into a drawing that is at the same time technically accomplished and emotionally or spiritually evocative. This tutorial will offer the student with introductory life drawing experience the opportunity to continue the learning process with a structured, studio based exploration that takes up where Fundamentals of Life Drawing left off. In addition to attending all three weekly studio sessions, students are expected to do independent work in anatomy that includes the study and drawing of historical precedents. Students will also be expected to present an illustrated oral report to the Fundamentals of Life Drawing class on one master artist. Advanced students will be encouraged to assist beginning students from time to time. Level: Advanced. Class limit: 6. Lab fee: $50. *AD*

Ernie McMullen

D. W. Griffith, pioneer of early cinema, prophesied in 1924 that by 2024 cinema would have been instrumental in "eliminating from the face of the civilized world all armed conflict". Where have things gone wrong? Cinema is a powerful medium that in many ways is still struggling to find its place among the other arts; there are many promising byways that have been overlooked or under-explored. This course explores the histories, production and meanings of motion pictures. Using various films as case studies, we will look at the development of film forms, techniques and genres from 1946 to the present - the second half of cinema history. Films studied will include examples of narrative, documentary, animation, and the avant-garde. Students will learn concepts of film analysis and criticism, and will have opportunities to practice critical skills in class discussions and in research and writing assignments. Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation in class discussion, written papers, and research presentations. Film gives us the opportunity to, in the words of David Lynch, "get lost in another world...to dream in the dark". Who decides which dreams we will see? Through an understanding of where cinema has been we can more effectively shape its, and our, future. Level: Intermediate. Lab fee: $35. *AD*

Colin Capers

This tutorial is designed to give a solid working knowledge of visual language and composition. Areas covered include: point, line, plane, volume, shape, size, texture, direction, space, and representation. Pencil, charcoal, ink, and collage are used extensively. The class period is divided into critique and work sessions with the major emphasis being placed on the group learning aspects of the critique. Twenty problems are assigned during the term with three to four days to complete each assignment

Level: Advanced. Pre-requisites: Signature of Instructor. Class limit: 5.

Ernie McMullen

The class further develops ideas, skills, and animation projects through a mix of: in-class projects/demos/skill based activities, readings, discussions, screenings, presentations, and individual meetings with the instructor. Students will write a production plan that will serve as an outline of each student’s project(s) for the term. The instructor will provide useful activities, information, resources, critiques and guidance. A schedule of presentations of student works-in-progress will be created. Readings will address ideas and theories related to animation studies and processes. Advanced animation techniques may include camera work and sound design. Work completed over the term may be a single longer animation or a series of animated shorts depending on the student’s preference and animation goals. However, all students will be expected to produce advanced level work and encouraged to experiment and push their work to the highest level. Students will be evaluated on their projects, participation in critiques and discussions and overall level of engagement with the course material and class. Level: Advanced. Lab fee: $80. Pre-requisite: Signature of Instructor. Class size: 12 *AD*

Nancy Evelyn Andrews

Catherine Clinger

Catherine Clinger

In this studio-based course students will create visual projects that represent and interpret topics related to the natural world and to the life sciences. In part, this course responds to the ever increasing need to explain to general audiences, complex or conflicting scientific information such as the evidence for global warming or evolution, or the controversies around stem cell research or genetic engineering. Students will engage in hands-on activities in scientific illustration, natural history sketching, interpretive design and "information architecture", i.e. making the complex clear through diagrammatic representation. These projects provide opportunities to investigate techniques and develop skills in illustration, digital design, and activity-based "experience" design. Course content will include a survey of works by artists and designers that depict, interpret, or focus on the natural world and scientific issues of societal importance. Topic areas include the early depictions of the natural world, the enlightenment, art nouveau and its influence, contemporary fine arts, the museum and nature center, and medical and scientific illustration. Students will be evaluated on the quality and timely completion of projects and participation in class activities and discussions.

Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 15. Lab fee: $85. *AD*

Stephen Ressel
Dru Colbert