Course Descriptions
Courses in the Fine Arts Program have as a prerequisite the completion of the Foundation Program or its equivalent. Exceptions may be made only with the permission of the instructor and the Fine Arts Program Director. The letter “S” preceding the course number indicates a studio course, for which a studio fee will be assessed.
See “Tuition and Fees” in the Suffolk University Academic Catalog for further information.
ADFA S201, 202 Drawing: Structure & Expression
This is an experimental drawing class which accesses sources from traditional and contemporary art. A variety of materials will be used to explore the figure, the still life, and other subjects.
Prerequisite: ADF S102
Normally offered fall and spring semesters; 3 credits per semester
ADFA S212 Figure Painting Studio I
For centuries the figure has been a vehicle for artists to develop their own vocabulary or vision. In this figure studio course, students will learn to expand their skills and voice while working from life, utilizing a choice of materials and stylistic approaches.
Normally offered fall semester; 3 credits
Studio elective or free elective; open to non-majors.
ADFA S216 Figure Painting Studio II
A continuation of the skills learned in Figure Painting Studio I (ADFA S212).
Prerequisite: ADFA S212
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
Studio elective or free elective; open to non-majors.
ADFA S241 Advanced Painting
This course will involve the concepts and techniques of modernist and post-modern painting. Individual student approaches to abstract and non-objective painting of space and images will be developed through a series of open-ended assignments, lectures, critiques, and discussion. A substantial block of independent studio time allows students to focus on creating a body of work that responds to contemporary issues in painting.
Prerequisite: ADF S123
Normally offered fall semester; 3 credits
ADFA S242 Sculpture Studio
A focused study of the ways in which form can be developed three-dimensionally. Students will use traditional and non-traditional materials to explore the language of form in space. The study of late 20th and 21st century artists will help provide concepts from which students can devise their own work.
Prerequisite: ADF S152
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
ADFA S251 Printmaking Studio
This course is designed to familiarize students with the printmaking studio and various printmaking mediums. Through extensive exposure to a number of techniques, they will be expected to develop a portfolio of prints during class and in independent studio time.
Normally offered fall semester; 3 credits
ADFA S252 Paper Studio
This course will lead the student from the basics of making handmade paper through the many applications of the medium. In two-dimensional form, book arts and alternative photography processes will be explored. In three dimensions, the emphasis will be on paper as a sculptural medium.
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits; open to non-majors.
ADFA S257 Advanced Imaging
This course is designed to refine students’ image-making skills by expanding their visual repertoire beyond that of traditional media (painting, drawing and printmaking). Using Photoshop, digital photography, scanning and video equipment, students will integrate digital technologies with traditional art-making methods to create unique visual solutions. Assignments will emphasize problem solving and self-expression. Media used will vary form project to project, but there will be opportunities during the semester for students to work in a medium of their choosing.
Prerequisite: ADF 156
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
Studio elective.
ADFA S271, 272 Fine Arts Seminar I
This course is designed to aid students in developing their maturity as artists through the study of issues of creative process and its manifestations. Visiting artists and weekly gallery visits aid in examining the works of contemporary professionals. Assignments examine aspects of current art making in order to assist students in creating a personal vision for their work.
Prerequisite: Completion of foundation program or equivalent.
Normally offered fall and spring semesters; 3 credits per semester
ADFA S281 Shop Design & Techniques
This course explores various processes and techniques that may be used by artists or designers to fully realize their design potential and will allow students to broaden the range of project solutions available to them. Through a series of technical assignments, students will gain expertise in model-making, woodworking, and metal fabrication techniques that may be used in sculpture, furniture, industrial design, and contemporary hybrids. The safe and efficient use of woodworking and metalworking tools and equipment will form a significant portion of the course.
Prerequisite: ADF S152 or instructor permission
Normally offered each semester; 3 credits
Studio elective or free elective; open to non-majors.
ADFA S315 Video Art Making
This course focuses on making art with digital video and sound. The language of movement figures in every artistic discipline and video art is arguably the most significant new art genre of the late 20th century. The concepts an dtechniques of time-based digital art constitute an essential area of knowledge for artists today. Conception development, production, and post-production arenas are explored through making, discussing, and looking at video art. Final Cut Pro HD will be the primary post-production tool. Students must provide their own materials, such as portable Firewire drives with a minumum of 20 gd storage capacity, earphones, miniDV tape, and DVD’s. Camcorders and video projectors are available on loan from the school library.
Prerquisites: proficiency in Mac OSX and good file management skills.
Normally offered fall semester; 3 credits
Studio elective or free elective; open to non-majors.
ADFA S320 Painting Materials & Methods
This course involves a more focused study of paint application methods and materials. Each week, small individual studies will be devoted to glazing, drybrush, impasto, hatching, and “brushless” gradation in oil. Wax encaustic, egg tempera, and fresco will also be explored. Information and skills acquired during the course will be applied to a long-term project based on the altarpiece format. For this project, student work may be purely abstract or representational, depending on personal direction.
Prerequisite: ADF S123
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
Studio elective or free elective; open to non-majors.
ADFA S342 Advanced Sculpture
In this course students will explore contemporary sculptural issues, using a variety of found and generated materials. The process of installation, wall, floor, self-supported pieces, and environmental works will be investigated.
Prerequisite: ADFA S242
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
ADFA S344 Advanced Drawing Issues
This course asks the student to question the relationship between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional as it has been explored in the 20th century. Through the use of found materials and generated imagery, students will create unified works which discuss the play between illusionistic space and tangible space.
Prerequisite: ADF S151
Fall semester; 3 credits
ADFA S361 Figure Studio: 2D
An advanced figurative painting and drawing course during which students will work directly from the same models for multiple sessions. Students will develop a personal palette through careful observation of color, light, and form. Familiarization with the work of contemporary and traditional figurative painters will enhance the student’s understanding of the medium.
Prerequisite: ADF S102, ADF S123
Normally offered fall semester; 3 credits
ADFA S362 Figure Studio: 3D
The figure is fully understood through the knowledge of its actual three-dimensional volumes. In this second semester course, students work with basic sculptural mediums in an effort to grasp the gesture, weight, and planar structure of the figure. Building with various materials on an armature, students learn additive and subtractive techniques. Basic casting from the sculpted work may be introduced.
Prerequisite: ADFA S361
Normally offered spring semester; 3 credits
ADFA S371, 372 Fine Arts Seminar II
A continuation of Fine Arts Seminar I (ADFA S271, 272), this course focuses the students on their individual issues and processes. With a view toward their senior exhibition, students are asked to develop a clarified body of work, including supporting materials.
Prerequisite: ADFA S271, 272
Normally offered fall and spring semesters; 3 credits per semester
ADFA 400 Fine Arts Internship
An elective course for those who wish to pursue issues of artistic development to a further degree, this internship may involve assisting an established member of the local arts community (in his or her studio) in the preparation, marketing, and exhibition of his or her work. Internships in area galleries or museums are also an option. The purpose of the internship will be to give the student experience in real world aspects of the artistic life for which he or she has so far prepared only in a classroom setting. Participating students will earn credit based on the number of hours devoted to the internship. One credit will be given for every 45 hours of internship time, and all hours must be verified in writing for credit to be given.
Prerequisite: Senior status
Normally available each semester; credits vary
ADFA S410 Senior Thesis
This senior-level course readies the student for the furtherance of his or her career as a creative artist. Through the development of a written artist’s statement, slide and electronic documentation, and the charting of their individual artistic lineage, students will begin to place themselves within the context of the contemporary art world.
Prerequisite: Senior status
Offered spring semester; 3 credits
ADFA S500/500 Fine Arts Directed Study
The student completes a directed study project, either studio (ADFA S500) or non-studio (ADFA 500), under the supervision of a fine arts faculty member. Please see “Directed Study” in the Suffolk University Academic Catalog for details. Independent study forms are available from the Office of the Academic Dean and Registrar. All independent study request forms must be accompanied by a written proposal and must be approved by the individual faculty member, the Fine Arts Program Director, the NESADSU Chairman, and the Academic Dean.
Available every semester; credits vary