Art Major

Overview
The Visual Art Department at Cardinal Stritch University is committed to the ideals and objectives of a liberal arts education as they specifically apply to both the ritical study and the practice of the visual arts.
Our faculty are working artists and educators who are committed to superior design. The application of these ideals is expressed in our mission statement:

The visual arts department strives to prepare students to be artists, critical thinkers and scholars. Our program will foster a desire for lifelong learning and an active visual participation in life.

We develop aesthetic "literacy" in students in order to:
- Develop the ability to perceive the web of connections that link aspects of culture and cultural products, including artworks.
- Encourage comparative and critical thinking and speaking about art and its function(s) within culture(s).
- Develop a range of technical skills permitting the manipulation of materials into objects, which are able to express the aesthetic qualities and design concepts that the artist wishes to communicate.
- Expose students to professional standards and practice of art education, studio arts, graphic design and photography.

Art Major and Minor Requirements

The B.A. degree in Visual Studies requires 36 credits in art with a minimum of 6 credits in art history. Students will be required to select a minor in consultation with their departmental adviser. At the end of their second year, all students will undergo a portfolio review. At that point, they will declare their intention to continue with the B.A. degree or enter the B.F.A. track.

B.F.A. majors must complete 72 credits in art, with a minimum of 12 credits in art history. The B.A. in Art Education requires 57 credits in art, 12 credits in art history, and 15 credits in art education. A minor in Visual Arts requires 24 credits in art.

minor in Art History requires 24 credits in art with a minimum of 15 in art history. In addition, MT 140 is required to fulfill the liberal arts core math requirement.

A maximum of 18 credits can be transferred to a B.A. degree or 36 credits toward a B.F.A. at the discretion of the department upon transcript and portfolio review.

Bachelor of Arts: Visual Studies

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Studies is designed to ensure a broad, liberal education with an emphasis in interdisciplinary studio art. Preparation for a discipline specific career in art is not a primary objective of this program. A major part (over 70%) of a student’s education is in areas outside art, with substantial coverage in the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences.

Bachelor of Fine Arts: Studio Arts

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is designed to provide professional education in order to enable graduates to enter professional careers in such fields as design, painting, photography and sculpture.

Students concentrate in relevant technical and aesthetic studies, which are a major portion of the program. B.F.A. students will develop technical competence, aesthetic judgment, and a strong commitment to artistic quality.

In addition, students will engage in fundamental academic disciplines, especially in English, the humanities, social sciences, and the physical sciences.

Upon successful completion of the second year B.A. portfolio review, the student will enter the BFA track and choose to concentrate in a major media: graphic design, photography, sculpture, ceramics or drawing and painting.

Beyond the foundations level course work, the student will become familiar with advanced historical and conceptual needs of contemporary art making.

The Art Department works to emphasize the necessity of becoming proficient in the formal aspects of the artist craft and in the conceptual arenas that the student chooses to follow. The level of craftsmanship will also increase as the students begin to grow while experimenting with their own individual concerns and expressions. The Art Department believes in the need for self expression and in the use of interdisciplinary approaches to artistic production.

Associate of Arts in Art

Students must earn a minimum of 64 credits and maintain a 2.0 ("C") average. All credits earned in the A.A. programs are applicable to a B.A. or B.F.A. degree. The specific minimum requirements for the Associate of Arts in Art program are:

36 credits in Art courses
24 credits from liberal arts core

Historical, Religious, Philosophical Foundations (6)
Two courses - One must be History, one must be either philosophy or religious studies

Foundations of Human Society (3)
One course from any of the following: economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology

Natural Sciences and Mathematics (6-8)
One course from either natural science or mathematics

Literature, Music and Theatre (3)
One course from any of the following: literature, music appreciation or theatre history

Communication (6)
EN 101, CA 101

Electives - (4-6)
Two courses from any liberal arts area. Study of a foreign language is strongly recommended.

Faculty
Timothy G. Abler
Assistant Professor
(414) 410-4107
tgabler@stritch.edu

Steven E. Sellars
Assistant Professor
(414) 410-4102
sesellars@stritch.edu

Teri G. Wagner
Chair
(414) 410-4103
tgwagner@stritch.edu

Upcoming Art Exhibitions

The arts are integral to a Stritch education, and our diverse offerings aim to entertain and inform the community as a whole.
The work of contemporary and historical visual artists as well as Stritch students is exhibited in our Northwestern Mutual Art Gallery, located in the Joan Steele Stein Center for Communication Studies/Fine Arts.

For information on current and upcoming exhibitions, click here.