Studio Arts

• Major in Studio Art — 60 credits
• Major in Art History and Studio Art — 60 credits
• Minor in Art History and Studio Art — 30 credits
  (minor may be suspended for 2013-14)

The major emphasizes flexibility and interdisciplinarity. Students select their studio credits from any program area, fulfilling graduation requirements either by specializing in the offerings of one area or by combining studio courses from a number of different areas. The Department also offers a series of interdisciplinary studio practice courses that encourage exploration in a range of media. Students must reach the advanced level in at least one discipline in order to graduate.

Sample courses include:

Art History and Art Theory courses, [Introductory, intermediate, and advanced studio art or ARTX courses chosen from Ceramics, Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access)], Print Media, and Sculpture

Admission Requirements

Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

• Studio Art (BFA - Major) requirements
• Art History and Studio Art (BFA - Major/Minor) requirements

Major in Ceramics — 60 credits

The Ceramics program is the only one of its kind in Quebec and one of five university level ceramics programs in Canada. The major emphasizes the link between ceramics as a specialized practice and its broader context within an ever changing cultural sphere. Traditional techniques such as hand building, wheel, slip casting, glazing and firing are examined, along with contemporary clay applications such as installations and the integration of digital imagery. Course content involves seminar discussions including the social and ethical roles of the artist, issues related to the current practice of ceramics and other art disciplines, diverse cultural and social contexts relating to the production and circulation of art, and the role of the viewer. Collaborative and cross disciplinary projects with other programs are encouraged and Special Topic courses are sometimes offered at the intermediate and advanced levels. Advanced students explore personal approaches that meet their special interests, and develop a unique body of work. Field trips, visiting artists and student exhibitions add to the vitality of the program.

Facilities

Gas and electric kilns are available for both high and low temperature firing, as well as outdoor facilities for raku and sawdust firings. A glaze formulation/application area and a clay mixing area are provided with a full complement of basic materials such as stoneware, porcelain and earthenware. A well stocked glaze material inventory assures access to an unlimited range of surfaces/finishes, including digital imaging processes. A technician is available to help students with technical problems.

Sample courses include:

Ceramics (introductory, intermediate and advanced levels), History of Ceramics and Aspects of the History of Ceramics, Art History and Art Theory courses, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access), Print Media and Sculpture]

Admission Requirements

Ceramics (BFA - Major) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

Major in Fibres and Material Practices — 60 credits

The Fibres and Material Practices program allows for a rigorous and comprehensive study of the technical, conceptual and creative aspects of contemporary art. Interdisciplinary in nature, the Fibres and Material Practices program encourages a cross fertilization of ideas, techniques and technologies. The rich history and tradition of fibres and textiles serves as a starting point from which to examine material practices in the contemporary art milieu.

Fibres and Material Practices students are encouraged to draw on diverse cultural or social research, or other influences in the production of individual artwork that is critically engaged. Fibres and Material Practices students reflect on and utilize interdisciplinary, social, relational, and performance elements within contemporary art contexts. Classes are small to promote personal expression and critical discussion and the open studio format supports the development of each student’s body of work. Students are encouraged to pursue thematic and material interests and to further their understanding of the philosophy and historical traditions of fibres practices.

Students are introduced to a broad range of fibre structure processes including hand construction, loom and off loom woven structures and experimental approaches to textile and fibre art. Printing and dyeing textile courses examine a wide range of approaches to textile surface treatment including silk screen printing, relief printing, discharge and resist dyeing, fabric constructions and embellishment. Intermediate level courses may include access to advanced processes in fibres structures, print and dye and papermaking facilities, along with thematic special topics that explore contemporary theoretical, critical, and practical issues of interest to the student towards developing a personal aesthetic in art practice. Independent study, professional internships, and advanced fibres courses assist students to create a personal body of work that engages with self-identified approaches, refine technical expertise, and develop visual and critical concerns related to fibres and material practices.

Facilities

Fibres Structures Studio: Drum carders, spinning wheels, a needle felting machine, several 4 & 8 harness looms, a 24 harness AVL Dobby loom with Compu dobby and a double bed electronic knitting machine. Fibres students also have access to several industrial and electronic sewing machines including a machine for digital embroidery.

Printing and Dyeing Studio: Two 8 metre printing tables with registration rails, a light table, a heat transfer machine, vertical fabric steamer, screen coating/drying/exposing/reclaiming equipment, a well stocked dye lab equipped with natural gas burners as well as a highly ventilated wax room for surface applications. A darkroom is also accessible.

Paper Making Studio: Two 2lb capacity Hollander beaters, two hydropulpers, a vacuum table, a hydraulic press and two sheet dryers.

Computer Lab: Equipped with Macs and a PC running specialized software for textile design, a scanner, three printers including an Epson Stylus Pro 4880 dedicated to dye sublimation.

Sample courses include:

Fibre Structures, Textile Printing and Dyeing, Digital Technologies and Material Practices, Extreme Fibres, Issues in Material Practices, Paper: Surface and Object, History of Textile Art and Aspects of the History of Textile Art, Art History and Art Theory courses and Studio Art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access), Print Media and Sculpture.

Admission Requirements

Fibres and Material Practices (BFA - Major) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

Major in Intermedia/Cyberarts — 60 credits

Designed to allow students to combine studies in media arts, new technologies, interdisciplinary practices and performance art. Students may choose from a range of courses in video, electronic arts and/or intermedia/performance, either focusing on a single stream or selectively combining from different streams. The program encourages cross pollination between traditional disciplines/media and new forms of artistic expression using technology and integrated media.

Facilities

The Intermedia/Cyberarts facilities include a Hybrid Lab — a teaching space designed to accommodate courses in Digital and Electronic Arts. This lab is a combination of a computer lab, a teaching classroom, an interactivity studio and an electronics workshop. Complementary equipment such as MIDI keyboards and sound devices, sensors, interfaces, micro controller programmers, lighting dimmers, video cameras, motors, pneumatic valves, pistons, and more, is also available. Students may also have access to a dedicated electronics workshop, a multimedia installation space and six smaller studios for working on individual projects in interactive sound and video. The video area is equipped with seven video and audio edit suites, a production studio with a chroma key seamless backdrop, a teaching classroom and an equipment depot with a variety of video production equipment.

Sample courses include:

Courses from the areas of Video, Electronics, Performance Art, and Sound, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Fibres, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access), Print Media and Sculpture]

Admission Requirements

Intermedia/Cyberarts (BFA - Major) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

Major in Painting and Drawing — 60 credits

Intended for students who want a focused and intensified course of study in either medium or both, complemented by a wide range of special topics classes. Using both historical and contemporary examples, painting classes focus on colour, paint application and an exploration of materials, media, and surfaces. Emphasis is on developing an understanding of the formal language of painting and its use in both abstract and figurative modes.

Drawing classes explore gesture, markmaking, notation, the construction of visual space, symbol and narrative. The focus is on observation and invention, with an emphasis on personal language and contemporary idioms. Creativity and originality of expression are encouraged in both painting and drawing courses.

Facilities

Painting and Drawing facilities include brightly lit and well-ventilated teaching studios, Open Painting Studios, the Sean B. Murphy Open Drawing Studio, solvent dispensers, a spray booth and a stretcher building room.

Sample courses include:

Drawing, Painting, Special topic courses in Painting and Drawing, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Photography (limited access), Print Media and Sculpture]

Admission Requirements

Painting and Drawing (BFA - Major) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

• Major in Photography — 60 credits
• Minor in Photography — 30 credits
  (minor has been suspended for 2013-14)

These programs approach photography as a discipline with a distinct artistic and historical identity, while recognizing that contemporary photographic practice encompasses a rich multiplicity of formal and conceptual approaches. The program stresses the need for students to acquire the concepts and vocabulary necessary for critical discussion of photographic work, as well as a theoretical understanding of the medium. Emphasis is placed on photography’s social, as well as artistic, ramifications. Students work in both analog and digital formats.

Facilities

Photographic facilities include Hi end computers, a drum scanner, two virtual drum scanners plus negative and flatbed scanners, 44" inkjet printers and other smaller printers. Facilities also include a colour darkroom with 20 colour enlargers, 30" and 40" colour processors and print viewing area, 18 black and white enlargers, a large print darkroom and finishing area, and two studios. The facilities also have portable photographic equipment: cameras including digital 4 × 5 and 6 × 7, and accessories including electronic flash kits, soft boxes, tripods, light metres and other items.

Students in the Photography program have access to the Centre for Digital Arts (CDA). The darkrooms and digital areas are accessible Monday to Friday until 10 p.m. and Saturday until 9 p.m. Students should have their own 35mm camera for basic courses.

Sample courses include:

Foundations in Photographic Vision: Theory and Practice I, II, Black and White Photography, Digital Photography, Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Photography, Development of Photographic Traditions, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Print Media and Sculpture]

Admission Requirements

Photography (BFA - Major/Minor) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

• Major in Print Media — 60 credits
• Minor in Print Media — 30 credits

Designed to offer in depth experience in printed images, students focus on contemporary critical issues and the cultural implications of making printed images in a curriculum that combines studio practice with art history, theory, and criticism. Students are encouraged to develop personal content and form through a commitment to the printed image. The intensity of studio practice in the program serves as a foundation for the continuation of a creative and productive artistic life.

Students receive instruction in lithography, intaglio, and screen printing as well as monoprinting, relief, digital imaging, and special topics. Limited class sizes create a climate in which individual development can flourish while fostering interaction and collaboration among students.

Graduates are prepared for work as practising artists or for entry into graduate programs. Students drawn to traditional print processes have been successful in tapping into the growing artisan market by working in community print studios or private ateliers, opening a studio or assisting established artists. Students favouring technology have applied their skills to specialized computer applications or post graduate education in technical and related fields.

Facilities

Print Media courses are held in fully equipped, spacious and sunlit studios. There are dedicated interconnected studios for lithography, intaglio, screenprinting and digital printing as well as two complementary graphic arts darkrooms.

Lithography studio: More than 120 lithography stones of variable sizes; five presses including two offset; a Vandercook typography press and a selection of monotype and water etch plates.

Intaglio studio: Four large presses; a ferric chloride etching system; rollers and brayers; and etching and engraving tools.

Screenprinting studio: Equipped to print using a UV ink system or a conventional water based ink system. It contains printing tables; light tables; large format exposure table, vacuum tables and aluminium screens.

Digital lab: Up to date Mac workstations; three digital inkjet printers, a laser printer for printing transparencies and a flatbed scanner.

Sample courses include:

Lithography, Screen Printing, Digital Print Processes, Art History or Art Theory courses, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access) and Sculpture]

Admission Requirements

Print Media (BFA - Major/Minor) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.

Major in Sculpture — 60 credits

The major offers courses covering a broad range of techniques, materials and concepts. Students are provided the opportunity to develop personal forms of expression through a variety of traditional and contemporary methods. Generally, courses are not based on specific materials or techniques, but are designed to provide broad based instruction through assignments and self directed projects. Courses are designed to allow students to work in collective studios addressing current topics of practical and theoretical interest. Courses are offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels and instructors are available to assist in structuring aesthetic and technical foundations at each level.

Facilities

Facilities include two large multi purpose studios set up for 3D work. The display room (White Box) connected to the main studio is intended for student presentations and critiques. Specialized technical areas for metal, wood and mould making are located in two buildings with state of the art shop equipment. Additionally qualified students may borrow hand tools for use in the general studios.

Sample courses include:

Sculpture, Art History and Art Theory courses, [Studio art courses chosen from disciplines such as Ceramics, Fibres, Intermedia/Cyberarts, Painting and Drawing, Photography (limited access) and Print Media]

Admission Requirements

Sculpture (BFA - Major) requirements: Minimum cut-off averages, admission statistics and program requirements.