Advising
From Visual Studies
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Pattern of Course Offerings
Time Studio is offered every Fall semester. Image and Interactive Studios are offered every Winter semester. Civic, Curatorial and Space Studio are offered every 3rd semester (fall/winter). Therefore Fall of 2009 will consist of Time and Civic Studios. Winter of 2010 will consist of Image, Interactive, and Space Studios. The chart to the right shows the three-year pattern of the course offerings in Visual Studies. The 2011-12 will begin the cycle again with offerings identical to 2008-9.
Upcoming Course Schedule
Fall 2008
- Time Studio Art396 TTH 11-1:50pm
- Space Studio Art395 MW 6-8:50pm
Winter 2009
- Image Studio Art 393 MW 2-4:50pm
- Interactive Studio Art 394 TTH 11-1:50pm
- Curatorial Studio Art 392 TTH 6-8:50pm
Non-Art Majors
Students majoring in disciplines other than art can enroll in Visual Studies courses after obtaining permission of the instructor. The listed pre-requisites also specify Junior Standing. If you are interested in one of the courses contact the listed instructor or Paul Wittenbraker at wittenbp at gvsu.edu.
The Visual Studies courses are designed to be accessible to students in other majors throughout the University. Learning in the studios and the work required are not dependent on your ability and prior knowledge in studio art. Often work is produced in small groups that draw on collective skills and abilities. While creativity is highly valued the studios proceed in relation to the historic and contemporary contexts of Art. Orientation to these contexts is part of each course. Studio courses are likely to be structured differently than your other academic courses. Projects require self-directed work and openness to engaging in sustained discussion and critique. To assure an appropriate fit, each student is required to discuss the course with the instructor to gain permission to enroll.
Art and Design Majors in other Studio Areas
Visual Studies Courses offer unique opportunities for students with primary focus in other Studio Areas in Art and Design. There are practical and theoretical connections between Visual Studies and each studio discipline in Art and Design. Use of technology in process and completed form is integral to many contemporary studio methods. Visual Studies courses offer many opportunities for deeper training in new media as used in studio practice. These studios also offer experiences that interconnect methods and ideas across numerous disciplines in studio art.
Art Education Majors
There are strong connections between current Art Education theory and methods and Visual Studies. Skills in new media are very useful for educators.
Studio Concentration in Visual Studies
The department is considering the addition of Visual Studies as a Studio Concentration for Art Education. This should be resolved by the end of the 2007-8 academic year. Studio Concentrations are the areas in which you take your 3 upper level studios (300 level and above).
Visual Studies as Electives
The Art Education Program at GVSU includes the requirement of 2 Art Education or Studio electives. Visual Studies courses can be taken to satisfy these requirements.
Visual Studies Studio Majors
Regular planning and advising are important in the Visual Studies emphasis. The curriculum is quite flexible which allows for a wide variety of studio directions. Refer to the BFA Program for program details. It is essential to regulate this openness with deliberate progress and documentation of your studio inquiry. This is managed together with your Advisor by creating and updating the individual Learning Plan. This document is updated each semester to track your progressing studio direction and learning goals.
Focus within Visual Studies
It is important to plan your progress through Visual Studies courses. The program makes possible numerous combinations of courses which reflect the numerous studio directions possible. You are required to take a minimum of 4 of the 6 courses in the emphasis. You can take each course twice. You can take between 5 and 8 total studio courses in Visual Studies (not including senior project). If you plan to take Civic, Space, or Curatorial studio twice be sure to acknowledge that they are offered every 3rd semester (fall/winter). We offer only one of these context-intensive courses each semester.
Studio Elective Strategies
There is wide flexibility in the area of Studio Electives. Your selections should support your Learning Plan. This can include enrolling in a wide variety of studio disciplines and media. Alternately, you can take many studios in a limited range of disciplines and media. If you plan sustained work in one of the other studios you and your advisor should share this plan with Faculty advisors in that area. It is advisable to begin by taking at least 3 different introductory studios and then refine your plan for subsequent studio electives.
- Students can also propose courses from across the University as "studio electives". Students can use a Studio Elective Proposal to make the case for how and why the course is significant as part of their studio practice as outlined in the Learning Plan. Some examples of potential subjects are: Theater, Film/Video, Photo, Computer Science, and Writing (among others). These should be used to give depth to studio inquiry and should result in products that contribute to the student's portfolio.
Academic Plan
Studio education is sometimes differentiated from Academic education. It is recommended that you view your Academic requirements as an essential part of your development as an artist and citizen. It is best to get started with the Art History curriculum early in your studies. The BFA degree specifies at least 2 additional Art History electives. The study of Art History is of great benefit to studio practice because of the focussed development of analytic, critical, and language skills in relation to the visual. 2008-9 Art History courses
Writing is an essential part of most jobs and successful studio practice. It is important to develop your writing abilities and effectiveness by embracing curriculum and courses that challenge and support writing. Artist and curatorial statements, grants, business plans, art criticism, and professional correspondence are all instances of applied writing in the visual arts. In many ways success is tied to your capacity to write.
General Education requirements should be viewed as opportunities to engage a diversity of ways of knowing across the disciplines. Areas of particular interest to Visual Studies are: Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Geography, Political Science, Philosophy, Liberal Studies, Media Studies, Sciences, and Public Administration including the American Humanics program.
Experience/Travel/Internships
- International Experiences, Off-Campus Study, Internships, Projects
There are many opportunities to learn outside the classroom context. These experiences can be of great significance to your studio work and development as a global citizen. A practicum/internship may be counted as one studio elective. Use a Studio Elective Proposal to request authorization of credit for a Practicum or Internship. Often International and Off-Campus Study can count towards General Education Theme requirements.
Situated Senior Project
Students are encouraged to do situated senior projects. These require the organization or establishment of particular context of presentation. This will be administered through the existing course structure for Senior Project Art 498. Students can also opt to do their Senior Project in a traditional gallery context.
Technology
Students who choose Visual Studies as their emphasis are advised to purchase their own portable computers for use in the studios and projects. Consult with your advisor on specific hardware and software options. Used portables are also workable for many uses. The studio maintains numerous older portables and makes them available for students to use for projects.
