University Catalog 2007-2008

University Catalog > College of Visual and Performing Arts > Art and Visual Technology

Art and Visual Technology

College Hall, Room C200

Phone: 703-993-8898

Web: www.avt.gmu.edu

Faculty

Harold Linton, chair

Professors: Carbonneau, Frederick, Kravitz (gallery director), Linton (chair), Mandes, Sandell

Associate professors: Ashcraft (associate chair), Crawford, Feerick, Frenn, White

Assistant professors: Cooley, Cui, Endress, Rothstein, Wrbican

Term assistant professors: Constantine (associate chair), Del Popolo, Karametou, Malone, Stanley, Starr, Winant

Mission

The Department of Art and Visual Technology (AVT) offers students an environment in which the pursuit of a degree is a commitment to a way of life that centers on creative thought processes and the production of artworks. The curriculum and the faculty focus on cultivating students' appreciation of and expertise in studio and digital arts. Students are encouraged to dedicate themselves to academic excellence, skilled artistry, and employing visual literacy within an atmosphere of creative freedom. The faculty's ongoing engagement with artistic practice forms a vital part of the student-instructor relationship. By offering instruction in traditional and contemporary technologies for art making, faculty members help students develop a strong foundation to realize their personal and professional goals.

A principle that underlies the AVT Program is its focus on fostering student understanding and experience of interdisciplinarity in the visual arts. This focus is important because art today crosses the boundaries of traditional disciplines and integrates traditional and technology-based media into the creation of new art forms. All AVT undergraduates are introduced to this interdisciplinary focus in such required courses as AVT 307 Aesthetics and AVT 395 Writing for Artists.

Course Work

The Department of Art and Visual Technology offers all course work designated AVT in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate studio degrees offered by the Department of Art and Visual Technology include the bachelor of arts (BA) and the bachelor of fine arts (BFA). The department also offers an undergraduate minor in AVT, an interdisciplinary minor in multimedia, and a departmental honors program for selected AVT majors.

Neither the BA nor the BFA program satisfies all requirements for teaching in the public schools. Undergraduate students interested in this field should contact the department's art education advisor to learn more about teacher preparation.

Nonmajors may also take course work in AVT. Consult the course listings for prerequisites.

Requirements

Beginning in spring 2006, all students are admitted to AVT programs of study separately from their admission to the university and only by portfolio review. Students may be admitted to study in the BA program by one of three ways:

BFA Portfolio Review

BA students who wish to apply for admission to the BFA degree program do so by presenting a substantive college-level portfolio and other requested credentials during the designated application period, usually the sixth week of the semester. See BFA requirements below.

Artsbus Requirement

All AVT students must meet the department's requirement of travel to galleries and museums aboard the AVT Artsbus. Students meet this requirement by enrolling in AVT 300 Artsbus Attendance.

Freshmen who enroll as AVT majors must take AVT 300 for five semesters. Transfer students and students who change their majors to AVT must take AVT 300 each semester they are enrolled at Mason, up to a maximum of five semesters. Semesters of enrollment in AVT 300 do not have to be consecutive. Students may take AVT 300 up to three times in a semester if they wish to accelerate their completion of the requirement.

The total number of bus seats for the term will meet or exceed class enrollment; tickets for each trip will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Students have no guarantee that they will be able to attend the trip of their choice. The best way for students to attend their preferred trip is to secure the ticket as soon as the box office has them available.

Please note that there are no ticket refunds at the end of the semester for students who fail to attend one of the available Artsbus trips, just as there are no tuition refunds for students who fail courses.

Writing-Intensive Requirement

Mason requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. AVT students fulfill this requirement by successfully completing AVT 395 (or AVT 494 for BFA students planning to pursue the MAT in art education).

Upper-Level Credits

All undergraduate students are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division courses at the 300-499 level.

Major GPA

All AVT undergraduate students must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in their major.

Studios

Studios are open to students for extended periods mornings, evenings, and weekends whenever classes are not in progress. Policies, procedures, and schedules for studio use are established by the AVT studio faculty and are posted in the studios.

Programs of Study

Art and Visual Technology, BA

This program offers a broad background for students who want a liberal arts education with a major in studio or digital art. Students can concentrate a portion of their study in digital arts, graphic design, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or interdisciplinary arts (InterArts).

Degree Requirements

Course Work Credits
General Education 37
Foundation Requirements

Written communication: ENGL 101 and 302 6Nonnative speakers of English with limited proficiency in the language may substitute ENGL 100 for ENGL 101. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in ENGL 100 or 101, as well as in 302, to fulfill degree requirements.

Oral communication 3
Quantitative reasoning 3
Information technology 3
Core Requirements
Literature 3
*Arts 3
Natural science (including at least one laboratory science) 7
Western civilization 3
**Global understanding 3
Social and behavioral sciences 3

* AVT majors may not choose AVT courses to meet this requirement, and they may not double-count ARTH courses toward both the AVT major and the university general education arts requirement.

** AVT majors may not double-count ARTH courses toward both AVT major requirements and the university general education global understanding requirement.

AVT Major Requirements 63
Studio Foundation 17
AVT 101 New Majors Colloquium 1
AVT 104 and 105 Studio Fundamentals I and II 8
AVT 222 and 323 or 324 Drawing I and II, or Figure Drawing 8
AVT 222 and 323 or 324 Drawing I and II, or Figure Drawing 8
ARTH 200 Survey of Western Art I or ARTH 203 Survey of Asian Art 3
ARTH 201 Survey of Western Art II 3
ARTH 374 Art Now 3
AVT 301 Visual Voices Colloquium 3
AVT 307 Aesthetics 3
AVT 395 Writing for Artists 3

Breadth and Experience 12Choose three of the following classes; at least one course must be a 200-level studio course: AVT 215 Typography, AVT 232 Painting I, AVT 243 Printmaking I, AVT 252 Photography I, AVT 262 Sculpture I, AVT 272 Interdisciplinary Arts, AVT 280 Two-Dimensional Digital Art, AVT 396 Introduction to Art Teaching and Learning, AVT 399 Special Topics in Art and Visual Technology

Synthesis 4
AVT 497 Senior Project or AVT 498 Senior Design Project
Concentration 12

12 credits in one of the following areas:

General Electives 20

BA students must use general electives to either complete a minor program outside the major field of study (15-20 credits) or demonstrate intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language (0-12 credits).* After fulfilling one of these options, the remaining general electives may be taken inside or outside of the department. All students are required to take a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division courses (300 and 400 level); most students will require at least 13 elective credits at the 300 level or above. Note: AVT 393 Field Experience in the Arts and AVT 489 Internship are not required courses but are recommended as electives for BA students.

* See beginning of CVPA chapter for foreign language requirement.

Total Credits 20


Art and Visual Technology, BFA

This intensive, 120-credit studio production program emphasizes analytical, creative, and experiential aspects of studio and digital arts. It is designed to prepare students professionally as visual artists or for graduate study in the fine arts. Students devote a significant portion of their college careers to an in-depth study in one of the following concentrations: digital arts, graphic design, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or interdisciplinary arts (InterArts).

Application deadlines are at the end of the sixth week of the fall and spring semester of each year. Students planning to apply are encouraged to meet with the coordinator of their AVT concentration in the semester prior to their application to discuss the portfolio.

Admission to the BFA program is highly competitive. Applicants must be a current BA student in art and visual technology and have completed AVT 104 and 105 or the equivalent. Other BFA admission requirements include the following:

Students interested in applying should contact the Department of Art and Visual Technology for an application and specific directions on presenting the portfolio.

Degree Requirements

Course Work Credits
General Education 37
Foundation Requirements
Written communication: ENGL 101 and 302 6

Nonnative speakers of English with limited proficiency may substitute ENGL 100 for ENGL 101. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in ENGL 100 or 101, as well as in 302, to fulfill degree requirements.

Oral communication 3
Quantitative reasoning 3
Information technology 3
Core Requirements 3
Literature 3
*Arts 3
Natural science (including at least one laboratory science) 7
Western civilization 3
**Global understanding 3
Social and behavioral sciences 3

* AVT majors may not choose AVT courses to meet this requirement, and they may not double-count ARTH courses toward both the AVT major and the university general education fine arts requirement.

** AVT majors may not double-count ARTH courses toward both AVT major requirements and the university general education global understanding requirement.

Synthesis options specified and counted under AVT major requirements.

AVT Major Requirements 81
Studio Foundation 17
AVT 101 New Majors Colloquium 1
AVT 104 and 105 Studio Fundamentals I and II 8
AVT 222 Drawing I and 323 Drawing II or 324 Figure Drawing 8
Art History, Critical Analysis, Contemporary Practice 24
ARTH 200 Survey of Western Art I or ARTH 203 Survey of Asian Art 3
ARTH 201 Survey of Western Art II 3
One course from the following:

* Students concentrating in graphic design must take AVT 318 to meet this requirement.

Breadth and Experience 12
Synthesis 4
Concentration 24

24 credits in one of the following areas:

General Electives 2
Total 120


Art and Visual Technology, BFA Curriculum for Students Intending to Pursue the MAT Degree in Art Education

Students who intend to seek licensure to teach art in Virginia public schools or apply for entrance to the master of arts in teaching program for art education should pursue a BFA (any concentration) with the following suggested course work:

Degree Requirements

Course Work Credits
General Education 37
Foundation Requirements
Written communication: ENGL 101 and 302 6
Written communication: ENGL 101 and 302 6

Nonnative speakers of English with limited proficiency may substitute ENGL 100 for ENGL 101. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in ENGL 100 or 101, as well as in 302, to fulfill degree requirements.

Oral communication 3
Quantitative reasoning 3
Information technology 3
Option recommended for BFA/MAT: AVT 180, plus either CS 105 or PHIL 112 3
Core Requirements
Literature 3
Arts (outside the major) 3
Arts (outside the major) 3

Required for BFA/MAT: ARTH 200, Survey of Western Art I

Natural science (including at least one laboratory science) 7
Western civilization 3
Global understanding 3
Global understanding 3

Option recommended for BFA/MAT: ARTH 203

Social and behavioral sciences 3

Option recommended for BFA/MAT: PSYC 100

Synthesis options are specified and counted under AVT major requirements.

AVT Major Requirements 80*
Studio Foundation 17
AVT 101 New Majors Colloquium 1
AVT 104 and 105 Studio Fundamentals I and II 8
AVT 222 Drawing I and AVT 323 Drawing II or 324 Figure Drawing 8 8
Art History, Critical Analysis, Contemporary Practice 24*
ARTH 200 and 201 Survey of Western Art I and II 6
ARTH 200 and 201 Survey of Western Art I and II 6

*Only for students who complete all five of the required undergraduate art education courses (AVT 396, 493, 494, EDUC 301, 301), credits for ARTH 200 may be counted toward the major and the arts university general education requirement

ARTH 374 Art Now 3
AVT 301 Visual Voices Colloquium 3
AVT 307 Aesthetics 3
AVT 472 Critical Theory in the Visual Arts 3
AVT 493 Teaching Visual Thinking through Media/Processes K-12 (Meets the ARTH 300+ requirement) 3

AVT 494 Teaching Critical Response to Art, K-12 (Meets the AVT 395 writing-intensive requirement) 3

Breadth and Experience 11
AVT 262 Sculpture I or another three dimensional-focused course 4
AVT 396 Introduction to Art Teaching and Learning 3
One of the following courses: 4

AVT 215, 232, 243, 252, 272, 280, 399

Synthesis 4
Synthesis 4

AVT 497 Senior Project or AVT 498 Senior Design Project

Concentration 24

24 credits in one of the following areas:

General Electives 3

Take the following art education foundation courses to meet state education requirements:

EDUC 301 Educationally Diverse Populations 3
EDUC 302 Human Growth and Development 3
Total 120

Note: Following this curriculum does not guarantee entry into the MAT Program. Prospective MAT students must meet all MAT admissions requirements as described in the catalog.

AVT Honors Program

Students interested in the Honors Program in Art and Visual Technology should contact the chair of the department. Both BA and BFA students are eligible to apply for admission to the program. Honors students must complete at least 4 credits of AVT 394 Honors Seminar.

Minor in Art and Visual Technology

The minor in AVT requires 20 credits and offers a core of foundational studies with the opportunity for further study the following areas: digital arts, graphic design, InterArts, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture. The requirements are as follows:

Course Work Credits
AVT 104 and 105 Studio Fundamentals I and II 8
AVT 222 Drawing I 4
AVT 200-299 4
AVT 300-399 4
Total 20


Interdisciplinary Minor in Multimedia

For the program of study for the multimedia minor, please see the catalog section on Interdisciplinary Minors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. This minor is not available to students majoring in AVT with a concentration in digital arts.

Graduate Programs

Art and Visual Technology, MA and MFA

The MA in digital arts features courses that integrate visual information design, two-dimensional imaging, three-dimensional modeling, animation, video production, sound editing, multimedia authoring, and web publishing within a program that is grounded in theory and application.

The MA degree is a 45-credit professional program aimed at preparing students for employment in high-tech industries and businesses, including computer animation and video production firms, graphic design firms, web development and design companies, and computer-related research industries.

The MFA is a terminal degree that prepares students to become professional artists, work in technology or arts-related fields, and teach at the university level. It requires 60 credits, during which time students fulfill 45 credits of core and studio requirements plus an additional 15 credits of comprehensive experience.

MFA students may choose an emphasis in digital arts, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or InterArts. The latter offers students the opportunity to combine art forms in interdisciplinary projects that may be installation, performance, publishing, time-based, or writing-based, and combine creative and critical approaches in their work.

While it is anticipated that students will move through the MFA as described in this catalog, individuals with extensive professional accomplishment may, upon recommendation of the AVT Graduate Committee and with prior approval of the CVPA dean, craft an individualized program that meets curricular requirements.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general university requirements for admission for graduate study, candidates for the MA or MFA must hold a BA or BFA degree. Upon applying, they must submit a portfolio, statement of intent and professional goals, and three letters of reference. Applications will be accepted for the fall semester only. The deadline for receipt of application materials is January 15.

Diversity among students accepted for study is another consideration. Applicants with degrees in areas other than art are welcome, although they may be required to complete undergraduate core courses.

Portfolio Guidelines

The applicant's portfolio is a major selection criterion for graduate admission and should represent the applicant's most accomplished work. Portfolio requirements are different for each graduate area of emphasis.

All portfolios must include a written image or slide information sheet with the corresponding number, title, date, medium, and size of each work. If included, slides must be labeled with slide number, applicant's name, title of work, and date. Incomplete portfolios will not be considered.

Applicants' portfolio items are considered part of the application for admission and, thus, cannot be returned. Please do not send original materials. The portfolio and all other application materials should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. For more information, contact the AVT Department at 703-993-8898.

Portfolio requirements by area of emphasis:

Digital Arts: 20 images on a Mac (Apple Macintosh platform)-compatible CD. All images must be numbered according to the printed list. Videos (no more than four minutes for each selection) must be playable from a Mac-compatible CD or DVD. Only the relevant parts of the video should be marked for viewing, with the applicant's role clearly stated. Digital arts applicants should not submit slides.

Photography and Printmaking: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD or slides. All images must be numbered according to the printed list. Printmaking also requires a print portfolio of 12 prints.

Sculpture and Painting: 20 slides only. All slides must be numbered and labeled according to the printed list.

InterArts: 20 images (on a Mac-compatible CD or slides), videos, or writing-based materials. All submissions must be numbered according to the printed list. If videos are included, they must contain no more than four minutes for each selection. Also, they must be on a Mac-compatible CD or DVD or, if videotape, VHS in NTSC format. Only the relevant parts of the video should be marked for viewing, with the applicant's role clearly stated. If writing-based materials are submitted, they should be submitted in printed form.

Supplementary material for all applicants, such as CDs (Mac-compatible only), videos (DVD, VHS in NTSC format), web addresses, press clippings, or reviews of exhibitions may be submitted but will be reviewed only at the discretion of the AVT graduate application reviewers. Supplementary material should be clearly marked as such.

Facilities and Equipment

The Art and Visual Technology Graduate Program is located in the Fine Arts Building, which houses art studios in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. AVT has four computer labs that cross platforms and are installed with current software applications used for two-dimensional imaging, three-dimensional modeling, animation, video production, sound editing, multimedia authoring, and web publishing.

MA Degree Requirements

Course Work Credits
Core Requirements 30
AVT 500+ Art and Visual Technology Course Work 10
AVT 599 Special Topics in Art and Visual Technology 4
AVT 600 AVT Research Methodologies 3
AVT 610 Graduate Seminar (1 credit repeated for 4 credits) 4
AVT 620 Theory and Criticism in the Visual Arts 3
AVT 693 Apprenticeship 6
Digital Arts Emphasis 15

MA students must complete any three of the following courses:

AVT 616 Internet Multimedia Art 5
AVT 676 Sound and Music for Video and Animation 5
AVT 678 Interface and CD-ROM Design 5
AVT 684 Two-Dimensional Digital Art 5
AVT 686 Three-Dimensional Digital Art 5
AVT 688 Digital Animation 5
Total 45
MFA Degree Requirements Credits
Core Requirements 30
AVT 500+ Art and Visual Technology Course Work 10
AVT 599 Special Topics in Art and Visual Technology 4
AVT 600 Research Methodologies 3
AVT 610 Graduate Seminar (1 credit repeated for 4 credits) 4
AVT 620 Theory and Criticism in the Visual Arts 3
AVT 670 Teaching Practicum 6
Studio Emphasis 15

MFA students must complete 15 credits in digital arts, InterArts, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture, as follows:

Digital Arts
Any three of the following courses:
AVT 616 Internet Multimedia Art 5
AVT 676 Sound and Music for Video and Animation 5
AVT 678 Interface and CD-ROM Design 5
AVT 684 Two-Dimensional Digital Art 5
AVT 686 Three-Dimensional Digital Art 5
AVT 688 Digital Animation 5
InterArts

Any three graduate studio courses as approved by the division director of InterArts, for a total of 15 credits. InterArts graduate students may combine courses from the studio areas of emphasis and work with faculty to design an interdisciplinary thesis project.

Painting
All three of the following courses:
AVT 633 Graduate Painting II 5
AVT 634 Advanced Graduate Painting 5
Painting
Photography
All three of the following courses:
AVT 652 Graduate Photography I 5
AVT 653 Graduate Photography II 5
AVT 654 Advanced Graduate Photography 5
Printmaking
All three of the following courses:
AVT 642 Graduate Printmaking I 5
AVT 643 Graduate Printmaking II 5
AVT 643 Graduate Printmaking II 5
AVT 644 Advanced Graduate Printmaking 5
Sculpture
All three of the following courses:
AVT 662 Graduate Sculpture I 5
AVT 663 Graduate Sculpture II 5
AVT 664 Advanced Graduate Sculpture 5
MFA Comprehensive Experience 15
Candidates must complete all of the above core and studio requirements as well as the following:
AVT 796 Directed Project 9
AVT 798 Directed Reading 3
AVT 799 Thesis 3

The comprehensive experience involves a study of the historical basis for a studio project; an independent creative production suitable for public viewing; and a written thesis documenting the evolution of the creative problem and exploring the intention, purpose, and relative success of the finished project.

Total credits required 60


Master of Arts in Teaching in Art Education

This preservice degree program prepares students with a BFA degree for PreK-12 art licensure by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Using a studio-based approach to art education and working closely with area public school systems, the MAT degree consists of 30 credits of graduate art education, school practicum experience, and studio work prior to preservice teaching internship and seminar.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general university admission requirements for graduate study, admission to this program is contingent on completion of a BFA in art or approved equivalent. Also, candidates must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative undergraduate GPA; any exceptions will be considered on an individual basis. Eligibility for the MAT program may demand additional course work to establish proficiency in visual arts. Students lacking a background in the visual arts or pedagogy will be required to satisfy prerequisite courses prior to the required graduate courses. Candidates will be selected by a department committee composed of the art education program director and faculty. Meeting minimum criteria does not guarantee admittance to the program.

Applications will be accepted for the fall semester only. The deadline for receipt of application materials is January 15. Each applicant must provide the following materials:

Diversity among students is another consideration for acceptance into the program. Applicants with degrees in areas other than art are welcome, although they may be required to complete undergraduate core and studio courses.

MAT matriculants who earned a BFA at an institution other than Mason may be required to take additional undergraduate credits as postbaccalaureate core requirements before acceptance into the program. Without equivalent courses, they will be required to take a set of five BFA foundational courses in art education and education: AVT 396, 493, and 494; and EDUC 301 and 302.

In addition, applicants who did not take equivalent undergraduate courses must also take AVT 472 Critical Theory in the Visual Arts and AVT 180 Computers in the Creative Arts, plus any additional studio or art history course work to meet Virginia licensure requirements. Students are expected to pass Praxis I or equivalent within the first semester of enrollment.

Degree Requirements

Course Work Credits
AVT 605 Issues and Research in Art Education 3
AVT 615 Technology for Art Teachers 3
AVT 667 Two-Dimensional Art Making: Form, Theme, and Context 4
AVT 668 Three-Dimensional Art Making across Cultures 4
AVT 691 Elementary Art Education (with practicum) 3
AVT 692 Secondary Art Education (with practicum) 3
AVT 695 Student Teaching: Internship in Art Education 6
AVT 696 Seminar for Student Teachers 1
EDRD 501 Literacy and Curriculum Integration for Specialist Teachers 3
Total credits required 30

MAT students will receive ongoing evaluation reviews by the MAT committee. Those who do not have successful reviews will be terminated from the program.

Professional Teaching Portfolio and Qualifications Review

The Comprehensive Experience for the MAT includes the following: (a) a group exhibition "The Art of Teaching Art Showcase" in which MAT candidates display and formally present works of PreK-12 student art completed during the internship along with exemplars of the MAT candidate's own artwork and (b) a culminating review of the intern's competencies as reflected in a professional teaching portfolio, accomplished during the internship seminar course that accompanies student teaching. All process folios, lesson plans, explanations of projects, visual images, and other relevant materials must be made available for the project committee to review. Artworks and all materials should be exhibited in a manner that reveals the student's aesthetic accomplishments. This exhibition and review will assess the MAT candidate's final professional teaching portfolio that may be used at interviews for employment. These requirements will be accomplished during the internship seminar course that accompanies student teaching. The faculty advisory committee will determine whether the student has mastered the field of study. Students who are unable to successfully complete the full Student Teaching Internship in Art Education and Seminar for Student Teachers will be terminated from the MAT in Art Education Program.