The Art Program

 

 

 

DIVISION OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION: ART PROGRAM

Introduction:

We live in an age of technology where the visual arts play an increasingly important role in society, as a commodity and in learning. The communication of ideas and emotions through the use of images and forms is unsurpassed as a vehicle. Their use surrounds us as illustrations in magazine, newspaper, book, product design and advertising; video/TV reporting of events; education; the auto & fashion worlds; architecture & interior design; and in the fine arts themselves as entertainment and personal expression. For the professional artist/designer who works with ideas/images, training in the visual arts provides a necessary foundation for the development of the creative talents and skills used in the field.  

 

Mission Statement

The mission of the Art Program is to help students through their various investigations and to discover:

1.        How to become more visually literate. This suggests acquiring a competency in the non-verbal language of art and design.

2.        Strategies in developing critical skills through verbal and written accounts of historical and contemporary art issues.

3.        The capacity to solve problems within a variety of contexts.

4.        Ways to develop competencies in the areas of 2-D and 3-D art and design.

5.        Traditional and current technologies used in creating art & design.

6.        The needs for self-evaluation regarding one’s own artworks and that of others.

7.        Through these accumulative learning experiences and efforts in order to develop capabilities for independent work in the art and design professions.

8.        The professional standards required of being a good artist, craftsman, designer, etc.

9.        The business of being an artist-designer.

 

The Art Program sees its role as to nurture and cultivate art as a journey of self discovery for the purpose of developing the unique qualities and talents of each student towards their own authentic vision which society and the marketplace place a premium on through a balanced art curriculum in a liberal arts context under the leadership of involved and creative professors. The art program provides an attentive, supportive and creative environment in which the students can grow as creative individuals.

 

Program Description:

The Art Programs of the Division of Fine Arts and Communication at Quincy University are designed to prepare producing and exhibiting artists, graphic designers, free-lance artists, artist-craftsmen for graduate school and careers in art and the fields related to art. We offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.  Also, students with special study interests are able to “Contract” for a particular major through a custom-designed curriculum in  Studio Art (B.A., B.F.A.)   The Art Program also collaborates with the Psychology Program and the School of Business to offer degree curricula, and additional offerings are possible through partnerships within our flexible liberal arts structure.  Details about contract majors are listed on page 19 of the QU catalog.

 

Non-majors can participate in the art program and earn a minor in the following areas of interest: Art Studio, Art History, Graphic Design, 2-Dimensional & 3-Dimensional Art. Minor requirements are listed in detail on page 41 of the QU catalog.

 

Our majors and non-majors have been successful in turning their talents and dreams into not only making a living, but also learning how to live!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIVISION OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION: ART PROGRAM-2

Courses Offered:

The Art Program offers an atmosphere where growth and development occurs in an educational setting that is challenging both artistically, as well as intellectually. Curricula studio offerings promote an attitude of imaginative inquiry from within each of the studio art disciplines by full and part-time art faculty.  These include: Drawing, 2-D/3-D Design, Ceramics, Watercolor, Oil Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Printmaking, Fiber Arts, Commercial Illustration, Computer Graphics (Photoshop), Mixed Media Painting, Painterly Monotype, Electronic Imagemaking, Computer Illustration, Desktop Publishing, Etching, Web  Design, and Internships.   

 

The impact of the visual arts on every age is an important study, not only for what it teaches you about the development of art, but also for what it teaches you about human beings and changing cultures and the growth of civilization. Also, the creative mind does not work in a vacuum and needs nourishment. The Art Program requires a strong foundation in the history of visual culture which includes the following courses: Renaissance & Baroque Art, 19th & 20th Century Art, Non-Western Art and Contemporary Art Seminar.

 

For detailed course descriptions refer to pages 42-44 in the QU catalog.

 

Special Features & Unique Programs:

 

Our majors & non-majors are showcased every spring in the annual juried exhibition held in the Gray Gallery.

 

The Art Program requires all art degree candidates to have a senior comprehensive experience which entails a retrospective exhibition of their work along with a carry-in portfolio and a digital slide portfolio and PowerPoint presentation of their work. Seniors also provide a current vitae, portfolio/slide checklist, list of courses taken, an artist’s statement and a CD that documents the exhibition in notebook form.  As a group they are required to design a small exhibition catalogue, be involved in fund-raising, plan the exhibition and opening reception, design, frame/mat, install and remove the exhibition under the guidance of the Gray Gallery Curator. Students are encouraged to consult with their area professors regarding selection of their work for the baccalaureate exhibition. The exhibition is held in the Gray Gallery, Brenner Library during the months of April and May at which time an exit interview is held with the full-time faculty whereby students are passed, passed with distinction, deferred or passed with reservation.

 

Students may participate in the Assisi Pilgrimage which provides to students the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Clare and Saint Francis and to experience first-hand the art and architecture of that time period.

 

Encourages and involves art majors in the early exploratory and senior level internships applicable to their area of pursuits. Companies that have offered internships to art students include: Inman’s Gallery, Quincy Art Center, Carson Pirie Scott, Penn Daniels, Justice Publications, etc.

 

The program provides courses which enable students to fulfill the college-wide fine arts requirement, as well as courses which enhance the curricula in Business, Communication, English, History, Psychology and Science. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIVISION OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION: ART PROGRAM-3

 

The Gray Gallery:

The QU Gallery & Visiting Artist Program was established in 1968 through the efforts of Distinguished Professor of Art, Robert Lee Mejer, as part of the QU Foundation room in Brenner Library and the library’s foyer. It was renovated in 1991 and formally dedicated as the Gray Gallery, named for Rev. Francis Jerome Gray, O.F.M., and a QU Professor Emeritus of History from 1952-1989.

 

The Gray Gallery is an educational resource for the school and the Tri-State area. For more than thirty-nine years the Gallery has been an intimate exhibition space where current art is discussed as well as shown. The Gallery provides a forum for students, the community and faculty to observe, write and discuss art, at times with the exhibiting artists.

 

A selected list of past exhibitions in the Gray Gallery includes:

Sonia Gechtoff and James Kelly-Manhattan, NY; Anita Young-Madison, WI; Joseph Winkelman-President, Royal Society of Painters/Printmakers (England); Mark Barone-Murray, KY; Lee Bomhoff-Atlanta, GA; Susan Sensemann-Chicago, IL; Shelly Thorstensen-Lambertville, NJ; Kenneth Hale-Austin, TX; Diego Marcial Rios-El Sobrante, CA; Neil Mick-San Francisco, CA; Oscar Jay Gillespie-Peoria, IL; Bill Riley and Tom Morgan-Mission Viejo, CA; David Morrison-Indianapolis, IN; Douglas Craft-Jeffersonville, NY; Lean Beavers-Minneapolis, MN; Ray George-Normal, IL; Elizabeth Yarosz-Wichita Falls, TX; Jennie Frederick-Kansas City, MO; Nila Petty-Rockford, IL; Dennis Olsen-San Antonio, TX;

Josh Dorman-Booklyn, NY; Richard Martin Ash-Wichita Falls, TX; David Johnson-Muncie, IN; Pat Street-Orlando, FL;

Sarojini Jha Johnson-Muncie, IN; Dan Welden-Sag Harbor, NY; Jonathan Talbot-Warwick, NY; Janet Ballweg-Bowling Green,OH; etc.

 

In addition, the Gray Gallery annually hosts the Great River Watercolor Society, Alumni Invitational, The Juried Annual Student Exhibition, Senior Baccalaureate and QU Faculty Art Exhibitions.

 

Visiting Artists Program:

 

Since 1968 the Gray Gallery/Art Program has periodically hosted many outstanding visiting artists especially from throughout the Midwest. In conjunction with exhibitions of their work in the gallery artists’ lecture, demonstrate or present workshops for the community. Over the years the Illinois Arts Council, the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, the Quincy Art Center, Polis, QU Student Activities Association, Division of Fine Arts or the Great River Watercolor Society has supported the program. The following are a selection of distinguished visiting arts professionals: Sidney Chafetz, Ben Mahmoud, Cathie Crawford, Joseph Winkelman, Bruce Goff, John Arthur, Oscar Jay Gillespie, Elaine Pawlowicz, Peter Olson, Marilynn Derwenskus, Peggy Flora Zalucha, Rob Erdle, Timothy Barrett, Joseph Zirker,

Keith Crown, Harold Gregor, Charlotte Rollman, Ratindra Das, Rod Buffington, Bruce Bobick, Electra Stamelos, etc.

 

The Quincy University Permanent Art Collection:

 

Quincy University’s permanent collection consists of numerous fine art objects, artifacts, prints and student work under the care of the Gray Gallery Curator.  The collection is twofold:

 

The founder of the art department, Fr. Tom Brown, amassed a collection of original or facsimile artifacts from his world travels. The curator works closely with art faculty who require access to objects in the collection in support of their teaching of art history.

 

The collection’s other focus is the collection of fine 19th &20th century prints as well as original prints from students created in printmaking and photo courses. Many works from the collection are located on administrative and faculty office walls throughout the campus and on the walls in the Brenner library. The Department of Education, Admissions Office, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Faculty Lounge, and Vice President for Student Affairs have provided funding to frame the collection for purposes of display in their areas. The curator is often called upon to circulate and adorn the walls with original works of art.

 

Clubs & Organizations:

In 2004 the Art Club was reinstated to involve both majors and non-majors in promotional activities related to and in support of the visual arts.

 

 

 

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Possible Career Opportunities:

The Art Program at Quincy University is rooted in a strong and enduring tradition. That tradition is distinguished by high standards of instruction, by diligence and application required of every art student, by examples of excellence that is provided in the art discipline, and the opportunity to learn and grow by performing and exhibiting. Expect to be challenged and work hard in order to acquire the levels of knowledge and proficiency that your art teachers will ask of you. Pursuing the Visual Arts at Quincy University can be a rewarding experience in and of itself. Depending on your work ethic, your abilities and the degree to which you honed them, the arts degree can open doors to a variety of satisfying careers.

 

Past Quincy University Art graduates have been able to get into graduate school and have found career positions such as:

·         Chair/Professor of Art/Painter & Sculptor, DePaul University, Chicago

·         Artist/Painter, Seoul, Korea

·         Director of Graphics/Videography, Justice Publications, IL

·         M.F.A. Printmaking Candidate & Teaching Assistant, Southern IL University, Carbondale

·         Computer Graphics Specialist, Novachrome Inc., St. Louis, MO

·         Desktop Publishing & Graphics, Fort Collins, CO

·         Layout Artist/Desktop Publishing, Lee Enterprises, Decatur, IL

·         Graphic Artist, The Journal-Standard, Freeport, IL

·         Web Site Designer, St. Louis Botanical Gardens

·         Director of Education, Cleveland Museum of Art, OH

·         Art Director, Advertising/Catalogue, Famous Barr, St. Louis, MO

·         Graphic Designer/Installation, Montgomery Ward, Chicago, IL

·         Teacher, New City School (K-6), St. Louis, MO

·         Instructor, Taipei American School (K-12), Taiwan III, Republic of China

·         Ed.D degree, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

·         Department of Art Chairs: Quincy H.S., IL; Seymour H.S., Payson, IL; QND H.S., IL

·         Funding Programs Associate, Arts Midwest, Minneapolis, MN

·         Gallery Director, Curtis Allen Turner Fine Arts, Chicago, IL

·         JimJane Etc., Photography Studio, Hannibal, MO

·         Professional Photographer, Quincy Herald-Whig, IL

·         Education Director/Assistant Exhibition Preparator, Quincy Art Center, IL

·         Gallery Director/Custom Framer, Granite Bank Gallery, Quincy, IL

 

Graduate Profile:

Sara Steinkamp

Julie Martin

Jen Varrone

Steve Luecking

Barbara Kathman

Jennifer Wolff

April Sinclair

Brian Ballok

Edward Gowgiel

Robin Powers

Kevin Fagan

Kyle Trudell

 

 

 

 

 

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Art Faculty Profile:

 

 

Digital Images:

-Studios

-Student Work

-Faculty Work

-Gray Gallery

 

 

Unique Advantages of the Quincy University Art Program:

The Art Program continues to be the youngest of the fine arts programs at Quincy University and remains an integral part of the liberal arts structure of the university, an independent Catholic school of the Franciscan Order. The department has a breadth and depth of coursework within its curriculum complemented with the broad requirements of other disciplines within the university. Likewise, the needs of non-art majors are met to enrich and enlarge their aesthetic vision.

 

The Art Program is able to award talent scholarships to deserving students because of its heritage of having five endowed scholarships earmarked for Art.

 

The art student at Quincy University profits from the friendship as well as the expertise of a highly trained faculty. The art faculty who teach you have studied with a renowned figure in the field and each is committed to imparting the knowledge and skill by getting to know you as a person while encouraging you to develop and grow as a student during your tenure at QU. Because the class size is small this allows for close attention and interaction among students and their professors.