Art Department

The Ceramics Program at Salisbury University will prepare students for a career in ceramics, enter M.F.A. graduate program, or launch a career as a production potter/designer/clay artist. It is the study of all clay, glazes, materials, kiln firings and ceramic world history. At Salisbury University, Ceramics is made up of five, four credit, core classes, one of which is an option required in the Art Core.

Ceramic I introduces students to the basic methods in hand building and throwing on the potter's wheel using varied clay bodies. Loading kilns, glazing techniques, and the impact ceramics has on the world as we study its history; Ceramics as a utilitarian craft to ceramics as a Fine Art Sculpture media.

Advanced Ceramics courses, Ceramics II, III, and advanced study in ceramics further emphasizes the technical aspect of throwing on the potter's wheel and varied advanced kiln firing techniques. Independent study in ceramics develops expertise in the advanced science of ceramics art.

The Drawing Program consists of classes in the Art Core and the Drawing Track. The two classes in the Art Core are Drawing I and II. In Drawing I and II students learn the fundamentals of drawing and broader conceptual skills that will help students to be able to both draw from observation and to visualize things they wish to create in an artistic manner. Besides fundamental drawing skills in the core drawing classes students also learn composition and design. After having taken the drawing classes in the Art Core students in the Drawing Track must take four upper level drawing classes. In the upper level drawing classes student learn advanced monochromatic and polychromatic drawing techniques. Students develop their portfolios with thematic thesis projects. Students also develop conceptual skills by writing papers based on selected readings. The emphasis in the upper level drawing classes is on exploration, experimentation and personal expression in relation to contemporary art issues.

Students who successfully complete the Drawing Track will be prepared to begin a career as a fine artist exhibiting in galleries and museums, an illustrator for print and other media, or to pursue further studies on the graduate level.

The Graphic Design Program at Salisbury University is made up of six, four credit, core classes. These core courses are sequentially organized so that each subsequent class in the Graphic Design Program continues to deepen in both software usage and project depth.

At the beginning of the program, for example, the curriculum centers on design and type history. At the next level, students explore typography on a more personal level. They complete projects that involve the actual design of a customized alphabet. By the time students reach the 400 level, they've been encouraged to take upper level electives that typically include: Illustration, New Media, Photography and/or Drawing & Painting.

Included in the Graphic Design Program is an Internship requirement along with a Graphic Design "Agency" class. All graduating B.F.A. Graphic Design students will have some client-based projects presented in their portfolios. Salisbury University students participate in AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) events in the Baltimore, Washington & Blue Ridge Chapters. For more information about careers in applied art disciplines, please visit any AIGA Chapter websites and visit the student hyperlinks.

The SU Glass Program is the only hot glass program in the entire state of Maryland. We boast state-of-the-art hot glass facilities and a fully equipped cold working area. Students learn this exciting, demanding art with an emphasis on safety, teamwork and creativity. Professionalism on all levels is stressed from the very first, and student involvement with the larger world of glass art is encouraged. The Glass Club is active on campus, sponsoring sales of student artwork and other activities.

New Media Program majors learn to work creatively with up-to-date technology. Video, Audio, Animation, Web Design, and Screen Graphics are all components of the New Media Track. An emphasis is placed on understanding contemporary approaches to New Media production and exhibition for the Gallery, Screen, Web, and Cellular platforms. New Media is a rapidly growing area of developing creative career opportunities.

Our Painting Program starts by solidifying a strong foundation through conventional learning techniques consisting of various visual data and vocabulary. After students finish Art 246 Painting I (the Art Core), students are gradually moving into a deeper survey with a specific emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual. By then, the goal is aimed towards having students be involved in discovering themselves through developing their own vision and identity. Thus, the sequential advanced painting classes are focused on individual style, with a majority of the content based on personal needs. This concentration on individuality along with the completion of a professional portfolio and gallery research become of the utmost importance in the upper level.

Students are encouraged to take some practical actions such as participating in juried shows, group shows, and curated exhibitions during their junior and senior years in order to prepare them for gallery representation and MFA applications. Advanced classes are extremely intensive in terms of producing a body of work with an articulated thematic issue. Examining contemporary artists video, group discussions, informal writings and weekly group and individual critiques will be required in this high level.

The Photography Program has a curricular emphasis on the visual arts, integrating areas that are valuable to those considering a professional photographic career or continuing in a graduate program. The tract is structured to provide students with the skills and understanding to enable them to create images that will stand out among the profusion of photographs in the commercial, editorial or fine art arenas.

The program is designed primarily for fine art black and white film, digital photography and digital imaging, however non-silver and alternative processes are strongly encouraged. Students are encouraged to develop an understanding of both analog and digital processes.

The Photography Program track consists of 5 four-credit classes one of which is in the art major core curriculum. The track aim is to develop a strong compositional sense and technical capability in various photographic based disciplines. The ultimate goal is to establish a mastery of the media and establish a personal esthetic.

Students in the Sculpture Program will be prepared to begin a career as a sculptor, enter MFA graduate programs, or prepare for a career in industrial design or other fields.

The Sculpture Program at Salisbury University is made up of five, four-credit, classes. These track courses aim to deepen visual composition in the third dimension, develop a mastery of media, and enhance individual content meaning.

Students are required to take Art 261, Beginning Sculpture, in the Art Core. Those who enter the sculpture track will take four more sculpture courses with classes focusing on metal sculpture, wood sculpture, site-specific and installation-based practices and figure sculpture. These courses rotate regularly, and are offered alongside Intermediate and Advanced sculpture, which can be customized according to student interest. Students always have access to all workshops, including an active bronze and iron foundry and the sculpture area’s 3D computer lab which is equipped with CNC, 3D scanning and 3D modelling software. Students are encouraged to work with media ranging from performance to fabrics to cast iron and to take advantage of resources across the 3D area, the campus as a whole and in the community, including the SU Library Makerlab.

M1

The Art Department is in the exciting process of moving many facilities into two recently acquired buildings: M1 and M2. M1 is 12,500 sf. former steel fabrication shop, and Sculpture moved into the newly-renovated building in 2021. Ceramics is planned to move in by the Fall of 2022. M2 is immediately next door and is a 12,000 sf. former medical supply warehouse and office space. Hot Glass and Foundations (Design Principles and Beginning Drawing) are planned to move in by 2023.

M1 and M2 are located on East Campus, just across Rt13 from the main campus, and between the athletic fields and a large student housing community (University Park). It is a 10 minute walk to Fulton hall.

All 3D areas are well-equipped and designed to make whatever students can imagine Workshops include:

Woodshop

• Sawstop table saw
• Two 14” Grizzly Bandsaws
• Two 17” Grizzly Bandsaws
• Full sized wood lathe and tools
• 48” Grizzly edge sander
• Combination belt/disc sander
• 12” combination jointer/planer
• 20” 5 HP Grizzly planer
• Oscillating Spindle Sander
• Bench for cutoff saws including Dewalt Compound Miter saw, Sliding Compound Miter saw and Delta Radial arm saw
• Two Delta drill presses
• 1 ton capacity bridge crane running the length of the shop
• Two Makita electric chainsaws
• Full collection of hand and power tools

Metalshop

• Four Miller 211 MIG welders
• Miller 251 MIG welder
• Miller 211 Syncrowave TIG welder
• Miller Dynasty 350 TIG welder
• Miller Maxstar 180 Inverter TIG welder
• Miller Syncrowave 300 TIG welder
• Miller Spectrum 625 Plasma cutter
• Thermal Dynamics Plasma cutters
• Two Milwaukee Abrasive Cutoff saws
• Kysor/Johnson Horizontal band saw
• 10’ Manual brake
• 4’ Finger brake
• 4’ manual roller
• 10’ hydraulic shear with ¼”+ mild steel capacity
• Turret punch with 1/2" mild steel capacity.
• Two cast steel acorn tables
• Five workstations with air drops, dedicated ventilation, vises and welders
• Three additional separate heavy fabrication tables.
• Three pedestal grinders
• Wide assortment of grinders and hand tools
• Portable fume extractor

Foundry

• Full equipment for investment molds, lost wax and PLA casting and sand molds.
• Equipment for ceramic shell (currently no facility for dipping)
• Pouring platform with MIFCO B301 Rapid melt furnace 90# bronze capacity
• MIFCO 250# capacity sand muller (used with sodium silicate binder)
• 72 cubic foot burnout/meltout car kiln with dedicated crane and wax recovery
• 14” cupola for casting iron and scaffolding with dedicated 1/2 bridge crane
• 10” cupola
• Roll up doors and outdoor workspace

Other

• 1000 sf project space with full overhead 1 ton bridge crane. This area also serves as overflow workspace for the metalshop, woodshop and foundry.
• Large outdoor fenced in courtyard
• Plaster, moldmaking and wax working areas
• Forklift for 3D area
• New heavy wooden workbenches and stainless steel worktables throughout
• Sewing machine/cart
• Computer lab with three workstations, CNC router, 3D scanners, 3D modelling software
• SU has a robust makerlab in the Library with 3D printers, scanners, laser cutters.
• Faculty offices and individual student storage lockers and areas

As a full-service University, SU offers both a traditional Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), which includes a year of foreign language study, as a well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in any of eight different areas of emphasis: Ceramics, Drawing, Glass, Graphic Design, New Media, Photography, Painting and Sculpture. Most of our students are B.F.A. majors, giving them the greatest opportunity to develop strong portfolios before heading off to their next challenge after graduation. The B.F.A. program is specifically designed to ensure a balance of studio experiences across a range of areas, even in the junior and senior years. Unlike some programs where students can become isolated in their area of emphasis, our curriculum requires continued exploration of alternative approaches throughout all four years.

In order to enter the B.F.A. program, you must submit a portfolio of 10 examples of your artwork.

We have the only on-campus hot glass shop in the state. This popular and exciting area allows students to try their hand at an ancient medium, born of earth and fire. On the other hand, the Integrated Media Center (IMC) is a collaborative digital media space where the Art Department’s digital photography and new media students collaborate with students from the music and communication arts programs. The IMC features a full HD television production studio and a professional audio recording studio, along with a fully equipped digital photography Macintosh studio and printing lab.

Both new and current students are eligible for scholarships and awards from the Art Department.

Incoming first year students majoring in art are encouraged to consider the Living Learning Community devoted just to them: the Art Floor. This special arrangement allows art students to live together and take a few common courses together.

In addition to a stellar roster of rotating visiting exhibits in the SU Art Galleries, we host several visiting artists every semester – several of whom are exhibiting with us. Recent visiting artists include graphic designer and poster artist John Foster; Mark Amerika, a leader in Remix Culture, who exhibited his work at our Electronic Gallery; and “Plastic Fantastic,” a collaborative public sculpture made of recycled bottles that serves as an experimental performance space. We have hosted workshops in “Studio Lighting for Photographers” and a new 3D animation software application. We even welcomed a former student who came back for a visit to talk about his experiences (and his success) in the world of graphic design in New York City.

B.F.A. graphic design track majors are required to take part in a professional internship. Students often tell us that their internship experience was extremely important in the transition from student to working designer. We have developed relationships with over 100 local and regional businesses with graphic design internship programs. Many students take part in an internship “back home” during the summer, so a lot of our partnering internship businesses are in nearby metropolitan areas like Baltimore and Washington.

Part of the Senior Exhibition course taught, every semester graduating art majors present senior shows, which are planned and executed by the students themselves.

Salisbury University has identified minimum physical and cognitive standards for students who enroll in studio art and design courses. Art instruction at Salisbury University is rooted in the mastery of traditional media and techniques requiring visual acuity and hand-eye coordination. Students must possess and maintain minimum levels of physical, cognitive and interpersonal readiness in order to successfully complete the required art core, and upper level studio art and design courses.

Classroom Attendance and Participation: Art students must be physically present, and participate fully in class meetings on a regular basis, with or without reasonable accommodations. Studio classes require sustained creative activity and person-to person mentoring, critiquing, discussion and group work, all of which are fundamental to the learning process in art classes. Accordingly, individual course attendance policies reflect the importance of presence and active participation, both to develop artistic ability and attendant professional skills.

Observational Powers: Art students must have the visual acuity to carry out observational drawing and painting activities in Art courses. Many foundational studio art courses are based on perceptual rendering.

Manual Dexterity: Art students must be able to handle materials with dexterity and sensitivity. Skillful hand-eye coordination is the goal of perceptual, so-called ‘realistic’ drawing and painting education, and studio art students must possess fine motor skills to develop the necessary ability to observe and render images either two- or three-dimensionally.

Intellectual-Cognitive Capacity: Art students must be able to integrate layers of meaning related to both form and content in art and design. Formal elements, including material processes, spatial and other visual dynamics such as color, shape, line and format, are uniquely interrelated with aspects of meaning, including the artist’s goals or intentions, and references to other art and design, whether current or historical.

Communication and Social Skills: Because instructor-to-student and student-to-student critiques are integral to the educational experience in studio art classes, students must develop the ability to critique their own work and the work of others articulately and constructively, as well as to accept the constructive criticism of their peers and mentors.

The Art Department frequently sponsors study abroad opportunities where you can learn and explore art in an exciting location. Check out some recent programs, and contact the department office of the Center for International Education for upcoming options.

Venetian Art and the Venice Biennale is a unique study abroad program where you spend a full semester studying Venetian art on the SU campus and then spend nearly two weeks in beautiful Venice, Italy, experiencing the art and architecture of the city. Excursions to see Venetian Renaissance masterpieces, as well as Modernist works in the Peggy Guggenheim museum, culminate with the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and most prestigious international art fair. Enrollment is open to Salisbury University art students, alumni, members of the community and students from other universities. Offered spring semester, odd years.

Creative Arts in Bologna takes place in Bologna, Italy, during January winter session. A 100-level drawing course is offered in this joint program with the Creative Arts Minor. Learning about and creating art in the setting of Europe’s oldest university (dating from the 11th century), provides a very unique experience. Professors from the University of Bologna, collaborate with professors from Salisbury University to create jam-packed courses filled with field trips, Italian cultural experiences and guest speakers who are experts in their field. This course satisfies your General Education Humanities requirement or may be used as an elective.

Global Seminar in Photography: London and Paris is led by two faculty members with years of experience in photography, particularly in the context of London and Paris. The program is open to all students interested in the history and the art of photography, and these two most iconic European capitals. Travel to the lands of Kings and Queens, Hogwarts and Wizards, Hunchbacks and the Phantom. The cities of London and Paris serve as your three-week, four-credit classroom to explore England and France through the lens of photography.