Click here for Fine Art History (FAH) and Department of Visual Studies (DVS) Course Descriptions
Incoming A & AH students enroll immediately in major studio arts rather than follow a year of foundation studies in art (which is typical of most post-secondary art programs). The program offers six core studios which students complete in their initial two years of study: drawing, painting, sculpture/installation, print media, design, and photography. In these studios, students are introduced to contemporary art practices through problem-based learning, which encourages a range of personal approaches and solutions to visual expression. In the upper-level studios, students go on to further expertise in two of the core-studio streams, developing a body of self-directed artwork in a class environment of discussion and exchange. Please see below for a full description of our studio courses.
Courses in Art History include surveys of Ancient, Medieval, Rennaissance-Baroque, and Modern art, as well as investigations into new areas of art history such as photography and new media. Upper-level seminars include focused studies of individual artists (including Van Gogh and Bernini), and thematic topics (including Narrative, Women and Art, and Pilgrimage). In these courses students examine the concepts and processes which shaped the form, subject, function, and significance of works of art. Some upper-level courses focus on student research projects, while others emphasize reading and class discussion.
UTM's art history offerings are administrated by a larger academic unit called the Department of Visual Studies (DVS). A & AH students my choose to enroll in some of the DVS's diverse academic courses found in Visual Culture & Communication. Founded in 2010, DVS is an interdisciplinary group of scholars, teachers and curators who explore the expanded field of visual and aural culture in historical perspective. Scholars working within the DVS analyze the history, production and reception of a range of visual and aural texts, including (but not limited to) photography, new media, popular culture, and advertising; painting, sculpture, architecture, and the built environment; contemporary art and museum culture; and time-based media, including film and television.
* As studio space is limited in the 100 and 200 level FAS course, priority will be given during first registration to students enrolled as Art & Art History Majors/Specialist, Fine Art History Majors and Specialists, Communication, Culture, and Information Technology/Visual Culture and Communication Majors and Specialists, and to newly admitted students who indicated the Art and Art History code on their application.
*All 300 and 400 level Fine Art Studio courses will be balloted. Balloting is the process by which students interested in taking Fine Art Studio courses request permission to enrol. Ballot forms and detailed instructions are available April 1 from the Fine Art Department.
Students taking art history courses learn various approaches to interpreting art, and also gain an understanding of the historical materials and techniques which led to their creation.
Adobe Licensing Fee
As part of our Adobe site-licensing agreement, all AAH program students will be charged $132.89 to use the Sheridan computer labs. A benefit of this fee entitles each student to receive the Adobe Master Collection Creative Suite 5 (valued at $640 for the student version, $2766 for the retail version) for personal use. The Adobe fee will apply each year to AAH students at the start of September.
Once you have registered and paid your Adobe fee at D100 Sheridan, you will be directed to a dedicated website to download the software. You can choose your preferred platform (Mac or PC) at that time.
Fee Payment Procedure:
1. Pay Adobe $132.89 fee at D100 (Registrar's Office).
2. Go to Information Technology Support Centre (C128) to be prhotographed for your Sheridan student card and to receive access an card for the computer labs.
3. Provide a receipt for the Adobe fee and receive your CDs of software.
This fee is payable every year in which the students are enrolled in FAS or CCT courses at Sheridan. In exchange, students receive the latest upgrade to the Adobe Creative Suite software set.
FAS143H Drawing I
An introduction to drawing principles, media, and processes with the emphasis on understanding the way in which drawing methods bring variety and clarity to image-making. Areas of study range from technical drawing to conceptual development--objects and environments serve as subject matter.
FAS145H Painting I
In Painting 1, students develop direct (single-application) painting skills through recording observed motifs or addressing set problems within a given length of time. This course acquaints students with contemporary approaches to the medium through the following: an exploration of the formal properties of colour, tone, and composition; an introduction to traditional and non-traditional painting materials; and, experimentation in deriving imagery from both an observed motif — such as landscape, the figure, still life, a mechanical reproduction, and text — and from processes of collage and abstraction. Exclusion: FAS230Y(G)
FAS236H Design I
Design 1 is an introduction to the fundamental elements and principles of design. Topics such as fonts, colour, composition, hierarchy, emphasis, contrast and visual consistency are covered. Students apply particular aspects of these topics to a variety of projects and formats. Each project builds on previous projects and integrates learning acquired through lectures, demonstrations and exercises.
FAS147H Photography I
This is an introductory course in analogue black-and-white photography. Its purpose is to provide students with the ability to use photography as a tool for artistic expression. Students will acquire skills in using a camera, processing film and making and finishing prints, as well as an understanding of photography as a medium for communication. Students will be introduced to concepts related to the description and interpretation of photographic imagery.
Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations, lab and studio time, individual consultation, group critiques and a field trip. Through assigned projects, students will organize visual information, create metaphors with photographic imagery, relate images to each other, cultivate a personal style, and refine their technical expertise and ability to read, understand and critique photographic imagery. Written work will focus on the description and interpretation of photographic works. Group critiques will provide students with the opportunity to seek and to offer feedback and support.
FAS232H Print Media I
An exploration of traditional print media (relief and intaglio) within a contemporary context.
FAS248H Sculpture I
This course offers an introduction to fundamental sculptural practices. Students work with materials such as wood, plaster, and industrial and found materials (this may include woodworking, mold making and casting). Students acquire a working knowledge of safe shop procedures. Topics in contemporary sculptural practices are identified through readings, slides and videotapes, and students are encouraged to formulate their own responses.
FAS234H Print Media II
This course expands technical knowledge of relief and intaglio and introduces silkscreen printing. Students also work with preliminary video and digital imaging. Alternative methods of print and printed ephemera are developed. Prerequisite or Corequisite: FAS232H
FAS243H Drawing II
This course uses drawing as a resource to develop work in a variety of materials and processes that may embrace both traditional practices and current technologies. Students are presented with issues to research and address through their work. Prerequisite: FAS143H
FAS245H Painting II
To introduce students to research and planning prior to the realization of a sustained painting, as well as to expand students' ideas of possible sources for their paintings. Students are introduced to additional painting techniques and media, as well as to a diverse range of historical and contemporary artists' practices. In turn, students are encouraged to develop a greater sense of creating self-directed work. Exclusion: FAS230Y(G) Prerequisite: FAS145H
FAS246H Design II
A continuation of FAS146H. Students explore the historical and cultural conditions that have influenced the fundamental elements and principles of design as well as the language of objects. Students apply particular aspects of these topics to a variety of projects and formats. Each project builds on previous projects and integrates learning acquired through lectures, demonstrations and exercises. Prerequisite: FAS146H
FAS247H Photography II
This course is a continuation of the study of Photography I with an emphasis on the various genres within photography and lens-based art. Students learn a variety of printing methods including fibre-based printing, sequencing, multiples and other techniques that further develop the creative aspects of the medium. Experimental approaches to the use of the photographic image, ideas and content are emphasized. Discussions, critiques, presentations and readings encourage students to expand their analytical and creative skills. Theoretical readings and exercises in this course develop around the idea of "photographic truth" and review photography’s relationship to surveillance, archiving information, documentaries and photojournalism. Students are encouraged to begin to develop their own area of research and are required to submit a written proposal for their final major assignment. Prerequisite: FAS147H
FAS330Y Past and Present Techniques
A practical investigation of techniques in art that have both historical precedents and contemporary applications. Media covered may include some of the following: mosaic, wood carving, encaustic, three-crayon drawing, egg tempera, fresco. Prerequisite: Any FAS200 level course or any FAH100 level course
FAS334Y Print Media III
A continuation of FAS234H with an introduction to stone and plate lithography. Emphasis on the integration of digital and photo-based print media using Adobe Photoshop. Brief introduction to Adobe Premiere for sequencing video stills. Greater focus is placed upon individual development with attention to production, quality and technical expertise. Prerequisite: FAS234H
FAS343Y Drawing III
A continuation of FAS243H. Personal inquiry will result in a series of related pieces which form a body of work. Prerequisite: FAS243H
FAS345Y Painting III
Students develop independent research habits to support self-directed projects in painting that are reviewed in a critique setting. Also included are demonstrations of painting media and gallery visits. Written statement of intentions and procedures, contemporary Canadian or international artist presentation, as well as portfolio documentation required. Exclusion: FAS331Y(G) Prerequisite: FAS245H
FAS346Y Design III
Design 3 provides the opportunity for students to develop the skills necessary to design real-world art and design related projects. Students are exposed to contemporary art and design via discussion, visual presentations, field trips and guest critics. In this course students focus on the application of conceptual design strategies and aesthetics by exploring student design competitions, design projects with other schools within the Sheridan community and client/self-promotion projects. Alone or in design teams, students learn to work within a simulated workplace scenario by producing initial sketch ideas, developing mock-ups and learning presentation strategies within realistic deadlines. Students participate in project discussion and peer critique throughout the design process. Prerequisite: FAS246Y
FAS347Y Photography III
This course is designed develop a student's individual and independent approach to photography. An emphasis is placed on innovation and use of materials as they each apply to concept. In order to gain a better understanding of a personal approach in the wider context of contemporary art and society, the course deals with issues surrounding representation and the photographic medium. Discussions, readings and assigned projects revolve around postmodernist ideas of the body and photography’s relationship to the notions of fetish, souvenir and desire. Students are encouraged to develop their own area of artistic research and are required to submit written proposals for all major assignments. Prerequisite: FAS247H
FAS348Y Continuing Investigations in Sculpture
Students are introduced to increasingly complex topics, and develop an awareness of contemporary issues through discussion, group critiques, slide presentations, readings and gallery visits, and will produce artworks they can discuss and position critically within their own time and context. Prerequisite: FAS248H
FAS434Y Individual Investigations in Print Media
A self-directed, supervised opportunity to define and develop a studentís artistic vision in any or all print media. Print will be broadly defined and students may choose to consolidate and explore traditional print media or to work with computers and video to produce a short video using Adobe Premiere. Increased refinement and sophistication in conception and execution is expected. Students must present both written and oral proposals for term projects. Prerequisite: FAS334Y
FAS349Y Video, Sound, Performance
This studio-based course will investigate issues of identity, gender, activism and the body within public and private space. Fieldwork will be emphasized, since the locus of the classroom becomes part of the critical inquiry of every day life or specific public events. Assignments will take into consideration the temporal nature of performance or the performative aspect of the work, and explore the various means of recording these temporal events, including memory itself. Students will be exposed to a range of interdisciplinary and trans-media approaches such as video and installation to utilize in the execution and recording of their work. In addition, students will be encouraged to explore the interactive dimension of any media they use. Prerequisites: Any two second-year FAS courses, one of which can be CCT 353 or CCT357.
Listen to sound projects completed in 2011 in FAS349Y Video, Sound Performance.
FAS443Y Drawing IV
Students continue to approach drawing in the broadest sense through the development of research and production models that assist in analyzing a spectrum of contemporary visual arts practices. Emphasis is placed on the development of a coherent body of artwork, the writing of artist statements and proposals, and the documentation of artwork. In-depth discussion of student artwork takes place in group critiques. Critical and theoretical readings form the basis for discussions and help situate artwork in a considered context. At the end of this course, students should be able to critically contextualize their artwork and present it in a professional environment. Students develop a professional portfolio in preparation for a possible exhibition or application to graduate school. Prerequisite: FAS343Y
FAS445Y Individual Investigations in Painting
A continuation of FAS345Y. Students develop a cohesive body of work reflecting an understanding of contemporary art practices. Regular critiques are supplemented by gallery visits, and an introduction to professional practices and art criticism. Written statement of intentions and procedures, contemporary Canadian or international artist presentation, as well as portfolio documentation required. Prerequisite: FAS345Y
FAS446Y Design IV
Design 4 gives students an opportunity to work on their own design projects or design-related artwork with regularly scheduled critical feedback from their peers and instructor. In addition students work on a number of design competitions, projects and a publication with schedules, deadlines and realized production. These activities give students an opportunity to apply the art and design skills acquired in the previous three years to real-world scenarios. Students also investigate work by professionals whose practices bridge the two related disciplines of art and design. Through these investigations students are exposed to examples of contemporary work that expands traditional definitions of art and design and that provide models for how students can combine elements from the two practices in their own work. Prerequisite: FAS346Y
FAS447Y Individual Investigations in Photography
Individual projects exploring themes or issues using photography are established and evaluated in the context of contemporary critical practice. Prerequisite: FAS347Y
FAS448Y Individual Investigations in Sculpture
Students formulate their own positions through written and oral proposals. A body of three-dimensional works reflecting issues associated with contemporary sculptural practice is produced. Prerequisite: FAS348Y
FAS453H5 Art Education Practice
Art Education Practice introduces students to essential concepts of teaching and learning theory as they relate to the visual arts. Educational components of curriculum design, instructional methods and strategies, and assessment and evaluation approaches will be explored, along with other related topics: the nature of seeing and visual learning; understanding the learner; the education of artists throughout history; the educational role of museums and galleries; and artful pedagogy/teaching as performance.
Through instructor modeling of various teaching strategies and methods, students will become familiar with the performance requirements of teaching. Studio tasks will include a performance piece, as well as mixed-media explorations of learner perceptions and appropriation of art historical imagery. Each student will undertake a microteaching session with the class, based on a topic of their choice. Students will also arrange to observe/interview an educator and present their observations in a final paper.
Balloted course intended for students with high standing in the Art and Art History or Art History Program.
Prerequisite: For Art and Art History majors/specialists: 4.0 FAS courses and 2.0 FAH courses, Permission of the Department.
For Art History majors/specialists: 1.0 course in FAH at the 300/400 level, Permission of the Department.
FAS454H5 Professional Practice
This course will outline the professional and business requirements of establishing a career as a practicing visual artist. Topics covered include portfolio development, exhibition presentation and organization, public art competitions, photo documentation, writing grant proposals, marketing, and taxes and bookkeeping. Guest lectures will augment students' research of the career paths of a range of arts professionals. Balloted course intended for students with high standing in the Art and Art History or Art History Program.
Prerequisite: For Art and Art History majors/specialists: 4.0 FAS courses and 2.0 FAH courses, Permission of the Department. For Art History majors/specialists: 1.0 course in FAH at the 300/400 level, Permission of the Department.
FAS455H5 Teaching Art in the School and Community
This practicum course provides fourth year students with hands on teaching experience allowing for interaction with administrators, teachers, and community leaders; planning workshops and classes; writing and delivering curriculum; working within budget; and with documenting and evaluating these experiences. Prerequisite: FAS453H5
Students must have Departmental permission for the following courses:
FAS450Y Advanced Project
An independent project chosen by the student and supervised by Faculty member(s). A written proposal must be submitted to and approved by the Department before registration. No student may take more than one Advanced Project credit in a single year. [156P] Prerequisite or Corequisite: 1.0 FAS 400 level course
FAS451H Advanced Project
An independent project chosen by the student and supervised by Faculty member(s). A written proposal must be submitted to and approved by the Department before registration. No student may take more than one Advanced Project credit in a single year. Prerequisite or Corequisite: 1.0 FAS 400 level course
FAS452H Advanced Project
An independent project chosen by the student and supervised by Faculty member(s). A written proposal must be submitted to and approved by the Department before registration. No student may take more than one Advanced Project credit in a single year. Prerequisite or Corequisite: 1.0 FAS 400 level course