uww art - department

Welcome home...to the home page of the UW-W Art Department and to what students in Art, Design and Art Education in southern Wisconsin call their Arts home. The UW-W Art Program is a place where aesthetic traditions and the contemporary meet in an informal and professional atmosphere. The Art Department makes its goal to prepare students to become both personally and professionally engaged in the visual arts through a strong yet flexible foundation in the discipline. As students progress through the program they are supported with personal tutorials and individual advising to achieve whatever level of engagement they aspire to in their chosen area of study.

As Chair of the Art Department this is my brief opportunity to let visitors know about the various facets of the UW-W Art Program housed in the Greenhill Center of the Arts, the largest discipline designated complex on the UW-W campus and an outstanding arts facility. In the Center you will find dedicated art computer labs generating graphic, kinetic and multi-media design, extensive ceramics and metals studios producing a wide variety of traditional and contemporary works, a large scale bronze and iron sculpture foundry, painting and illustration studios, a state-of-the-art Art History theater, and the Crossman Gallery that features a range of contemporary national and regional exhibitions, as well as a College-wide visiting artist program which each year brings to campus a series of nationally known guest artists for workshops, demonstrations and lectures. As part of the Art Program, students are encouraged to work directly with their artist-professors on a one-to-one basis and have extensive opportunities for access to the studio facilities.

The program exposes students to the broader possibilities of a life and career in the visual arts yet retains the intimacy of the locale. What can be discovered is a dynamic but accessible environment where both personal and professional transformations take place. Whether you are visiting on-line or in person, imagine yourself as part of the picture and enjoy your visit.

Art Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Art Department, coordinated with the University and College of Arts and Communication, is:

To prepare students for professional careers with programs leading to the fulfillment of the following degrees: BA with emphasis in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Art History and Art Licensure; BFA in Fine Arts and Fine Arts Licensure; and BSE in Art Education.
To provide art minors in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Art History, and Arts Management.
To challenge students to a high level of creative achievement through a mandated process of evaluation in BFA entry level review, and Junior and Senior Shows.
To encourage students to be active in professionally oriented activities such as entering art shows, preparing graphic design publicity for the University and College, and seeking instruction in computer and graphics technology.
To provide appropriate classroom space and facilities to meet educational needs in arts/design.
To provide faculty holding appropriate degrees in their respective areas, as well as professional attainment in shows, research and publications.
To coordinate with the College of Arts and Communications departments of Music and Theatre/Dance in offering the large multidisciplinary, multicultural General Studies course: "World of the Arts."
To encourage faculty to extend their professional and pedagogical expertise through the acquisition of grants and other extramural funding, and to attend conferences and participate in gallery shows.
To foster an appreciation of art values, history, and aesthetics through required lecture courses in art history, theory, independent research, and travel to museums and galleries.
To encourage faculty to promote educational use of advanced technologies in computer, classroom multimedia facilities, and Internet interaction with professional colleagues and library resources.
To staff and maintain an exhibition gallery in the Center of the Arts to service students and public of the southeastern area of Wisconsin.

(By facilitating the exhibition of distinctive works of art, the gallery offers students, faculty and visitors an opportunity to enjoy and study a variety of art expressions in a free, accessible and open environment. The gallery also serves as an extension of the educational mission of the university by enabling students to exhibit their own work and conduct research into the objects presented throughout the year in the exhibition series. The exhibits and related programming provide a forum to investigate technique and thematic issues in the visual arts, explore new technology, and display new and established talent.)