Department of Art, Architecture & Design

Mission

We each are created in the image of God; we reflect His image in part through our creative solutions and expressions. Art has served an important role throughout history expressing and ennobling what it is to be human. We believe art, aesthetics, and design are essential for human flourishing and for the expression and development of cultural values.

The mission of the Department of Art, Architecture & Design is to produce graduates who are knowledgeable, creative, thoughtful, and engaged professionals deeply rooted in Christian values. We carry out this mission as a dedicated, student-focused faculty who mentor students with a Christ-centered approach. We foster excellence in creative expression, scholarship, and visual design. We equip students with cultural awareness and empower them to respectfully engage society and serve the needs of their communities.

Goals

• Christ-like: foster within students a global perspective of art and design excellence defined by compassionate, Christ-like service to others.
• Knowledgeable: promote within the academic setting, lifelong intellectual growth through the pursuit of progressive, innovative and sustainable understanding of art, design, technology, information and research.
• Creative: inspire and provide a culture of creativity and critically diverse thinking grounded in the framework of fine arts, pure design and applied design principles.
• Professional: mentor and infuse Christ-like professional behavior in art and design practices and procedures, ethics and integrity, business relationships and work excellence.
• Engaged: stimulate a passion and advocacy for the visual arts and design professions through active engagement in professional communities and relationships, and exposure to art and design diversity.

Sophomore Portfolio Requirement for Art, Graphic Design, and Visual Arts Studio majors

Pass ART 2900 Sophomore Portfolio Review .

The sophomore portfolio review, ART 2900, is for the Art & Design student who has completed (including current classes) 12-15 credit hours of selected core Art & Design coursework. The review is intended to provide feedback on the student’s artistic growth progress. At the review we will be assessing drawing and compositional skills, presentation skills, ability to discuss and exhibit work and the student’s level of knowledge about current professional activity in his or her program area.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in Art & Design courses is required to be eligible for participating in sophomore portfolio review. Passing the sophomore portfolio review is a prerequisite to enrolling in junior level courses.

Sophomore Portfolio Requirement for Interior Architecture and Design majors

The sophomore portfolio review is intended to provide feedback on the student’s artistic and technical progress. At the review we will be assessing drawing and composition skills, presentation skills, ability to discuss and exhibit work and the student’s level of knowledge about current professional activity in his or her program area.

Required after the student has completed: ART 1600/1600L , IDA 1010 , IDA 1020 , IDA 1060 , IDA 1080 , IDA 2210 , IDA 2610 , and IDA 3620 . The student must also have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all university courses and a GPA 2.25 in all art and design courses. Passing the Sophomore Portfolio Review is a prerequisite to IDA 3610 . Remaining 2000 level art courses are intended to reinforce and expand the skills necessary for junior level studio courses.

Second-year Portfolio Requirement for Architecture majors

Second-year Portfolio Review is conducted near the end of the fall semester of the second year to evaluate and provide feedback on the creative and technical progress of each student. During the review the faculty will assess drawing and composition skills, design innovation, creativity, technical knowledge, graphic techniques and presentation skills.

Required after the student has completed: ARCH 1010 , ARCH 1020 , ARCH 1060 , ARCH 1080 , ART 1010  and ART 1600/1600L . ARCH 2210  and ARCH 2610  will be taken concurrently with the review. The student must also have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all university courses and a GPA of 2.5 in all major courses. The results of Second-year Portfolio Review are pass or fail. Students who do not pass the review will be given the opportunity to rework weak elements of their portfolio prior to the start of the next semester. Passing the Second-year Portfolio Review is a prerequisite to enrolling in ARCH 3610 .

Teacher Licensure

The Bachelor of Arts degree with teacher licensure is available.

Technology Requirements for Architecture and Interior Architecture and Design Majors

All students enrolled in the Interior Architecture and Design program must have ready access to a laptop computer and designated software. Studio courses beginning in year two of the program require the student to regularly bring a PC platform laptop to class. The laptop must be configured to effectively run the designated software.

Student Work

The department reserves the right for each teacher of an art or design class to retain examples of each student’s work each semester for addition to the department’s permanent collection or accreditation.

Interdepartmental Programs

A minor in Human-Centered Design Minor  is offered in collaboration with the Department of Engineering & Physics .

Faculty

Chair: Stacy Gibson, M.F.A.

Professors:

Daniel Adams, M.A., M.F.A.
     Director of HUG
Stacy Gibson, M.F.A.
John E. Keller, Ph.D.
Sarah Wilhoit, Ph.D.
     Director of the Interior Architecture and Design Program

Associate Professors:

Steve B. Choate, M.F.A., Ph.D.
Amy Cox, M.F.A.
     Associate Dean of College of Arts & Sciences

Assistant Professors:

Enrique Colon, M.F.A.
     Coordinator of the Graphic Design Program
Nikki Crane-Hasty, M.Arch., Assoc. AIA
Tessa Davidson, M.F.A.
Todd Sparks, M.Arch.
Robert M. Steelman, B.Arch., AIA
     Director of the Architecture Program

Instructors:

Mitchell Breitweiser, B.A.

Programs

• Architectural Studies Major (AST), BA
• Art Major (AEDU) (Teacher licensure), BA
• Art Major (AR), BA

• Graphic Design Major (GRD), BFA
• Interior Architecture and Design Major (IADE), BFA
• Visual Arts Studio Major (VAST), BFA

• Architecture, (ASMA) BA/MArch

• Art as a Second Teaching Field
• Art History Minor
• Art Minor
• Graphic Design Minor
• Interior Design Minor