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At Cedar Crest College, we see you thriving in a vibrant, creative, and supportive community where you can cultivate your talents. Each semester, you will create your works side-by-side with professional faculty artists, visiting artists, and other student artists. 

Our program is rooted in the studio tradition and holds a strong emphasis on introducing our students to the history of art, studio techniques, contemporary art issues and applications for their major. You’ll be able to pursue studio practices in painting, sculpture, printmaking, book arts, paper making, ceramics, and community engagement through art.  

During your first semesters here, you will be allowed to explore a wide variety of 2D and 3D media. Later, you will select one or two media in which you will focus your final semesters of work. This will enable you to further develop your skills, your artistic voice, and your unique style. 

Art Major Concentrations

At Cedar Crest, we offer two concentrations for the Art major to personalize your academic experience to your artistic goals and aspirations.

In the studio art concentration, you’ll explore different artistic media and build a strong portfolio of creative work. In the integrated art concentration, you’ll explore your studio interests and intentionally integrate 12 credits from other disciplines to inform your work.  

  • Book arts
  • Ceramics
  • Illustration
  • Painting
  • Papermaking
  • Print making
  • Sculpture
  • Drawing

  • Art and business: This focus positions you to work in galleries and museums, work for a nonprofit organization, or become an entrepreneur and market your artwork. 
  • Art and communication: If you would like to pursue advertising, graphic design, and/or public relations work, this focus is for you. 
  • Art and English: Here you can combine the book arts courses with creative writing and/or poetry, enabling you to write and illustrate your publications. 
  • Art and biology: Many organizations require high-quality medical and botanical illustrations, models, and other artwork. 
  • Art and criminal justice or forensic science: The legal and justice systems utilize artists for the production of illustrations of crime scenes, composite sketches, and courtroom scenes. 
  • Art and psychology: As an alternative to the art therapy major, students interested in both mental health and art can integrate these two disciplines and take art therapy courses as electives. This integration program will also allow you to take more studio courses than the art therapy program requires. 
  • Art and Community Engagement – for those who want to bring art out of the studios and into the community, provide art opportunities for underserved populations and Art and History in support of students interested in museum studies 

Dive A Little Deeper

Portfolio Reviews

In support of the continuing advancement of the art major, full faculty portfolio reviews are held each semester. Students present a portfolio of current work reflecting their studio concentration and other studio investigations created in Cedar Crest College studio courses. The purpose of the portfolio review is to provide the student with feedback on the progress of their work, determine candidacy in the art program as well as to serve as an assessment tool for the Art Department. Successful completion of three portfolio reviews is required for graduation.  Based on a point system, grades are administered for each review.  Students must achieve a C or higher to maintain candidacy in the program. This grade is not calculated into the overall GPA.  Art majors must schedule portfolio reviews in the spring of sophomore year,  spring of junior year and fall of senior year. 

College Wide Requirements

Students fulfill the embedded requirements for the Art Major as follows:

  • Oral Presentation requirement is met by the satisfactory completion of two upper-level art history course, (ART 200, ART 210 or ART 220), upper-level studio/seminar courses (ART 470, ART 472) and portfolio reviews.  It is highly recommended that Art majors take THS 105 Public Speaking as an elective course to supplement the Oral Presentation requirement.
  • Technology requirement is met by the satisfactory completion of:

Studio Art Concentration: ART 238 Elements of Design and COM 108 Photoshop or COM 107 Illustrator

Integrated Art Concentration: ART 238 Elements of Design or COM 107  Photoshop or  COM 108 Illustrator

  • Information Literacy requirement is met by the satisfactory completion of the art history requirements (ART 105, ART 106, and one upper-level art history course ART 200, ART 210, ART 220) and upper level studio courses (ART 470)
  • All other college-wide requirements can be satisfied by the student’s choice with the final approval of the Registrar’s office through a graduation audit. Courses are identified in the catalog with their college-wide designations. In regard to the ML requirement the Art department recommends Math 102.

Student Learning Outcomes for the Art Major

  • Illustrate the understanding and application of the elements and principles of design as a universal non-verbal language and utilize this language to effectively develop problem solving strategies, critical thinking and communication skills.  
  • Demonstrate unique artistic expression, creative problem solving, social awareness and independent thinking to establish innovative artmaking. 
  • Interpret historical and contemporary examples of art and theory to broaden perspectives related to cultures and diversity of ideologies.
  • Master specific methods for the manipulation of materials in order to effectively and intentionally communicate concepts and ideas related to the practice of art making.
  • Analyze personal work and the work of others through written and oral communication.

Studio Art Concentration

Foundations: 15 credits
ART 101 Drawing
ART 110 Principles of Design
ART 105 Art History I (Fall, Winter or Summer 1)
ART 106 Art History II (Spring or Summer 2)
ART 221 Exploring Art Across Disciplines (Fall/Sophomore year)

Technology: 6 credits
ART 238 Elements of Design
COM 107 Photoshop or COM 108 Digital Design with Illustrator
Art History upper level (choose two): 6 credits
ART 200 Modern Art: 1800-1945 (Fall semester)
ART 210 Contemporary Art 1945-present (Spring semester)
ART 215 Selected Movements in Art
ART 220 Women Artist (Spring semester)

Introductory Studios: three studio electives (choose at least one 2D and one 3D): 9 credits

2D courses                                       
ART 111 Printed Image
ART 113 Illustration           
ART 123 Painting                            
ART 124 Papermaking                   
3D courses
ART 127 Sculpture
ART 131 Ceramics
ART 139 Book Arts
200 level studios: 9 credits
(Pre-requisite 100 level studio)
ART 250 Studio Concepts 2D (Fall/Junior year)
and one 200 level studio ART 211 Printed Image
ART 223 Painting
ART 224 Papermaking
ART 227 Sculpture
ART 231 Ceramics
ART 239 Book Arts
ART 245 Anatomy for the Artist
300 level studios:  3 credits

Choose one 300 level studio (Pre-requisite 200 level studio) (Should be taken Spring of Junior year)
ART 311 Printed Image                              
ART 323 Painting                                       
ART 324 Papermaking                               
ART 327 Sculpture
ART 331 Ceramics
ART 339 Book Arts
400 level studios:  3 credits

Choose one 400 level studio (Pre-requisite 300 level studio) (Should be taken Spring of Senior year)

ART 411 Printed Image
ART 423 Painting
ART 424 Papermaking
ART 427 Sculpture
ART 431 Ceramics
ART 439 Book Arts

Capstone Experience: 6 credits

ART 470 Senior Studio Seminar (Fall only) (Pre-requisite 300 level studio)
ART 472 Senior Art Exhibition (Spring only) (Pre-requisite ART 470)

Total Credits:  54 credits

Integrated Art Concentration

Foundations:  15 credits

ART 101 Drawing
ART 110 Principles of Visual Organization
ART 105 Art History I (Fall, Winter or Summer 1)
ART 106 Art History II (Spring or Summer 2)
ART 221 Exploring Art Across Disciplines (Fall/Sophomore year)

Technology: (choose one)  3 credits
ART 238 Elements of Design
COM 107 Photoshop
COM 108 Illustrator
Art History upper level: (choose one) 3 credits
ART 200 Modern Art: 1880-1945 (fall)
ART 210 Contemporary Art: 1945-present (spring)
ART/HIS 215 Selected Movements in Art and Architecture
ART 220 Women Artists (spring)

Introductory Studio electives: (choose two: one 2D and one 3D) 6 credit2D COURSES (choose one)

ART 111 Printed Image
ART 113 Illustration
ART 123 Painting
ART 124 Papermaking

3D COURSES (choose one)
ART 127 Sculpture
ART 131 Ceramics
ART 139 Book Arts

200 level studios: 6 credits
(Pre-requisite 100 level studio)
ART 250 Studio Concepts 2D
(Fall/Junior year)

And choose one 200 level studio

ART 211 Printed Image
ART 223 Painting
ART 224 Papermaking
ART 245 Anatomy for the Artist
ART 227 Sculpture
ART 231 Ceramics
ART 239 Book Arts

300 level studios: 3 credits
(Pre-requisite 200 level studio) (Should be taken Spring of Junior year)

ART 311 Printed Image
ART 323 Painting
ART 324 Papermaking
ART 345 Anatomy for the Artist
ART 327 Sculpture
ART 331 Ceramics
ART 339 Book Arts

Capstone/Seminar: 6 credits                                                                                

ART 470 Senior Studio Seminar (fall only)

ART 472 Sr. Art Exhibition (spring semester only)
(Pre-requisite ART 470)
 and
12 elective credits to support the integrated model 12 credits

Consult with your advisor to create a self-designed integration based on interdisciplinary coursework.
(May not integrate with another art discipline)

Total Credits 54 credits

Concentrations

Studio Art – designed as a traditional art major focusing on studio and art history

Integrated Art – designed to integrate other disciplines in support of studio and art history courses.

Portfolio Reviews

The Art major requires three portfolio reviews – one in the sophomore year, one in the junior year and one in the Fall of the senior year.

The purpose of the portfolio review is:

  • To provide feedback on the progress of your work
  • To suggest potential directions the work may take
  • To serve as an assessment tool for the art department
  • To assist in the creation of a professional portfolio

Art Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Art Major is to provide: 

  • Students with the tools to engage in processes and techniques that prepare them to visually communicate independent ideas that are informed by historical, cultural and artistic references.
  • Curriculum that encourages individual expression and prepares innovative leaders to engage in creative thinking and problem solving based upon the interconnectedness of the liberal arts. 
  • Art experiences that enhance an understanding of the integrated nature of learning in a liberal arts environment and to provide those who choose the visual arts as a primary focus with the means to reach a high level of experience. 
  • Arts based resources including exhibitions and student-initiated programs for the enrichment of the artistic culture of the college and local community. 
Students working in the Art studio

How To Apply

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Accreditation

Cedar Crest College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801

Faculty & Staff

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