Studio & Fine Arts
Pursue a career as a practicing artist, building a portfolio and exhibition history through the Studio Art Seminar capstone.
Art at Batten University balances hands-on studio production with art history and critical awareness of cultural context. Students build a foundation across both studio art and art history, then specialize through upper-level electives in their chosen media — from drawing and painting to sculpture, ceramics, glass, and digital art.
The major offers two capstone paths: a Studio Art Seminar, where students create and exhibit a body of work, suited to students pursuing studio careers or art education; or a Visual Art Internship, suited to students headed toward art therapy, galleries, or museum work. Coursework is supported by two on-campus gallery spaces and field trips to regional museums and galleries.
Students can pursue minors in either Studio Art or Art History, and graduates may earn K-12 art teaching endorsement through an additional year in the Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) program.
*Students pursuing the 5-year MAEd in Art Education should distribute their four 300/400-level electives as: one 300-level 2-dimensional art course, one 300-level 3-dimensional art course, one 300-level digital art or photo course, and one additional 300/400-level studio art or art history elective. **ART 444 Studio Research (1 credit hour) is a prerequisite for ART 450. Students pursuing Art Therapy at the graduate level should take ART 205, 206, 213, 209 or 350 in a 3-D medium, and one 300/400-level art elective to meet standard national requirements.
The Art Department offers courses in studio art and art history, balancing art production with an awareness of related cultural values. Students should select courses for the minor according to their interests or to strengthen skills needed for art-related careers in communications, design, business, recreation, therapy, arts management, and other creative fields.
*Students majoring in studio art and wishing also to complete a minor in art history must fulfill all upper-level course requirements for the major with studio (ART) courses only. ARTH courses used to fulfill the art history minor may not also count toward the studio art major's upper-level requirements.
Art coursework spans studio practice and art history, with studio courses offered in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass, and digital art, alongside an art history sequence covering ancient through contemporary periods. Many studio courses are sequenced (I/II), allowing students to build depth in a chosen medium, and several upper-level courses are designed to be repeated as topics change.
Introduction to Studio Art
Introduces basic studio materials and techniques for making art in a variety of media that may include painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, crafts, fibers, and/or digital technology. Includes lectures, demonstrations, studio participation, museum or artist studio visits, and related historical information. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Digital Art I
Explores the computer as an art-making tool. Includes practice exercises to learn software. Topics include photo manipulations, the use of color, typestyles, page design, and composition. Students apply these concepts and skills to original, digital artworks. Computer and purchase of software license required. Lab fee. Offered every semester.
Drawing I
Acquaints students with the basic concept of drawing with various media, including pencil, charcoal, chalk, and pen and ink. Experiences in skill-building exercises are emphasized, as well as their practical application. Offered every semester.
Painting I
An examination of basic painting techniques. Students study and experiment with a variety of painting media, including watercolor, acrylics, and oil types on various working-surface materials. Students use these experiences to create their own pictorial interpretations. Studio course. Offered every semester.
Photography I
Explores photography as an art form. Topics include the control of digital camera functions, composition, artistic techniques, and laws impacting the use of photos. Students must supply a digital camera. Offered every semester.
Sculpture I
Explores the possibilities of sculptural form and three-dimensional problem solving through materials such as cardboard, paper, clay, plaster, wood, wax, etc. Emphasis is placed on understanding three-dimensional concepts of relief and sculpture-in-the-round through carving, modeling, and constructing. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Ceramics I
Provides an introduction to ceramic art production, balanced with ceramic art history, criticism, and aesthetics. Includes techniques for hand-building and throwing on the potter's wheel, clay and glaze preparation, glazing, and kiln firing. Provides students of all skill levels with a solid foundation in ceramics. Lab fee. Offered every semester.
Introduction to Glass
An introduction to making art with glass taught through a series of hands-on projects. In addition, the Chrysler Museum's extensive contemporary and historical glass collection and interaction with visiting and resident glass artists are utilized. Offered every fall.
Graphic Design
Introduction to the tools, methods, principles and practice of graphic design. Covers visual communication, the use of type, the importance of visual research, communicating with vendors, clients and audiences, and the efficient use of graphics software. Students create an entry-level, interview-quality portfolio. Prerequisite: ART 204 or consent. Computer and purchase of software license required. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Digital Art II
Explores digital tools for personal expression and art production. Concentrates on the effective use of composition and color. Covers intermediate software features, web-based portfolios, & animation. Prerequisite: ART 204 or consent. Computer and purchase of software license required. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Drawing II
An in-depth exploration of drawing techniques to include representational and expressive approaches in various media. This course builds on the tools of representational drawing from ART 205. Prerequisite: ART 205 or consent.
Painting II
An in-depth exploration of painting focused on realism but also exploring abstraction and mixed media approaches. This course builds on concepts from ART 206. Prerequisite: ART 206 or consent.
Travel Photography
Travel to specific regions or foreign countries for on-location photography. Students experience local arts and cultures, and create interpretations of travel experiences. Students must supply a digital camera. Travel may be physically demanding. Prerequisite: consent. Offered intermittently.
Photography II
Intermediate exploration of digital photography. Emphasizes the development of personally meaningful portfolios. Topics include digital retouch and creative Photoshop and Lightroom techniques. Students must supply a digital camera. Prerequisite: ART 208 or consent. Computer and purchase of software license required. Offered intermittently.
Sculpture II
A continuation of Sculpture I, with special emphasis on exploring material for sculpture as used in mobiles, constructions, installations, and environmental works. Prerequisite: ART 209 or consent. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Ceramics II
A continuation of ART 213, with special emphasis on wheel techniques and thrown forms. Students experiment with clays and glazes and have the opportunity to fire their own works. Prerequisite: ART 213 or consent. Lab fee.
Studio Art Teaching Assistant
Allows qualified students to assist art instructors in teaching their classes. Pass/fail grading. Prerequisite: consent. Offered every semester.
Topics in Studio Art
Focused, in-depth study of one studio art medium, including related aesthetic and historical considerations. Topics may include: mixed media, jewelry, prints, fibers, public art, raku, glass, etc. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Lab fee. Offered every semester.
Photo and Digital Art Lab
Advanced studio art course designed for the student's continued growth and exploration of digital tools and techniques. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: ART 303, 304, 308 or consent. Computer and purchase of software license required. Offered intermittently.
Advanced Drawing and Painting Lab
Advanced art and design course exploring two-dimensional image making in traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting media. Designed for continued growth and exploration of materials and concepts. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: ART 305, 306 or consent. Offered intermittently.
Sculpture and Ceramics Lab
Advanced studio art course designed for the student's continued growth and exploration of three-dimensional methods and materials. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisites: ART 309, 313 or consent. Lab fee. Offered intermittently.
Advanced Topics
Advanced, in-depth study of one studio art medium, developing content and technical skills in the context of aesthetic and historical considerations. Topics may include mixed media, jewelry, prints, fibers, public art, raku, glass, etc. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Prerequisite: consent. Offered intermittently.
Studio Research
Advanced Studio art course with individual faculty mentorship in studio work practice and historical research as a basis for the senior capstone "body of work." Serves as the prerequisite for ART 450 Senior Art Seminar. Prerequisite: Consent. Offered every fall.
Senior Art Seminar
Requires the development of a studio research project. Students create artwork for exhibition, an explanatory paper, and an oral presentation while acquiring professional skills appropriate to arts-related careers. Prerequisite: ART 444 and consent. Offered every spring.
Visual Art Internship
Requires active involvement in an arts organization for a minimum of 130 hours, additional meetings with a faculty mentor, and submission of an electronic portfolio of materials including reflection on the internship experience. Prerequisite: junior/senior status and consent. Offered every semester. Identical to ARTH 485.
Ancient and Medieval Art History
A survey of the visual arts and how they functioned in culture, from prehistoric cave paintings to the art and architecture of late Medieval Europe. The course concentrates on the Western tradition of painting, sculpture, and architecture.
Renaissance to 20th-Century Art
A survey of the visual arts and their relationship to social, cultural, and political history from the Renaissance to the Modern era. Concentrates on the European tradition of painting, sculpture, and architecture, especially the changing social role of artists and the development of modern definitions of "fine art." This course is a chronological continuation of ARTH 231, but the latter is not a prerequisite.
Art of Africa, Asia, and the Americas
Surveys the long-lived art traditions of diverse global cultures, including Africa, India, China, Japan, the Pacific, and Pre-Columbian and Native America. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent.
American Art
A history of the visual arts in America from pre-colonial to modern times. Particular attention is paid to the relationship of the visual arts to social and political history, and the issue of American identity in the arts. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent.
19th-Century Art History
A history of European and American art from the era of the French Revolution to the end of the 19th century. The works of major artists, such as David, Goya, Turner, Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Munch, etc., are investigated within their historical contexts. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent.
Art since 1900
A history of artists and art movements, mostly in Europe and America, since 1900. This course investigates modern art within the context of shared understandings of the culture in which the art was produced. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent.
Topics in Art History
An in-depth study of one period of art history or some disciplinary aspect or problem. May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or consent.
Visual Art Internship
Requires active involvement in an arts organization for a minimum of 130 hours, additional meetings with a faculty mentor, and submission of an electronic portfolio of materials including reflection on the internship experience. Prerequisite: junior/senior status and consent. Offered every semester. Identical to ART 485.
Pursue a career as a practicing artist, building a portfolio and exhibition history through the Studio Art Seminar capstone.
Earn K-12 art teaching endorsement through an additional year in the Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) program.
The Visual Art Internship capstone prepares students for careers in galleries, museums, arts administration, or graduate study in art therapy.
Coursework in graphic design and digital art supports careers in graphic design, communications, and other creative and commercial fields.

Professor of Art
Director of Undergraduate Research
Curator of Exhibitions for the Neil Britton Art Gallery
757-455-3257
112 Athenaeum, Hofheimer Library






Though your journey takes you back to Brazil, you'll always be part of the Batten family.
Boa sorte e muitas bênçãos