Painting + Drawing

Painting

The curriculum in Painting is fundamentally responsive to the plurality of ideas evident in the art world today. The Painting area offers full concentrations in both painting on conventional grounds, oil and acrylic primarily on canvas, and in watercolor. Students often take courses, and sometimes the full complement of courses, in both concentrations. We emphasize the training of young artists whose ambitions are to become practicing artists. Though the B.A. degree is available and useful for some, our students usually receive a B.F.A. degree in the practice of Studio Art in Painting and/or Watercolor. Our experience with media that are intensively hand reliant is that competency and fluid expression simply requires the studio time provided by the B.F.A. degree. This prepares the student for either earning an M.F.A. in graduate school, to complete the M.A. Certificate Program in Art Education, or in rare cases, to simply begin practice. We routinely send our undergraduate painting students to the best art programs in the country. (See an extensive list in the Alumni section of our site.)

We understand that the making of art occurs in a rich turmoil of ideas. To that end, we add to our Resident Faculty, a faculty of artists that spend a semester in residence teaching a full spectrum of classes from the Graduate to the Undergraduate level. This Artist-in-Residence (AIR), usually working and residing in New York City, acts as a bridge between the Academic environment of the university and the contextually larger and more diverse world of art in New York. They have often acted as sources of information for students who go on to graduate school or move to New York to work. (For more information, see the AIR Faculty section of our site.)

In the past few years, besides encouraging and offering students guided trips to major art centers in the US to actually see art, we have been able to offer the opportunity for guided travel to and extended study in China, Eastern Europe, and of course, New York City.

We recognize that teaching in the arts is not an objective enterprise; artists who are also teachers are fundamentally inspired by their own sensibility. Even though as a faculty we work to maintain knowledge of ideas current to the contemporary dialogue in painting and drawing, we can neither express the same degree of enthusiasm for, nor an equal level of commitment to these ideas as an artist whose work has been founded within the matrix of current discussion.

Drawing:

The Drawing area serves two functions in the Department of Art. First, it provides foundation instruction in drawing and design skills. Second, as a concentration, it offers advanced courses leading toward a BFA degree in Studio Art. The program provides a wide range of experiences in both traditional and contemporary concepts and materials including a strong life drawing component. An established and nationally recognized Artist-in-Residence, shared with Painting, ensures that fresh ideas and sensibilities from urban art centers are constantly being introduced into the curriculum. Special Topics courses are offered on an occasional basis by both visiting and regular faculty in particular areas of interest and expertise. Ample studio space is provided for seniors and graduate students. Each student is provided with a studio of approximately 300 square feet.

Painting + Drawing Department

School of Art
1715 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-2410 Phone: 865-974-3407
Fax: 865-974-3198
artdept@utk.edu