Thesis Seminar

Course Description
Intensive research and study within a studio concentration that culminates in the public presentation of the senior exhibit. The student will be required to prepare and present this body of work, their visual thesis, for critical review to an Art Faculty Committee prior to its public presentation in the Senior Fine Arts Exhibition. Additionally, the student will be required to present a written component to the visual thesis that describes in full the processes and the outcomes of the senior research.

Course Objectives and Requirements
- Two Critiques of Professional Exhibitions (outlined below)
- Enter your work in a professional juried exhibition: collected calls and research NYFA
- Prepare and present a cohesive body of your art work to faculty and the public in the senior thesis exhibit;
- Prepare a slide/photographic/electronic portfolio of your work;
- Prepare a self-promotion package which will include visuals, resume, artist statement, and abbreviated biography and use this content to build a portfolio website;
- Write a thesis which is an analysis of your own practice (details below, example outline available)

The course will include written assignments, oral presentations, and field research. Group and individual critiques will review the student's progress and evaluate the quality of the finished project: its scope, relevance, development, completion, presentation. The class will be structured as a combination of lectures, discussions, critiques, presentations and demonstrations.

attendance policy:
   Don't miss class. Don't arrive late or leave early. You are expected to come to class on time, ready to work and with all necessary supplies and materials. Excused absences are: family emergencies, established religious holidays and illness with an official doctor's note indicating that you needed to stay home on that particular class day. You are responsible to find out what you missed and complete any missed work.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Develop a mature body of work by pursuing established concepts or new directions.  These works will culminate in a final exhibition.
• Prepare for and participate in scheduled critiques.  Be able and willing to describe process and intent.
• Read all assignments and prepare for discussion.  Different readings may be assigned to you individually, according to your particular needs and interests.
• View at least four exhibitions during the semester in NJ, NY or PA.  These exhibitions will be a component of your ongoing class discussion, please document the exhibitions that you visit and request a press release from the show.
• Establish an informed historical vision of the developments that have established the Contemporary Art network from education to its diverse cultural and monetary markets.
• Keep a seminar journal or notebook that will contain drafts of artist statements, studio notes, reflections on process and other personal insights.
• Feed your vision of post-undergraduate aspirations

 Course Work
1. Course journal / sketch book / or blog
To be kept throughout the semester, Write/sketch all ideas.
Evaluated at Mid-term and end of semester
5% of final grade

2. Two Critiques of Professional Exhibitions
Write a 1-2 page critique of selected work in the following format:
The statement should be a three part statement. First write as clearly as possible a description of the work - is it a sculpture, installation, video, painting, etc... What materials are used? Where is it placed? How do people interact with it? What matter or content does it present. Then write your personal reactions to the work, how it struck you. Did it elicit any sensations or reactions? What did you walk away with in viewing this piece? Finally do a bit of background research on the artist and explain how this work is similar or different from other work by the artist or artist group, or briefly discuss historical work that you associate with this work.
5% of final grade

3. Enter work in a professional juried exhibition
Due at Final Thesis evaluation
Begin searching exhibition competitions as soon as possible. Scope out various options and pay close attention to their requested entry requirements ( fees, digital images or slides, etc. and deadline date). Keep a file (or several) with printed opportunities listed by deadline dates. Many exhibitions also request a resume, artist statement and bio!
New York Foundation for the Arts (http://www.nyfa.org/login.asp?id=8)
link to opportunities /services
Artshow (http://www.artshow.com/)
Creative Quarterly (http://cqjournal.com/)
Society for Photographic Education (http://www.spenational.org/)
link to opportunities
ACM SIGGRAPH (http://www.siggraph.org/s2008/submissions/)
submissions are due end of January!!!!
ArtDeadlines (fee to use this site; 14$ for 20 days, 26$ for year)
(http://www.artdeadlines.com/)
5% of final grade

4. Thesis Exhibition
Prepare and present a cohesive body of your art work to faculty and the
public in the senior thesis exhibit
50% of final grade

Requirements (6 - 12 pages, double-spaced, 12 point text):
Detailed outline due March 31st, Final Thesis due on the date of our Final Exam and Gallery Review.
Present a historical framework for the type of work that you are doing. (For example, if you consider yourself primarily a computer animator, you would briefly begin by writing about the early history of animation using film. Then move onto the development of animation using the computer and include at least three individuals or a School/Movement that you are compelled by and feel a coherence with, and how it may parallel your own work.) Discuss your current work and how you arrived to the work that you are doing, you may discribe past projects that led to your thesis work. Finally, present a projection into the future -- how and where will you continue producing your work, do you plan to move onto graduate school, if so what school and why? Will you look for employment in a specific industry, if so what companies interest you and why? What skills do you currently not have that you would like to develop in relation to your artistic production? Present your research as an informal conversation with the class.
20% of final grade

6. Self-promotion package : print format and electronic
Printed packet is due for exhibition opening; electronic format due at Exhibition Review)
Brief Biography (approximately 250 words)
Slides or Electronic Documentation of Work
Artist Statement
Resume
20% of final grade

7. Required readings:

COURSE SCHEDULE

important dates:
--- Senior Critiques: December 1
-yy- Faculty Review 1:1 EXAM WEEK
y yThesis:
outline due: October 28
Final Thesis: EXAM WEEK, TBA
...-yyPress:
Depending on what you want to do: October 27th at the latest
-y yPromotion Package:
EXAM WEEK , TBA
-y y
BFA Thesis Exhibition:
11/15/10 – 11/28/10
Opening: November 17, 2010 @ 5:30-7:30pm
....... .... .... .... .... .... ...
Installation> TBA
------------

MEETING 1
Cover Letters, Artist Biography, Artist Resume, Artist Statement //
By next week, prepare a brief statement of what you plan to execute over the length of the semester to install in the BFA exhibition.

MEETING 2

Discussion of preparations/planning/timeline for exhibit and work assignments: 

Creating web-ready images of your work and simple website portfolio

Organization and Record Keeping, Career and Life Planning
 
Exhibit announcement completed and ready for the Printer Catalog design prepared

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MEETING 5

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MEETING 6

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MEETING 7
Due date of First version of Thesis as a detailed outline.

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EXAM WEEK
Due: Final Thesis; Self Promotion Package in both electronic {WEB AND CD or DVD} and print format:

• Resume
• Brief Biography (approximately 250 words)
• Slides or Electronic Documentation of Work
• Artist Statement

Proof of having submitted work to a professionally juried exhibition; in gallery critique.