Department of Art and Design

Faculty

Keith Carter, Walles Chair in Fine Arts, Professor, Photography
Theatre Arts 210, 409-880-8802, keith.carter@lamar.edu

Stephanie Chadwick, Assistant Professor, Art History
Dishman 200, 409-880-8141

Kurt Dyrhaug, Professor, Sculpture and Graphic Design
Art 206, 409-880-8957, kurt.dyrhaug@lamar.edu

Xenia Fedorchenko, Associate Professor, Printmaking, Drawing and Color Theory
Art 101A, 409-880-8914, xfedorchen@lamar.edu

Julia C. Fischer, Associate Professor, Art History
Dishman 200-A, 409-880-7784, julia.fischer@lamar.edu

Joanna Hyatt, Assistant Professor, Art Education
Art 202, 409-880-7764

Donna Meeks, Department Chair, Professor, Painting and Administration
Art 104A, 408-880-8141, donna.meeks@lamar.edu

Claire Elestwani, Visiting Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
Art 209, 409-880-8914

Prince V. Thomas, Professor, Photography
Art 107-A, 409-880-8141, prince.thomas@lamar.edu

Christopher Troutman, Assistant Professor, Drawing
Art 212A, 409-880-8499, christopher.troutman@lamar.edu

Adjunct Faculty

Linnis Blanton, Instructor, Ceramics
409-880-8141, linnis.blanton@lamar.edu

Staff

Audra LaCour, 2D Lab Technician
Art 109, 409-880-8949

Donna Wilridge, Judy Havens, Administrative Coordinator
Art 100, judy.havens@lamar.edu

 

The Department of Art & Design seeks to nurture and empower the individual artistic practice, academic development, and personal growth of its diverse student body through innovative curricula in design, studio art, art history, art theory, and art education. Nationally recognized, the Department of Art & Design impacts and transforms the local community and beyond through community engagement activity, innovative academic programs, the creative and scholarly achievements of its faculty, and the educational and professional accomplishments of its students and alumni. Locally committed and globally engaged, the Department of Art prepares its students for professional careers.

 The Department of Art & Design offers two professional undergraduate instructional programs, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design is recommended for those seeking careers in the field of graphic design. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design includes course work in the following areas of study: graphic design, typography, brand identity, illustration, web design, digital imaging, motion design, and portfolio development. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art emphasizes the development of skills, concepts, and creative sensitivities essential to the professional artist. Students in this program choose from one of the following areas of concentration: Photography, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Internship opportunities are available to all Lamar University Bachelor of Fine Arts students.

The Department of Art and Design offers two liberal arts undergraduate instructional programs, the Bachelor of Science in Studio Art and the Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design. The Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Art is designed for those seeking all-levels art teacher certification and requires 42 credit hours of academic foundations and 84 credit hours of professional program (including 21 hours of professional development in the College of Education and Human Development). The art education program is structured to provide students with the knowledge needed to pursue a career of excellence as an all-levels art teacher in elementary and secondary schools. The Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design is offered to those students seeking to combine a minor program of study outside of the discipline with studio art and graphic design studies. The degree is not intended to provide preparation for entry into professional design practice upon graduation and is not necessarily the preparation for an eventual career in design. As a pre-professional degree program, the primary objective of the Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design is the preparation for graduate study in art and design or other allied fields.

All students entering a degree program in art and design must be counseled by the department chair regarding study options in the department. Academic advising is mandatory for all art and design majors. Art and Design majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses. The letter grade “C” will be the minimum prerequisite grade for the successful completion of all required courses in the major and for continuing studio courses in sequence. All prerequisites must be satisfied prior to enrollment in art and design courses. During either the fall or spring semester prior to graduation, a candidate for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will be required to take ARTS 4399 Senior Thesis & Exhibition and prepare an exhibition as a degree completion requirement. Art and Design majors are required to meet formally with the art department chair two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of a degree audit.

A minor in art history is available to students in other programs or departments by earning 18 hours of credit as required by the Department of Art & Design.

Art and design electives are available for non-majors who desire experiences in the visual arts as part of their general education. Non-majors are required to satisfy prerequisites for art and design elective courses not specifically offered to non-majors.

Transfer credit of freshman and sophomore art courses is in compliance with the Transfer Curriculum for Visual Arts adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design requires 42 credit hours of academic foundations and 78 credit hours of the professional program including studio elective courses. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

1. General Education Core Curriculum: 42 Hours (including ARTS 1303)
2. Major Requirements
   1. 66 hours from the following: ARTS 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 4380, Three from the following: 2356 or 3379, 3314, 3324, 3328, or 3355; 2331, 3305, 3333, 4333, 4335, 3313, 4343, 4353, 4363, 4399
   2. Studio Art Elective: nine hours
   3. Art History Electives (upper division): three hours
3. Other requirements:
   1. All students entering a degree program in graphic design must be counseled by the art department chair regarding study options available.
   2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
   3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
   4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for the successful completion of all required courses in the major and for continuing studio courses in sequence.
   5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Suggested Program of Study - Minimum 120 Hours

Studio Arts with a concentration in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking or Sculpture

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art requires 42 credit hours of academic foundations and 78 credit hours of the professional program including studio elective courses. Students must select a concentration (a minimum of twelve credit hours in a discipline) in one of the following areas: Painting: 3314, 3317, 3327, 4316; Printmaking: 3355, 3365, 4355, 4365; Drawing: 3324, 3315, 3325, 4315; Sculpture: 3328, 3375, 3385, 4385. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

1. General Education Core Curriculum: 42 hours (including ARTS 1303)
2. Major Requirements: 78 Hours
   1. 57 hours from the following: ARTS 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2356, or 3379, 3314, 3324, 3328, 3355, 9 additional hours in concentration, 4336, 4389, 4399
   2. Studio Art Electives (Six credits at upper division): 15 hours
   3. Art History Electives (upper division): six hours
3. Other Requirements:
   1. All students entering a degree program in studio art must be counseled by the art department chair regarding study options available.
   2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
   3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
   4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for the successful completion of all required courses in the major and for continuing studio courses in sequence.
   5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 120  

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art - Photography requires 42 credit hours of academic foundations and 78 credit hours of the professional program including studio elective courses. Students must select a concentration (a minimum of twelve credit hours in a discipline) in the following area: Photography: ARTS 2356, 3379, 3303, 3305, 4303, 4305, 4306. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

1. General Education Core Curriculum: 42 hours (including ARTS 1303).
2. Major Requirements: 78 Hours
   1. 66 hours from the following: ARTS 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2356, 3314, 3328, 3355, 3376, 3379, 3303, 3305, 4303, 4305, 4306, 4336, 4389, 4399.
   2. Studio Art Electives (Six credits at upper division): 6 hours
   3. Art History Electives (upper division): 6 hours
3. Other Requirements:
   1. All students entering a degree program in studio art must be counseled by the art department chair to study options available.
   2. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
   3. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
   4. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for the successful completion of all required courses in the major and for continuing studio courses in sequence.
   5. Art majors are required to meet formally with the department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 120  

The Bachelor of Science degree in Studio Art is designed for those seeking all-levels art teacher certification and requires 42 credit hours of academic foundations and 84 credit hours of professional program (including 21 hours of professional development in the College of Education and Human Development). For details concerning requirements for teacher certification and information on professional education courses, consult the College of Education and Human Development section in this catalog. All students must satisfy provisions of the Texas Success Initiative program, see section 6.1.22 in this catalog. Developmental courses do not count in the GPA (except for determining full-time status and issues related to probation and suspension) and do not count toward graduation.

1. General Education Core Curriculum: 42 hours (including ARTS 1303)
2. Major Requirements: 60 hours
   1. 51 hours from the following: ARTS 1304, 2305, 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, 2311, 2323, 2356, 3305, 3314, 3328, 3355, 3376, 4331, 4371, 4381.
   2. Studio Art Elective: six hours
   3. Art History Elective (upper division): three hours
3. Other Requirements
   1. 21 credit hours in Professional Pedagogy as specified by the College of Education and Human Development
   2. All students entering a degree program in studio art must be counseled by the art department chair regarding study options available.
   3. Departmental advising is mandatory for all art majors, and each art student will be assigned a faculty advisor.
   4. Art majors are required to follow the prescribed sequence of courses.
   5. The letter grade "C" will be the minimum prerequisite grade for the successful completion of all required courses in the major and for continuing studio courses in sequence.
   6. Art majors are required to meet formally with the department chairperson two semesters prior to anticipated graduation for the purpose of degree audit.

Suggested Program of Study – Total Min. Hours: 126

An art history minor consists of ARTS 1303, ARTS 1304, and ARTS 2305 and three courses chosen from the following: ARTS 3337, ARTS 3338, ARTS 4328, ARTS 4337, ARTS 4338, ARTS 4348, ARTS 4368, ARTS 4380, ARTS 4388, ARTS 4391,  and ARTS 4398. To qualify for a minor, a grade of no less than “C” must be obtained in each of the courses applied to the minor.