Diploma in the Studio Art

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Diploma in the Studio Art

  • Objectives The Studio Art diploma program at Capilano College provides a thorough, high quality foundation in the fundamentals of art. It enables students to make informed decisions regarding future career choices and enables them to prepare high quality portfolios to aid them in gaining acceptance into the advanced art and design programs of their choice. Graduates of the Studio Art program usually complete their education at university, art school or in a college design program. The Studio Art program provides studio experiences in 2-D studies, 3-D studies, and drawing as well as courses in visual literacy/art history, and English. Through exposure to a broad range of concepts, materials, techniques, and processes, students are assisted in developing personal interests, directions, and creative maturity. The emphasis of the program is on preparing students to function effectively within the context of current thought and practice within the fine arts, while preparing them for further studies in art and design-related fields. Because the program also exposes students to creative thinking and problem-solving, it may also serve as a foundation for further general education.
  • Academic title Diploma in the Studio Art
  • Course description English Requirement    Course Credits
    • ENGL    English at the 100-Level    6.00
    Credits    6.00
    Required:    6.00


    First Term    Course Credits
    • AHIS 104    Introduction to Visual Culture I    3.00
    • SART 150    Drawing I    3.00
    Choose 9.00 credits from the following list:    9.00
    • SART 163    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art I    3.00
    • SART 167    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture I    3.00
    • SART 171    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting I    3.00
    • SART 182    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking I    3.00
    • SART 190    Media Art I    3.00
    Credits    15.00
    Required:    6.00


    Second Term    Course Credits
    • AHIS 105    Introduction to Visual Culture II    3.00
    • SART 151    Drawing II    3.00
    Choose 9.00 credits from the following list:    9.00
    • SART 165    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art II    3.00
    • SART 172    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting II    3.00
    • SART 174    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture II    3.00
    • SART 183    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking II    3.00
    • SART 191    Media Art II    3.00
    Credits    15.00
    Required:    6.00

    Third Term    Course Credits

    • AHIS 210    History of Modern Art (19th Century)    3.00
    • SART 262    Drawing III    3.00
    Choose 9.00 credits from the following list:    9.00
    • SART 250    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting III    3.00
    • SART 257    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture III    3.00
    • SART 273    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art III    3.00
    • SART 282    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking III    3.00
    • SART 290    Media Art III    3.00
    Credits    15.00
    Required:    6.00

    Fourth Term    Course Credits

    • AHIS 211    History of Modern Art (20th Century)    3.00
    • SART 220    Contemporary Art Practices    3.00
    Choose 9.00 credits from the following list:    9.00
    • SART 255    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting IV    3.00
    • SART 263    Drawing IV    3.00
    • SART 265    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture IV    3.00
    • SART 274    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art IV    3.00
    • SART 283    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking IV    3.00
    • SART 291    Media Art IV    3.00
    Credits    15.00
    Required:    6.00

    Total Program Credits    66.00

    ENGL 100    Academic Writing Strategies
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    This course emphasizes academic research and essay writing skills in a lively context that encourages and enhances both critical thinking and critical reading expertise.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 103    Studies in Contemporary Literature
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    Novels, plays, poems, screenplays, memoirs, graphic novels, and more: this course explores the rich variety of contemporary literature in both traditional and new hybrid genres.
    Note: While ENGL 100 is not a prerequisite, competence in essay writing and research is expected.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website

    ENGL 104    Contemporary Fiction
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    An introduction to new developments in the field of narrative fiction and criticism, this course studies short stories, novellas, traditional and experimental novels, and more.
    Note: While ENGL 100 is not a prerequisite, competence in essay writing and research is expected.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 105    Contemporary Poetry
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    Students read, research, and discuss a wide variety of developments and innovations in the writing, publishing, and performance of primarily 20th and 21st century poetry.
    Note: While ENGL 100 is not a prerequisite, competence in essay writing and research is expected.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 106    Contemporary Drama
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    This course focuses on recent innovations in drama and important plays written and produced for stage and film primarily in the 20th and 21st centuries.
    Note: While ENGL 100 is not a prerequisite, competence in essay writing and research is expected.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 107    First Nations Literature and Film
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    Students read and discuss aboriginal poetry, plays, screenplays, films, novels, and memoirs across national boundaries. The course may also include work by non-aboriginals on aboriginal subjects.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 109    Contemporary Issues in Literature and Culture
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    This course explores contemporary issues and how they are interpreted in literature, film, and music. The issue chosen for consideration will be announced during the registration period.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 190    Creative Writing I
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    Students sharpen their writing craft by work-shopping their prose, poetry, drama, and/or creative non-fiction while also studying contemporary practice in a selection of these genres.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    ENGL 191    Creative Writing II
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: See information on English Diagnostic Test in the Registration section of the College Calendar.
    This course builds on Creative Writing I as students further develop their writing practice in selected genres and further study the art of contemporary forms.
    Note: For the focus of the course each term, see the "Courses" page on the English Department website.

    SART 110    Introduction to Painting I
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    This open painting course is available for non-Studio Art majors who are interested in learning the fundamentals of painting.

    SART 111    Introduction to Painting II
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    This open painting course is available for non-Studio Art majors who are interested in developing painting skills.

    SART 150    Drawing I
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    The emphasis in this course will be on understanding and applying elements of design and principles of composition in the creation of drawings.

    SART 151    Drawing II
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    The emphasis in this course will be on the exploration of various strategies and approaches to creating drawings as well as on gaining exposure to and competence with varied media.

    SART 163    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art I
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    An introduction to the use of clay as an expressive medium. Hand construction and wheel forming will be presented as well as glazing, firing and clay body technology. Design, history and conceptual theory will be reviewed as it relates to the ceramic object and to general art applications.

    SART 165    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art II
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 163
    A continuation of SART 163 with greater emphasis on personal development. Mould making, glaze preparation and application and firing technology will be fundamental aspects of this course. Contemporary applications of ceramics will be explored.

    SART 167    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture I
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    An introduction to three-dimensional work as a means of expression, communication and discovery. Some basic sculptural techniques and materials will be explored. These will include wood assemblage, clay modelling, mould making and casting. Sculptural content and subject matter will be considered in the context of the student's own work. An examination of historical sculpture developments will be a feature of the class; however, the emphasis will be upon developing an understanding of contemporary sculptural concerns.

    SART 171    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting I
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Through a combination of assigned studio work, personal research projects and an introduction to recent and current trends in the visual arts, students will gain an understanding of how both abstract and concrete concerns may be expressed in terms of imagery and through a variety of methods and materials. Participants will learn about the dimensions of colour and how to effectively identify and replicate colour and form. Acrylics will be the preferred medium but students will be encouraged to investigate the characteristics and possibilities of other media according to their individual needs. Guest speakers, field trips and slide lectures will be a feature of the course and both individual and group critiques will be conducted at regular intervals.

    SART 172    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting II
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 171
    A continuation of SART 171, with added emphasis on developing personal areas of interest and research. In addition, designated painting problems will require students to express their ideas in multiple or mixed-media techniques of a more ambitious nature. There will be opportunities for students to relate their painting activities to other areas of study within the program and to become more responsible for determining their own priorities and goals. There will be further exposure to contemporary philosophies and activities in the visual arts.

    SART 174    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture II
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 167
    A continuation of SART 167, but with the inclusion of the following materials and techniques: wood construction and jointing, steel welding, and plaster modelling.

    SART 182    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking I
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    A foundation course for those with little or no experience. An introduction to the basic techniques of hardground, softground, drypoint and aquatint. Discussions regarding the image-making potential of printmaking and the creative processes in general will be ongoing. Particular emphasis will be given to the relationship between printmaking and painting with the student producing a number of pieces demonstrating technical competency and creative potential. Most work will be executed in black and white.

    SART 183    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking II
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 182
    A continuation of SART 182 with emphasis on printing procedures both in black and white and colour. The student will also be introduced to mono and relief printing methods (including lino/wood blocks and etched plates) and editioning procedures. Discussion of historical and contemporary approaches to image-making will be ongoing.

    SART 190    Media Art I
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    The objective of this course is to provide students with hands-on production experience while familiarizing them with the various visual and textual discourses that surround traditional and contemporary disciplines within media art. Many disciplines covered in this course share common histories and inter-related studio practices, interdisciplinary work is therefore encouraged.

    SART 191    Media Art II
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 190
    This course continues the multi-disciplinary approach to art making developed in Media Art I. The objective of this course is to provide students with hands-on production experience while familiarizing them with the various visual and textual discourses that surround the disciplines covered in this course.

    SART 200    Independent Study I
    3.00 credits    (0,6,1) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: 24 Studio Art credits and 6 Art History credits
    An independent study within one of the studio art disciplines, designed to enable students to complete program requirements under exceptional circumstances. Coordinator's permission required.

    SART 201    Independent Study II
    3.00 credits    (0,6,1) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: 36 Studio Art credits and 9 Art History credits
    A continuation of an independent study within one of the studio art disciplines. Designed to enable students to complete program requirements under exceptional circumstances. Coordinator's permission required.

    SART 220    Contemporary Art Practices
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: AHIS 210 and AHIS 211 as a prerequisite or co-requisite
    Designed to support a studio-based education, this course investigates contemporary discourses that form the context for visual arts production. Incorporating a combination of lectures, visiting artist presentations, group discussions, critical writing, and a field trip, the course will focus on both visual and textual material. Its terms of reference derive from multiple disciplines, concepts, strategies and works of the recent past. Its perspective will be that of the practicing artist.

    SART 250    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting III
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 172
    Students will be assigned painting problems relating to historically familiar genres; portrait, still life, landscape, figure and abstraction. Within these structured projects, students will be given as much freedom as possible regarding content, methods, scale etc. Students will be encouraged to re-define the painting process in terms of their own needs and priorities. Emphasis will be placed on relating work in this course to other areas of the program and to current trends in the visual arts.

    SART 255    Two-Dimensional Studies: Painting IV
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 250
    A continuation of SART 250 but with an increased need for students to define their own areas of interest and to extend their thinking in an innovative, self-challenging fashion. As in SART 250, guest speakers, field trips, slide lectures etc. will be a feature of the course. There will be a continuing stress on relating work in this course to contemporary activities in the visual arts and to other areas of the program. Experiments with images, methods and materials will be encouraged, with a view to the development of personal modes of expression. Towards the end of the course, students will be required to define their own areas of research and visual articulation as they embark on a thematically linked series of work.

    SART 257    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture III
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 174
    A resumption of the investigation of ideas, materiality and form, to broaden the participant's visual, tactile and conceptual abilities. Traditional and current sculptural ideologies and techniques will be examined in the context of 20th century developments.

    SART 262    Drawing III
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 151
    Continued study of drawing as a means of discovery, expression and communication. Conceptual, perceptual and technical aspects of drawing will be examined. Specifics to this course will include advanced graphic elements, unconventional media, and objective/subjective research.

    SART 263    Drawing IV
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 262
    Further study of drawing with an emphasis on the development of personal modes of expression and image transformation. Orthographic drawings comprise a small portion of the course. The work of the three previous courses will be reviewed, with the addition of perceptual exploration and portfolio presentation in the form of a small series of thematically linked work.

    SART 265    Three-Dimensional Studies: Sculpture IV
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 257
    A further study of historical and current sculptural ideologies. Assignments require individual strategies to respond to social/environmental and interactive issues. Participation in group debates and critiques will foster constructive dialogue and criticism.

    SART 273    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art III
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 165
    Students will undertake further exploration of processes and materials, including the development of original glazes and manipulation of glaze characteristics. Students will be encouraged to explore ways to bring to ceramic art their personal expressive interests within the context of contemporary ceramic usage.

    SART 274    Three-Dimensional Studies: Ceramic Art IV
    3.00 credits    (4,3,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 273
    The course will include an increased emphasis on craftsmanship and design of functional and non-functional forms. Glazes and other methods of decoration will continue to be examined.

    SART 282    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking III
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 183
    A comprehensive study of intaglio and relief printing methods, this course is primarily designed for the advanced printmaking student. Other areas that come under consideration will include collographs, uninked embossing and the practical application of colour theory. Discussion of current directions in printmaking and their relationship to painting and sculpture will be ongoing.

    SART 283    Two-Dimensional Studies: Printmaking IV
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 282
    Designed for the advanced printmaking student, the main concern will be combined colour printing techniques based upon the individual's need. A folio of work will be produced to document this research. Technical aspects that surface will include photographic possibilities and dimensional prints.

    SART 290    Media Art III
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 191
    This course takes a more advanced approach to multi-disciplinary art making. The objective is to provide students with a hands-on production experience while familiarizing them with increasingly complex visual and textual discourses that surround the disciplines covered in the course. Students will engage in comprehensive analysis of national and international media art practices while discussing and creating art from a critical perspective. Conceptual strategies and technical skills will be developed enabling students to create and articulate from an informed position.

    SART 291    Media Art IV
    3.00 credits    (4,1.5,0) hrs    15 wks
    Prerequisite: SART 290
    This course is intended to advance technical and conceptual development of time-based art practices and begin the development of independent art making. Students begin to compile documentation of their media art practice, and think about the specific modes of presentation related to media art. Students examine the theoretical, cultural and critical discourses that surround new media technologies, while moving forward with their own material production. They continue to become critically aware of national and international art practices while discussing and creating art from a critical perspective.

    SART 300    Art Institute I - Sculpture and Printmaking
    12.00 credits    (4,0,4) hrs    15 wks
    The Art Institute is designed to meet the needs of students with several years of experience in sculpture, media art or printmaking or who have left college, art school or university and may no longer have access to specialized equipment and facilities. The Art Institute will emphasize access to well equipped studios as well as lectures, seminars and tutorials with instructors and invited professional artists. The format will be one day of class time and four or more days of studio time per week. The studios are available during the evenings and weekends.

    SART 301    Art Institute II - Sculpture and Printmaking
    12.00 credits    (4,0,4) hrs    15 wks
    A continuation of SART 300.

    SART 310    Advanced Ceramic Studies

    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    A post-diploma studio workshop course. For students with considerable previous experience of wheel and hand building techniques. This course will focus on the development of clays and glazes in soda and salt firings, as well as over and underglaze and slip decoration.

    SART 311    Advanced Ceramic Studies II
    3.00 credits    (4,0,0) hrs    15 wks
    A continuation of SART 310 with the introduction of the formulation and development of metallic lustres.
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