Art (ARTS)

Christopher Schulte
Interim Director of the School of Art
Studio and Design Center
479-575-5202 

Jeannie Hulen
Program Director of Studio Art
Studio and Design Center
479-575-5202

Jody Thompson
Director of Graduate Studies of Studio Art M.F.A.
Studio and Design Center
479-575-5202
Email: jtt005@uark.edu

School of Art Website

Degree Conferred:
M.F.A. (ARTMFA)

Program Description: The objective of the program of study leading to the degree of Master of Fine Arts in art shall be professional achievement of high order, a knowledge of art history and criticism, the development of a fundamental grasp and understanding of the professional field of art and its relationship to supporting fields of knowledge, as well as the satisfactory completion of course work and other degree requirements. The program of study will vary depending upon the art medium areas selected for the creative work and the goals of the individual graduate student. The Master of Fine Arts degree in art is considered to be the terminal degree in studio art and is awarded in recognition of professional development in the visual arts as evidenced by a period of successful post-bachelor’s degree study. The M.F.A. degree is recognized as preparatory to studio art teaching positions at institutions of higher education.

Areas of Study: Major areas of study include drawing, painting, sculpture, design, printmaking, ceramics, and photography.

Art History Courses

ARHS 50103. Case Studies in Art History. 3 Hours.

This class provides in-depth studies of selected artists, themes, or specific groups of art works. This course is only offered during intersession. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 55603. Pre-Columbian Art. 3 Hours.

An introduction to pre-Columbian art from Mexico (3000 BC- 1521 AD) through a survey of works of art from different media: sculpture, architecture, and mural painting. Topics examined include: sacred images, political uses of sculpture, architecture and cosmogony, as well as the relationship between the material and content. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 55703. Artists of New Spain. 3 Hours.

An overview of colonial art in colonial New Spain. Focused on native agency, social function of art, and cross-cultural communication. Topics include indigenous materials and techniques, the use of images in legal contexts, and ritual liturgy. Some consideration will be given to artworks from the viceroyalty of Peru. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 57603. Seminar in Critical Theory. 3 Hours.

Study of critical theory as it relates to problems in modern and contemporary art. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 47603 and ARHS 57603. (Typically offered: Spring)

ARHS 57703. History of New Media Art. 3 Hours.

Examines the history of "new media" art in relation to larger shifts in technology, philosophy and politics. Beginning in the 19th century, the course explores the development of photography, film, video, performance, sound and digital art through the 20th century. Culminates with an examination of contemporary practice. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 47703 and ARHS 57703. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 57903. Making the Museum: History, Theory and Practice. 3 Hours.

Presents a broad overview of the institutional history and the contemporary professional practice of the museum world. Features numerous visiting lectures from a working professionals from the local area and nationwide institutions. (Typically offered: Spring Even Years)

ARHS 58103. The History of Photography. 3 Hours.

Survey of photography from 1685 to present. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48103 and ARHS 58103. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58203. History of Graphic Design. 3 Hours.

Survey of graphic design history from 1850 to the present. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48203 and ARHS 58203. Prerequisite: ARHS 21003. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58303. Ancient Art. 3 Hours.

Study of selections from the visual arts of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, or Rome. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48303 and ARHS 58303. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58403. Medieval Art. 3 Hours.

Study of Early Christian, Byzantine, Early Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic styles. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48403 and ARHS 58403. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58503. Italian Renaissance Art. 3 Hours.

Study of Proto-Renaissance, Early, High Renaissance, and Mannerist styles in Italy. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48503 and ARHS 58503. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58603. Northern Renaissance Art. 3 Hours.

Study of Late Gothic and Renaissance styles in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48603 and ARHS 58603. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58703. Baroque Art. 3 Hours.

Study of art styles of the 17th century, primarily in Italy, Spain, France, Flanders, and the Netherlands. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48703 and ARHS 58703. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58803. 18th and 19th Century European Art. 3 Hours.

Study of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art and architecture in Europe. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48803 and ARHS 58803. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 58903. 20th Century European Art. 3 Hours.

Study of the major styles and movements of the century, including Cubism, Fauvism, German Expressionism, and Surrealism. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 48903 and ARHS 58903. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 59103. American Art to 1860. 3 Hours.

The visual arts in the United States from Colonial times through 1860. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49103 and ARHS 59103. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 59203. American Art 1860-1960. 3 Hours.

The visual arts in the United States from the onset of the American Civil War through the Cold War Era. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49203 and ARHS 59203. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 59303. Contemporary Art. 3 Hours.

Study of styles and major trends in the visual arts since 1960. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49303 and ARHS 59303. (Typically offered: Fall)

ARHS 59503. Art Museum Studies. 3 Hours.

A survey of the history and function of the art museum and an introduction to museum work. Investigation of collections and collections management, conservation, exhibitions, education and public programs, museum management, and contemporary issues which effect the museum profession. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49503 and ARHS 59503. Prerequisite: ARHS 20003 and ARHS 21003, or graduate Art MFA standing. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 59703. Seminar in Art History. 3 Hours.

Special studies of periods and styles of art. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49703 and ARHS 59703. Prerequisite: 9 hours of Art History. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 59803. Special Topics in Art History. 3 Hours.

Subject matter not covered in regularly offered courses, and relating to the history of art before the nineteenth century. May be repeated for different topics. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49803 and ARHS 59803. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 59903. Special Topics in Modern Art. 3 Hours.

Subject matter not covered in regularly offered courses, and relating to the history of art from the nineteenth century to the present. May be repeated for different topics. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARHS 49903 and ARHS 59903. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 60003. Art History's Histories: Critical Historiography and Methodology. 3 Hours.

Provides a theoretical, historiographic, and methodological foundation in art history. Exposes students to methods they can use throughout their degree work while providing them with the conceptual tools needed for meaningful engagement with the key debates animating the field. (Typically offered: Fall)

ARHS 60103. Immersive Travel. 3 Hours.

Involves hands-on research beyond the classroom. Includes site visits and access to collections, showcasing the multiplicity of perspectives one brings to cultural work. (Typically offered: Summer) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 60203. Graduate Art History Writing Workshop. 3 Hours.

Prepares students to present their ideas in a range of formats and contexts for a variety of audiences. Guides students through the Qualifying Paper process. (Typically offered: Fall)

ARHS 60303. Art History Qualifying Paper. 3 Hours.

Focused work on the art history Qualifying Paper, supervised by an art history faculty member/advisor. Preparation for art history symposium, the capstone event of the degree program. (Typically offered: Spring)

ARHS 60403. Art History Practicum. 3 Hours.

Internship at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or another arts institution. (Typically offered: Spring) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 61003. Seminar in Spatial Practices in Mesoamerica and New Spain. 3 Hours.

Explores space as a category for historical analysis. Examines how different Mesoamerican cultures conceptualized space through the analysis of a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, such as archaeological sites, architecture, urbanism, maps, painted manuscripts, ceramics, and mural paintings. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62003. Seminar in Art and Artifice of Americana. 3 Hours.

Explores the aesthetic and social operations of Americana, loosely defined as things associated with the culture and history of the United States. Concepts to include imagined communities and usable pasts inform analysis of a wide range of material, from painting and sculpture to literature, magazine illustration, and interior design. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62103. Seminar in Visual Legacies of the American West. 3 Hours.

Explores the work of Euro-American painters who popularized visions of a mythic West and foregrounds the dramatically different stories told by Plains and Southwest artists. Indigenous methodologies and best practices with respect to community engagement are considered. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62203. Seminar in Monuments and Public Space. 3 Hours.

Examines the relationship between ideology and space through the study of monuments, memorials, and public art. Explores the impacts monuments have on the built environment, the politics of iconoclasm, the meanings of memorialization, and interventions that reimagine, re-contextualize, and re-site existing monuments. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62303. Seminar in Making and Unmaking the "Modern. 3 Hours.

Investigates contested notions of the modern, modernism, and modernity in art historical discourse. Examines how modernism has been constructed by museum exhibitions and scholarship in specific historical and cultural contexts, and the power structures and investments that have shaped these narratives. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62403. Seminar in Mining Museums. 3 Hours.

Examines museums as complex sites of cultural production, with particular focus on contemporary debates. Students will be invited to reimagine the museum, testing their own approaches to collecting, curation, education, and public outreach by using the museum as a site for experimentation. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 62503. Seminar in Abstraction and Identity. 3 Hours.

Addresses how artists have used abstraction to make social arguments and how art institutions have framed the relationship between identity and abstraction with respect to their collections, by focusing on artworks in local collections. Brings together recent critical theory and the practical concerns of a public museum. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 63003. Seminar in Culture Wars: Politics, Protest, and Activism in the Arts. 3 Hours.

Explores the relationship between art and politics both historically and in the present. Examines art as activism and protest, considers theories of revolution, and discusses censorship and cultural appropriation, among other topics. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 63103. Seminar in Contemporary Native American Art. 3 Hours.

Explores the foundation and development of contemporary Native American art through a centering of Indigenous knowledge, world views, and voices from what is now known as Canada and the United States. Examines the scholarship, exhibitions, and art forms that have shaped the field historically through the present. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 64003. Seminar in Contemporary Latinx Art. 3 Hours.

Studies Latinx contemporary art, 1960 to the present, with an emphasis on the past 30 years. Addresses the political realities of migration, globalization, diaspora, crisis and violence, through theoretical frameworks including biopolitics, rasquachismo, relational aesthetics, and Majority World-ism. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 64103. Greek Art and Archaeology. 3 Hours.

Greek Art and Archaeology focuses on how visual and material culture shaped and were shaped by Greek society (religion, politics, military, economy, gender, etc.) from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period. Masterpieces of Greek art are analyzed alongside the material remains of everyday Greeks in civic and domestic spaces. (Typically offered: Spring Odd Years)

ARHS 64203. Roman Art and Archaeology. 3 Hours.

Roman Art and Archaeology focuses on how visual and material culture shaped and were shaped by Roman society (religion, politics, economy, gender, ethnicity, etc.) from the Iron Age through the Late Antique period. We encounter famous masterpieces, but also the material remains of everyday Romans in civic and domestic spaces. (Typically offered: Spring Even Years)

ARHS 64303. Seminar in Queer, Trans, and Feminist Art. 3 Hours.

Examines Queer, Trans, and Feminist art practices of the Americas, which challenge heteronormative, cis, settler colonialist, Western, and patriarchal frameworks of bodies, histories, and ideas. Uses tools from queer theory, Latin American and Latinx studies, critical race studies, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 66103. African Art and Society. 3 Hours.

Situates the artistic production of modern Africa (1800-present) within a socio-cultural framework, taking into consideration the role of the artist, the methods of production, the relationship between form and function, and the impact of geopolitical shifts (including intercontinental trade, colonialization, and globalization) on the artistic practice. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 66203. African American Art History. 3 Hours.

Surveys African American art from the seventeenth century to the present. It begins with a discussion of the transatlantic slave trade and it examines art produced in what Pratt terms the "contact zones". It then follows developments in African American art from the Antebellum Period to the present. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 66303. Contemporary African Art. 3 Hours.

Serves as a forum for the study of contemporary African art. It situates African art from the 1980s to the present within a historic context, addressing the impact of geopolitical ruptures on artistic practices, and it examines how the work operates across different intellectual, political, and geographical spheres. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 66403. Seminar in Imagining Africa. 3 Hours.

Traces the history of Pan-Africanism and related aesthetic imaginaries of Africa over the twentieth century. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 66503. Seminar in Cross-cultural Artistic Production in the Atlantic World. 3 Hours.

Examines the interdependent art cultures of bordering countries in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. Draws on postcolonial theory, migration studies, and critical race theory to look at modes of exchange around the Atlantic and conceptions of modernity. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARHS 68203. Case Studies in Art History and Curatorial Practice. 3 Hours.

Topics in art history and curatorial practice that focuses on specific exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or other museums. Investigates theoretical as well as practical considerations of exhibiting specific content for public audiences. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 68803. Special Topics in Art History. 3 Hours.

Examines specialized topics in art history, with special attention to cutting-edge issues today. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARHS 69303. Graduate Research In Art History. 3 Hours.

Independent study in specific areas of art history and criticism. (Typically offered: Irregular)

Art Courses

ARTS 55103. Technical Ceramics. 3 Hours.

Advanced study of ceramic materials and processes. Clay composition, clay body formulation and analysis, glaze composition and formulation, firing methods (low, mid, and high-temperature gas, electric and atmospheric firings), and kiln design will be covered in depth. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARTS 45103 and ARTS 55103. Prerequisite: ARTS 45003. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARTS 57203. Experiments in Moving Image I. 3 Hours.

An introduction to experimental video art, providing a theoretical and practical foundation for creating video for installation, performance or screen, set within a context of historical and contemporary video art and experimental film. Students will complete assignments creating new, original moving image works. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

ARTS 57803. Critical Issues in Experimental Media Art. 3 Hours.

Explores a variety of contemporary critical issues and methodologies in Experimental Media Art, while building a deeper theoretical and practical understanding of creating for the twenty-first century. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 58103. Digital Photography. 3 Hours.

Introduction to digital photography production, techniques and theory. Digital input from scanning (flatbed & slide/negative), digital cameras, video and internet sources. Computer assisted manipulation of imagery for correction and abstraction. Output to a digital printing systems, analog systems (film recorder), servers and Internet. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

ARTS 58303. Advanced Black and White Photography. 3 Hours.

Advanced black and white theory, practice and techniques including: Zone System, large format camera and studio lighting. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARTS 48303 and ARTS 58303. Prerequisite: ARTS 38003. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARTS 5840V. Special Problems in Photography. 1-6 Hour.

Individual instruction for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Special projects in photography designated by students in collaboration with faculty. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARTS 4840V and ARTS 5840V. Prerequisite: ARTS 38003 and (ARTS 38103 or ARTS 48203 or ARTS 48303). (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 58803. Bookmaking. 3 Hours.

Introduction to the creation of unique, limited edition artist's bookworks -- with emphasis on technical knowledge and conceptual understanding of the book form as a means of artistic expression. (Typically offered: Irregular)

ARTS 59103. Graduate Seminar in Studio Art. 3 Hours.

Special seminars at the graduate level in Studio Art. Subject matter changes depending on student interest and faculty expertise. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 59203. MFA First Year Seminar. 3 Hours.

Introduction to graduate level study in art, including pedagogy related to teaching art at the college level. Topics to be covered include: development of research interests, critical thinking within studio practice, situating work in the contemporary context, expectations at the graduate level, and an introduction to techniques and theories of studio art education. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program. (Typically offered: Fall)

ARTS 59303. MFA Third Year Seminar. 3 Hours.

Preparation for a professional art practice, including the examination of theoretical and practical aspects of career development for contemporary artists. Additional focus on research strategies, structure, and development of the MFA exhibition statement. Prerequisite: ARTS 59203. (Typically offered: Fall)

ARTS 5960V. Fine Arts Gallery Internship. 1-3 Hour.

Study all aspects of operating the Fine Arts Gallery. Research and preparation for exhibitions, organize and install exhibits, care of art works, create and distribute publicity, arrange interviews with newspapers, and other media. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both ARTS 4930V and ARTS 5960V. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

ARTS 6010V. Master of Fine Arts Exhibition. 1-6 Hour.

Production and presentation of a one person exhibition of art work. The M.F.A. candidate will be responsible for making three acceptable slide sets of the exhibition and exhibition statements. Prerequisite: M.F.A. candidacy. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

ARTS 6020V. Graduate Drawing. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in drawing techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 60303. Graduate Drawing Studio. 3 Hours.

Intensive studio practice in drawing combined with reading, writing, and discussion of relevant contemporary issues in the fields of painting and drawing. Includes regular critiques, both with the group and in individual consultations with the instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program in Studio Art. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6120V. Graduate Painting. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in painting techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 61303. Graduate Painting Studio. 3 Hours.

Intensive studio practice in painting combined with reading, writing, and discussion of relevant contemporary issues in the fields of painting and drawing. Includes regular critiques, both with the group and in individual consultations with the instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program in Studio Art. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6220V. Graduate Sculpture. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in sculpture techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 62303. Graduate Sculpture + Experimental Media Studio. 3 Hours.

Intensive studio practice in sculpture and experimental media combined with reading, writing, and discussion of relevant contemporary issues in the field of sculpture and new media. Includes regular critiques, both with the group and in individual consultations with the instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program in Studio Art. (Typically offered: Spring) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6420V. Graduate Printmaking. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in printmaking techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 64303. Graduate Printmaking Studio. 3 Hours.

Intensive studio practice in printmaking combined with reading, writing, and discussion of relevant contemporary issues in the fields of printmaking. Includes regular critiques, both with the group and in individual consultations with the instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program in Studio Art. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6520V. Graduate Ceramics. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in ceramic techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 65303. Graduate Ceramics Studio. 3 Hours.

Discussion of contemporary ceramics issues in tandem with the development of a cohesive body of work. Students lead their own explorations, technically and conceptually, while working toward a professional standard of output. Includes regular critiques, with the class and individually with the instructor. Any ceramic processes may be used. Prerequisite: MFA Studio Art Graduate Standing. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6820V. Graduate Photography. 1-6 Hour.

Individual problems in photography. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for degree credit.

ARTS 68303. Graduate Photography Studio. 3 Hours.

Intensive studio practice with reading and discussion of contemporary issues in photography for MFA students. Prerequisite: Admission to MFA program in Art. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

ARTS 6950V. Special Topics. 1-6 Hour.

Subject matter not covered in other courses. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 12 hours of degree credit.