Art

At Slippery Rock University a broad liberal arts curriculum serves as the foundation for studio instruction. You will take classes from outstanding faculty in a wide variety of disciplines. Involvement in the other arts, as well as the humanities and sciences, will enrich your work as an art practitioner and give you a broader and deeper understanding of your craft.

We invite you to explore what makes SRU Art Department unique and join us in conversation. Learn about the studios, art programs, internships and other opportunities directly from the art faculty. To schedule a session go here.

Please contact Professor Barbara Westman at barbara.westman@sru.edu with questions about virtual sessions.

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Why choose Slippery Rock University to major in Art?

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Well equipped studios in 6 centralized locations
Accessible faculty
Travel opportunities: domestic, international and study abroad
Opportunities for freedom of individual creative pursuit

Students who major in art will develop the capacity to make tangible their aesthetic responses to experience. By increasing awareness of themselves, their environment and their culture, and by learning to think and act creatively, students prepare themselves for a life enriched through art. The broadly based Bachelor of Arts program with a concentration in art provides a diversified background suitable to generalist applications and an excellent foundation for further study in various disciplines. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program is for students interested in art as a profession. It is an intensive program of study aimed at developing a foundation of attitudes, traits and abilities with which to begin a lifetime as an artist. Emphasis is placed on students' personal experiences as the source of artistic motivation. The broadly based liberal studies curriculum provides students with a diversified background, which, in concert with their professional training, should lead to a successful career in art and applied vocations.

Art Department Health and Safety Protocols and Policy

The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is a primary area of concern in the Department of Art. We believe it is important to inform students and others regarding health and safety issues, hazards, and procedures inherent in studio practice. Both in general and as specifically applicable to their specialization, including but not limited to; use of materials, proper handling and operation of equipment, ventilation, and injury prevention. The following are our policies and primary means of dissemination of this information.

The instructor of a specific studio is to be considered to be the expert when matters of health and safety in their specific studio are concerned. Studio course syllabi include general studio and tool safety procedures, ventilation, and proper handling of hazardous materials. The faculty must review this document at the beginning of each semester with every class and this is reinforced through hands on demonstrations. Studio-specific safety instruction is conveyed throughout the entire course and reminders are embedded in the course curriculum. All department syllabi list emergency contact information provided by the university.

Safety Data (SD) information sheets are located in all studio classrooms, and students and faculty are made aware of both the location and the contents of the SD stations. Included are emergency contact numbers, emergency evacuation information and specific studio safety protocols.

The department has embraced a proactive approach to injury prevention through safety demonstrations and awareness of all chemical, tool/equipment conditions, regular maintenance of equipment and facilities, and clean studios. First Aid kits and eye wash units are located in all studio classrooms with appropriate signage indicating their location. Personal protection equipment is made available to all students using studio facilities (i.e. safety goggles, ear protection, tinted glasses for welding and cutting, aprons, work gloves, eye wash stations with instructions, etc).

Students are made aware of and instructed in best practices regarding dangers and hazards in the studios and in the field of artmaking, both imminent and long-term via: visible signage, mindful examination of the overall studio space, equipment placement, material storage and the use of materials and equipment. Students are continuously instructed in the location and use of general and local ventilation systems, and acceptable studio etiquette is stressed in all studio classrooms. The faculty work closely with our custodial staff to ensure our facilities are regularly swept and mopped to keep down dust and eliminate slip hazards.

The Office of Health and Safety conducts an annual fire and safety visit and report every semester. Additionally, fire extinguishers are inspected monthly, eye wash units are inspected every two months and a fire drill is conducted every semester. The department receives a copy of the findings of the safety visit and the department and university Facilities offices immediately begin the process of eliminating or addressing hazards and making improvements and adjustments in response to the report. There is then a follow-up visit to ensure that remediation efforts are appropriate and complete.

Students are continuously made aware of pertinent facility status situations: i.e. equipment repairs and repairs to the physical space. Major pieces equipment and ventilation systems are on a preventative maintenance inspection and repair schedule (weekly, monthly, and annually) and repairs/upgrades are addressed on an ongoing basis. The department makes funds available from its operating budget to repair/maintain certain pieces of equipment as needed.

All of Art Department buildings and some specific studios have a swipe-card entry system. This provides authorized individuals off-time use of the space and prevents non-student visitors. Cameras have been installed around all department buildings and in some studios, with exterior floodlights illuminating parking areas and entrances. Each building has recently been equipped with an emergency call box in addition to a campus phone for addressing emergency situations.

The Department Chair meets regularly with the Director of the Health and Safety office to develop specific methods for addressing health and safety matters including the safe removal of all waste products and storage of hazardous materials. Additionally, all faculty are compliant with, and complete FERPA, Title IX, and Sexual Harassment training.

FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911

University Police
724.738.3333

Slippery Rock Borough Police
724.738.6388

Student Health Center
724.738.2052

Environmental Health and Safety
724.738.2055

Student Counseling Center
724.738.2034

Title IX Coordinator:
724.738.2650

off-campus SAFETY NUMBERS

Pennsylvania State Police - Butler
724.284.8100

www.sru.edu/life-at-sru/safety

Scholarships

Art Scholarships are available for all levels of art majors.

First-Year Art Majors scholarship and Transfer Student Art Majors Scholarship
applications are open now
September 13, 2024: online application /portal opens
January 17, 2025: first deadline for highest consideration
April 30, 2025: final deadline, online portal closes, scholarships awarded if there are funds remaining
Art Scholarship Application

Current Student (Returning Art Majors)
December 1, 2024: online application/portal opens
February 5, 2025: deadline, online portal closes
Art Scholarship Application

Student Organizations

Art students have an opportunity to become members of two organizations in the department: Art Society and Potter's Guild. Being involved in co-curricular experience enhances student professional development: managerial skills and effective communication skills. Student involvement contributes to a broad experience at the university and making valuable connections with the community.
The Art Society manages the student run gallery, and sets and curates exhibitions. It is open to proposals by individual students and groups.

Mission and Objectives

Mission Statement

The Art Department at Slippery Rock offers students a strong foundation to be an active artist. Faculty is comprised of art professionals from various backgrounds and disciplines, who are focused on providing individualized instruction for every student that we teach. Students who major in art will develop the capacity to make tangible their aesthetic responses to experience. Our programs provide students with a diverse background, which, in concert with their professional training, should lead to a successful career in art and applied vocations. By increasing awareness of themselves, their environment and their culture, and by learning to think and act creatively, students prepare themselves for a life enriched through art.

Objectives

The Art Department fosters a creative learning environment filled with opportunities for students to advance technically and conceptually while gaining broadened understanding of historical, theoretical and cultural context relevant to art and art-making. By graduation students in the Art programs shall:

Art majors will possess the traits & abilities of an artist upon graduation.
- Freshman:perceptual openness, flexibility and adapting, courage to take risks, ability to analyze, self-confidence.
- Sophomore: ability to resist premature closure, sensitivity to problems, ability to synthesize.
- Junior: independence in making judgments, fluency.
- Senior: intrinsic motivation, high degree of self- awareness.
Art majors continue to develop a direction: medium, idea and/or style.
Art majors will display a technical expertise commensurate with their ideological level.
Art majors will produce a quantity of work representative of time spent in the studio and successful understanding of studio techniques.
Art majors will apply knowledge of art history to understand, evaluate and engage in art and art-making, recognizing their placement within a larger context.

Many of SRU's programs have achieved national recognition, and the entire University has enjoyed a growing reputation as one of the area's most vibrant academic communities. SRU's Art Department attracts a diverse population from throughout the world. The stimulating atmosphere of the Art Department and small class sizes provide the best possible student-to-professor relationships.

Instruction is individualized to meet each student's needs and interests. Advanced students attend a weekly conference with one of the art professors. In these sessions, students are encouraged to discuss and explore new ideas in depth.

The Art Department at SRU has an excellent and dedicated faculty. Members hold advanced degrees from prestigious institutions across the nation, and they maintain active exhibition and scholarly careers.

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Contact Information