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Contacts     Description     Program Requirements     Program Objectives

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Contacts

Cynthia Nourse Thompson \ cythompson@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6106
Program Director

Description

The Book Arts + Printmaking program offers students profound conceptual and technical experiences as presented through an intensive, interactive, and rigorous studio environment. The breadth and depth of possibilities provided in the exploration of the art of the book, printmaking, and papermaking; as well as letterpress printing, and the visual narrative are vast and complex. The program encourages students to cultivate a hybrid methodology among these disciplines— investigating text and image; the temporal and spatial; two- and three-dimensionalities; and the historical and experimental. Courses in the first semester intersect, reflecting the integration of skills and concepts integral to book arts. The program’s core courses of bookbinding and printmaking are augmented through investigations of related fields of study in studio arts, colloquia, and seminars on both the disciplines of art and the book. Throughout both years, students are encouraged to further develop their writing in association with their art making practices, mutually on critical and theoretical levels. The second year concentrates on the MFA Thesis Exhibition, under the supervision of an advisory committee. Students frequently choose to use their elective credits for internships, in professional laboratories and organizations, and are equally welcome as interns in many prestigious conservation labs.

Program Objectives

Upon successful completion of the program the student and their work will demonstrate:

Creativity/Innovation

• Conceptual and technical development in their work.
• Students are able to situate their work in a contemporary art context, whether they gravitate toward traditional or more interdisciplinary applications (the ability to embrace and integrate the historical to the contemporary)
• The ability to integrate the use of innovative digital technology with traditional techniques 
• An ability to augment language proficiency on both verbal and written levels.
• The ability to identify non-toxic and professional printmaking studio practices
• The ability to institute an understanding of printing methods.

Citizenship/Professionalism

• Students will prepare documentation necessary for being a professional artist.
• Students will research and apply for professional opportunities
• Students will possess an ability to interact and glean artistic maturity from an internationally renowned artist.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to assume various roles of project leadership among peers.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively.

Technique/Craft
The program educates students in professional practice skills in printmaking, papermaking and book arts preparing them to succeed in the contemporary art world.

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of traditional and experimental printmaking techniques.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic book binding techniques
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of traditional and contemporary papermaking techniques
• Students exhibit work demonstrating high levels of craftsmanship in skill and technique- ability to enact work as a multiple and of the highest caliber
• Students will demonstrate an ability to enact an integration between the fine and design arts. 
• Students will have the ability to institute an understanding of digital technology methods.
• Students will have the ability to institute an understanding of typographic canons.
• Students will be capable of controlling the printed image and text within their prints, books and paper pieces

Engagement/Connectivity
Upon successful completion of the program the student and their work will demonstrate knowledge of the historical and contemporary precedence of the discipline in order to more fully realize a contemporary visual voice.    

• Editions in print, paper and book created by students exhibit technical and conceptual intention.
• Students will demonstrate conceptual and technical development in their work
• Students are able to situate their work in a contemporary art context, whether they gravitate toward traditional or more interdisciplinary applications
• Students will demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively, professionally and constructively  in union with artist, faculty, and peers.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct advanced research.

Program Requirements (60 credits)