“RIC has been very beneficial to my growth as an artist, but it was good to come to The Steel Yard and get some outside perspective and hear some other voices,” says Tum.
As a Studio Art BA or BFA student you may pursue the Sculpture concentration. This program provides instruction in three-dimensional design principles and mechanical skills in a wide range of materials and techniques to realize content and concepts in professional-quality work.
Our students are prepared to excel in the best graduate art programs in the country and to pursue careers that require strong 3D design and fabrication skills. Courses also explore historical, contemporary, and regional approaches to form, content, materials, and construction.
The sculpture course sequence begins with a two-course introduction to a variety of traditional processes: ART 234 Sculpture: Wood and Alternate Materials and ART 235 Sculpture: Metal Fabrication.
Students explore a variety of subject matter and develop a personalized vision using wood fabrication and carving skills introduced in class. Plastics, assemblage, and student-selected alternate materials are also explored.
Traditional and contemporary approaches to sculptural form are explored using metalworking techniques, including welding, cold fabrication, and forging.
Sculpture III, Sculpture IV, and Sculpture V Senior Studio comprise the advanced sculpture sequence. At this point it is expected that you have developed reasonable proficiency and familiarity with the basic sculpture processes learned in ART 234 and ART 235. Students are expected to transition from assignment-based work in the introductory courses to a unique vocabulary of form and artistic voice in these advanced courses. Advanced students also demonstrate higher levels of professionalism and articulation of their emerging thematic base through seeking exhibition opportunities off campus, written artist statements, and PowerPoint presentations about their artistic influences and development.
“RIC has been very beneficial to my growth as an artist, but it was good to come to The Steel Yard and get some outside perspective and hear some other voices,” says Tum.
The Department of Art prepares students for professional careers, liberal arts careers and graduate study. We also prepare the pre-K-12 art teachers of tomorrow.