Foundation

Michael Grothusen
mgrothusen@uarts.edu

Mark Campbell
mcampbell@uarts.edu
Co-Chairpersons
215-717-6210

The Foundation program in the College of Art and Design provides incoming freshmen with a year devoted to a basic understanding of principles and concepts in the visual arts. During the first semester, each student takes three inter-related courses: Drawing, Two-Dimensional Design, and Three-Dimensional Design/Time Motion . During the second semester, students select a minimum of nine credits (three inter-related courses) from the four courses offered by Foundation: Drawing, Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, and Time and Motion. Each class meets for three hours, twice a week.

Each section of students is taught by a team of faculty members who are professionals in various fields of art and design. Coursework is enriched and reinforced through critiques, exposure to art from a variety of disciplines and eras, class trips. and guest artists. Through these basic studies, students discover the underlying values and principles important to all visual arts.

One faculty member from each section’s team is designated as the advisor to that section. Students meet individually with the advisor to discuss concerns, the registration process, and their choice of major. Students also register for two Liberal Arts courses in each semester. Most students choose an additional course offered by the major studio departments each semester. These elective courses are designed to acquaint the student with the practices of the major studio areas. Foundation students are eligible to select any College of Art and Design major program regardless of the foundation sequence they attend.

Foundation Film/Digital Video Sequence

For those students who intend to major in Film, the Foundation program offers the option to follow the Foundation Film/Digital Video Sequence. This sequence requires four co-requisite courses: Two-Dimensional Design Principles, Three-Dimensional Design/Time Motion, Drawing, and Time and Motion in the first semester. During the second semester students select six credits (two courses) from Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, and Drawing and take the course Video: Strategies and Tactics. This course sequence provides an emphasis on Time Motion studies and principles of shooting and editing digital video and film, exposure to lighting and sound recording techniques, and experimental image manipulation.

Midyear Admission

In addition to the typical fall start date, students may also enter midyear and begin the Foundation Program in January. The department schedules first semester core courses during the Spring semester, and a seven week, nine credit, intensive second semester between mid-May and the end of June. Mid year admits who successfully complete the two semester Foundation Program between January and June can enter their major program of study in the fall of the same calendar year in which they entered the program.

Facilities

In addition to the numerous multipurpose studios used by Foundation students for their regular class activities, the Foundation program provides other facilities to support and enrich studio projects.

The Foundation Department utilizes four Mac-based digital media labs and a media equipment facility housing digital video and still cameras and editing equipment. These facilities are used by all classes and can be accessed by students to execute projects in Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, and Time Motion.

The Foundation Shop is used for all Three-Dimensional Design, and Time and Motion classes, and provides all Foundation students with the opportunity to work with a diversity of materials such as wood, metal, to work with a diversity of materials such as wood, metal, plastic, and stone. The Foundation Shop houses a wide range of power equipment, including band saws, scroll saws, sanders, table saws, chop saws and other power tools. The Shop is monitored by a full-time Shop Supervisor and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Nature Lab (the Visual Resource Center) contains an extensive selection of natural and man-made objects that serve as sources for research that enhances and complements the educational experience. The Nature Lab is used frequently by all Drawing classes. It is also well utilized by Three-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Design classes. Some of the many objects in our collection include rocks, minerals, animal skeletons such as birds, cats, and turtles, human skeletons and skulls, plant forms, seashells, sea horses, coral, horseshoe crabs, taxidermy reptiles, bats, frogs, and more. Included in our collection is a “digital microscopy” station, enabling students to work directly from microscopic specimens to examine and record visual information through digital still and video clips. Students are invited to use the Nature Lab in addition to their scheduled class time.