VISA A104 Elements: Visual Traditions 3 crs.
Visual Traditions is a foundation level studio course that concentrates on the investigation of concepts and practices of formal composition construction. Each composition is designed with two main considerations, the formal elements (line, shape, mass, volume, texture, and value) and the principles of organization (Harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, economy). Students will explore these elements, principles and their language through a series of assignments that range in processes and materials, gaining a holistic understanding of composition construction from varied perspectives. The disciplines and processes that will be utilized will include 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and digital applications. Lab fee $50.
Required of all Visual Art freshman majors.
VISA A105 Elements: Color 3 crs.
Color is a foundation level studio course that investigates the practical application and theory of color in visual art making. It serves as an introduction to how “color” is utilized in contemporary practices within all Visual art fields, from graphic design to fine art. The course goal is to gain a balanced, holistic understanding of colors function within a composition and to successfully utilize the language associated with it. Students will explore the practical application of color through a series of assignments and critiques that utilizes 2-D, 3-D and digital applications. Lab fee $50.
Required of all Visual Arts freshman majors.
VISA A106 Elements: Time/Narrative 3 crs.
Time/Narrative is a foundation level studio course focused on the concepts of “Time and Narrative” in art making. Contemporary art and design has moved past the single static composition and into an arena that visually communicates a narrative through a series of images that incorporate an element of time. In this course students will explore the fundamental structure and principles of these topics through a series of assignments that utilize 2-D, 3-D and digital applications. These varying processes and materials are utilized to gain a balanced, holistic understanding of how Time/Narrative pertain to the contemporary art practice. Lab fee $50.
Required of all Visual Arts and Graphic Design freshman majors. Required of all Visual Arts minors.
VISA A107 Elements: Spacial Principals 3 crs.
Artists are constantly manipulating the fundamental element “space” in their work, from the illusionary space that exists in a renaissance painting or online to the actual space that sculptures inhabit. Within the arena of contemporary art and design the idea of “space” can reference a multiple of manifestations. In this foundation level studio course we will investigate the basic concepts associated with the practical and theoretical applications of “space” within all Visual art fields, from graphic design to fine art.
Students will explore this principle through a series of assignments that utilize 2-D, 3-D, and digital applications. This varied approach to processes and materials is to achieve a balanced, holistic understanding of how “spatial principles” pertain to the contemporary art practice. Lab fee $50.
Required of all Visual Arts and Graphic Design freshman majors. Required of all Visual Arts minors.
VISA A115 Painting for Non-art Students 3 crs.
This course gives students with no art background the opportunity to draw and paint under guidance.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
The hand drawn image carries with it a remarkable means of communicating the intellect in a uniquely direct way. This course develops the student’s formal drawing vocabulary though a series of sequential, in depth assignments. The student is encouraged to challenge his/her assumptions of accepted 2-d imaging solutions through the simultaneous mastery of perceptual skills, illusionistic techniques and conceptual considerations necessary for solving complex visual problems. Fully realized works on/of paper are necessary for completion of class work. The course is open to non-art majors.
Drawing II expands methodologies of seeing and translating what is seen through a balance of traditional and experimental media. Drawing directly from the model will further develop the student's understanding of the structural and expressive elements of drawing. Through continual reference to both historical and contemporary subject matter in class work and outside projects, the student will expand his/her own awareness of the potential of drawing. While drawing skills are acquired over a lifetime, on satisfactory completion of Drawing 2, the student will have developed a fluent hand informed by a personal voice. Participation in class critique, individual reviews, and presentation of a professional digital portfolio will be required.
VISA A230 Painting Studio I 3 crs.
Painting I introduces the student to the complexities of oil paint in problems that address the issues of both representation and abstraction. Relevant art historical antecedents are always examined.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A231 Painting Studio II 3 crs.
This course continues the exploration of the possibilities of painting begun in Painting I, with further investigation of technical and conceptual approaches to the medium. Reference to historical and contemporary movements in art is an essential part of course content, as is the awareness of the relatedness of these movements to a larger cultural context. At least one written project is included in the course syllabus.
Prerequisite: VISA A230
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A232 Painting Studio III 3 crs.
This course is an advanced painting studio course with emphasis on both traditional and contemporary approaches and results in a final presentation and research paper.
Prerequisite: VISA A231
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A240 Beginning Printmaking 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to the fine art of printmaking. Students will explore the fundamental techniques of the four traditional print making processes: etching, lithography, relief and screen-printing (serigraphy). The course also includes a brief history of each media, a history of papermaking, and the matting and mounting of works on paper. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A241 Printmaking: Intaglio 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to the fine art of intaglio printing. The student will explore etching, engraving, drypoint, digital/photomechanical processes, multi-plate color techniques and the monotype. Note: completion of this course will fulfill the VISA major or minor printmaking requirement. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A242 Printmaking: Screen-printing 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to the fine art of screen-printing or serigraphy. The student will explore the various stencil-making techniques including direct and indirect photo emulsion, and a variety of digital/photomechanical techniques and processes. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A243 Advanced Printmaking 3 crs.
This course is continued technical and conceptual development of images in any of the traditional or applied printmaking and/or bookmaking techniques. This is a repeatable course and may be taken multiple times. Lab fee $100.
Prerequisite: any one of VISA A240, VISA A241, VISA A242, VISA A243, VISA A244, VISA A245, or VISA A246
VISA A244 Printmaking: Lithography 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to the fine art of lithography. The student will explore the traditional method of hand drawn stone lithography, plate lithography, and digital photolithography. Note: completion of this course will fulfill the VISA major or minor printmaking requirement. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A245 Bookbinding/ Book Arts 3 crs.
This course explores case binding, oriental binding, and folio design as a potential format using text, images, or a combination. Emphasis will be placed on creating the book as visual object, not by imposed decoration, but through structure. Open to all students. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A246 Printmaking: Relief 3 crs.
This course is an introduction to the fine art of relief printmaking. The student will explore the woodcut, linocut, and relief etching techniques. Letterpress printing using hand set type, artist papers, and presentation of works on paper will also be examined. This course satisfies the VISA printmaking requirement. Lab fee $100.
Course open to non-art majors.
VISA A249 Fine Art of Photography 3 crs.
This course is a technical investigation of contemporary fine art approaches to the photography process with exploration of materials, equipment, and printmaking processes necessary for development of black and white photographs. An introduction is made to the techniques of fine black and white photography. Students are shown how to produce a portfolio of fine black and white prints.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A285 Cinematic Representations of Cross-Gender Performance 3 crs.
This class raises questions about both the nature and perception of gender. Coursework examines the concept through a review of films that utilize gender performance as their premise by watching recent and older mainstream films in addition to reading gender theory as a background to viewing and discussion.
VISA A300 Art After Modernism 3 crs.
Art after Modernism traces the development of art in the U.S. and Europe, following a rough chronology from the end of the Second World War through the present. This course covers the major movements with which artists of the last half-century have been associated (including Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, and Conceptual art) and explores the critical and theoretical terms with which this art has been discussed. In particular, this course is concerned with the changing relationship between art and theory, which, over the course of this period, increasingly came to challenge certain modernist tendencies.
Required of all art majors.
Prerequisites: VISA O215 or permission of instructor
VISA A320 Sculpture Studio I 3 crs.
This course examines sculpture both technically and through the formal language of 3-D. Students embrace critical standards which directly relate to the practice of sculpture. The student simultaneously must become familiar with models of knowledge offered by one’s own personal experience. Open to non-art majors.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A321 Sculpture Studio II 3 crs.
This course is a continuation of the elements of Sculpture Studio I plus expansion of technical information and further exploration of each individual’s ability to manipulate the language of 3-D.
Prerequisite: VISA A320
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A340 Metal Sculpture I 3 crs.
This course is an exploration of all sculptural processes dealing with metal (welding, braising, casting, steel fabrication, etc.) and other materials combined with metals. Students will formulate questions and follow their possibilities regardless of where they lead.
Prerequisite: VISA A320
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A349 Fine Art of Photography II 3 crs.
This course will cover the use of filters, flash, different lenses, and toning. We will address contemporary issues in photography and learn to produce exhibition quality black and white prints. Topics will range from Stieglitz’s equivalents to David Hockney’s photo collages.
Prerequisite: VISA A249 or permission of instructor
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A350 Aesthetics: As Practiced in Theory 3 crs.
This course explores some of the major intellectual currents that have shaped art criticism, as well as artistic practice, over much of the previous century. Selected readings cover a variety of theoretical approaches to aesthetics, ranging from formalist criticism and social history to psychoanalysis and feminist criticism. In addition to participating in discussions of weekly assigned readings, students write and present a research paper on a topic of their choosing.
Prerequisite: VISA A300. May be waived for non-VISA students with permission of instructor.
VISA A445 Sculpture Studio III 3 crs.
Students form a closer relationship with sculpture materials and processes for shaping, joining, and transforming their sculpture. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking about the creative process through the use of particular materials as each student researches a personal visual vocabulary.
Prerequisites: VISA A321, VISA A350
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A450 Senior Show I 3 crs.
This course must be taken in the sequence of fall semester, spring semester. Students begin to develop a body of work and an artist statement to support the concepts underlying the work. A capstone course in the B.F.A. program, a broad variety of practical and conceptual knowledge is addressed in order to prepare the student for a career as an artist or for further study. Offered in the fall semester. Open to B.F.A. majors only.
Prerequisite: VISA A350
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A451 Senior Show II 3 crs.
This course is a continuation of VISA A450, culminating in an exhibition and written artist statement and portfolio presented at the end of the semester. Offered in the spring only.
Prerequisite: VISA A450
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A457 Arts Career Intern I 3 crs.
This course will offer electing, senior-level VISA majors experiential knowledge in selecting areas of the arts industry. An individual, faculty-supervised, intern program will be designed for each student through which skills will be developed that might afford the student a more qualified approach to post-graduation opportunities. Grade: pass/fail.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A458 Arts Career Intern II 3 crs.
This course will offer electing, senior-level VISA majors the second phase of the program initiated in VISA A457. A joint art project will be executed. A final experience-descriptive paper is required. Grade: pass/fail.
This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.
VISA A499 Independent Study 3 crs.
VISA T121 First-Year Seminar 3 crs.
Loyola Core - Foundations Course
All first-year students take a 3-credit First-Year Seminar during their first semester as one of the core course in the Loyola Core. First-Year Seminars at Loyola are small, discussion-based seminars that introduce new college students to academic inquiry at the university level by investigating a relevant topic. Specially-trained faculty lead these seminars in a way that instills in students the academic skills necessary to become successful Loyola students. A list of upcoming First-Year Seminars can be found on the First-Year Experience homepage.
VISA O160 Intro to Art History I 3 crs.
Creative Arts & Cultures
This course is an introduction to the history of (primarily) Western art from prehistory through the Late Medieval period in Europe and the Mediterranean. Organized chronologically, it nevertheless takes a thematic approach to the production of material culture over time, focusing attention on such decisive factors as power, gender, patronage, iconography, etc. Always concerned with context as well as questions of form or style, readings, lectures, discussions, and writing assignments highlight the various social, political, and religious functions of art within Western cultures, while also examining specific techniques and practices developed and deployed by artists.
Required of all art and design majors
Open to all students
VISA O162 Intro to Art History II 3 crs.
Creative Arts & Cultures
This course is designed to follow VISA A110 Intro to Art History I and provides an introduction to the history of Western art from the Early Renaissance period to the modern period. Organized chronologically, it nevertheless takes a thematic approach to the production of material culture over time, focusing attention on such decisive factors as power, gender, patronage, iconography, etc. Always concerned with context as well as questions of form or style, readings, lectures, discussions, and writing assignments highlight the various social, political, and religious functions of art within Western cultures, while also examining specific techniques and practices developed and deployed by artists.
Required of all art and design majors.
Open to all students.
VISA O206 Music & Art in the Middle Ages & Renaissance
Creative Arts & Cultures
RAC: Premodern
This course will examine intersections between music and the visual arts during the middle ages and the early modern period, focusing on selected cultural moments such as the court of Charlemagne c. 800, the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris c. 1200, and Florence in the fifteenth centuries.
Crosslist: MUGN O206
Creative Arts & Cultures
Modern Art traces the development of modernism in Western art, following a rough chronology from the late nineteenth century in Europe to the end of the Second World War in Europe and the United States. This course covers the major stylistic movements with which modern artists have been associated (including Expressionism, Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism) and explores the critical and theoretical terms with which this art has been discussed.
Required of all art majors and minors
Open to all students
Creative Arts & Cultures
RAC: Diversity
This course will present the role and image of women in visual arts as portrayed by men and women, from antiquity to the present, in the light of sociopolitical, cultural, and moral conditions and values. The work of women artists will be central.
VISA O300 Italian Renaissance Art 3 crs.
Creative Arts & Cultures
This course presents the major works and principal painters, sculptors, and architects, ca. 1300-1600, in the main centers of art production on the Italian peninsula: Rome, Florence, Siena, and Venice. Broadly chronological, the course takes a thematic approach to individual topics, including artists’ social status, esteem for classical antiquity, humanism, evolving patterns of patronage, the internationalization of art, studio practice and artistic techniques. Concern for context underlies investigations of form, content, and function.
VISA O310 Art between the Wars 3 crs.
Creative Arts & Cultures
This course examines how visual artists working in Europe and North America explored and redefined the relationship between art and politics during the years 1918 to 1939. Artists representing a wide range of practices and disciplines will be considered (among them, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Dorothea Lange). Through the close reading of texts by major literary figures of the period (including Walter Benjamin, André Breton, and Bertolt Brecht) this course explores the critical terms through which the art of this era has been understood and discussed.