Course Descriptions

Visual Arts: 300 Level Courses

VISA 301-3 (FINA 320) Gallery Studies: Exhibition Curating (2,1,0)
VISA 302-3 (FINA 321) Gallery Studies: Exhibition Installation (3,1,0)
VISA 303-3 (FINA 322) Gallery Studies: Gallery Administration (2,1,0)
VISA 304-3 (FINA 323) Gallery Studies: Public Art (2,1,0)
VISA 313-3 (FINA 341) Critical Studies in Photographic Histories (3,0,0)
VISA 315-3 (FINA 335) Art of the Italian Renaissance from Giotto to Michelangelo (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 331-6 (FINA 389) Studio Media: Sculpture (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 341-3 (FINA 272) Ceramics 3 (3,1,0)
VISA 342-3 (FINA 282) Ceramics 4 (3,1,0)
VISA 343-3 (FINA 372) Advanced Wheel Throwing (2,1,0)
VISA 344-3 (FINA 382) Ceramics Sculpture (2,1,0)
VISA 351-6 (FINA 388) Studio Media: Printmaking (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 361-3 (FINA 212) Painting 3 (3,1,0)
VISA 362-3 (FINA 222) Painting 4 (3,1,0)
VISA 363-6 (FINA 387) Studio Media: Painting and Drawing (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 371-3 (FINA 276) Photography 3 (3,1,0)
VISA 372-3 (FINA 286) Photography 4 (3,1,0)
VISA 373-6 (FINA 390) Studio Media: Photography and literature - A Canadian Perspective (2,1,0)
VISA 381-3 or 6 (FINA 311) Directed Studies: 2D (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 382-3 or 6 (FINA 312) Directed Studies: 3D (2,1,0)(2,1,0)
VISA 383-3 (FINA 361) Special Topics in Visual Arts (3,1,0)

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VISA 3010

Gallery Studies: Exhibition Curating (2,1,0) 3 credits

In this course the student will be provided with an overview of Curatorial Practice. This will include a consideration of such topics as: types of exhibitions common to public and artist-run galleries in Canada; regional, national and international survey exhibitions; working with artists towards the planning of an exhibition; writing about artist’s works in the context of contemporary art theory and criticism. Where possible, exhibitions at the Kamloops Art Gallery will be used as a basis for these studies.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, VISA 1110/1120, VISA 1500

VISA 3020

Gallery Studies: Exhibition Installation (1,2,1)(L) 3 credits

In this course students will learn basic principles and techniques for the installation of exhibitions in a variety of formats. These are skills common to the preparatory staff at a gallery or museum. This will include a consideration of works of both a conventional nature, such as frames works, as well as more spatial and/or experimental works such as sculpture and installation. Where possible, the TRU Fine Arts Gallery, as well as the Kamloops Art Gallery, will be used as a basis for these studies. In addition, students will learn such skills as mat-cutting, frame construction, basic workshop skills common to exhibition installation, basic principles of lighting, the documenting of exhibitions, as well as basic principles of conservation.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, VISA 1110/1120, VISA 1500

VISA 3030

Gallery Studies: Gallery Administration (2,1,0) 3 credits

In this course the students will study the different types of galleries which exist in Canada, and of the ways in which their management and programming are structured. The range of galleries considered will include public and private galleries as well as artist-run spaces. The course will provide an understanding of the various positions in a gallery, including: Director, Curator, Registrar, and Installation staff, as well as volunteers, various committees and the Board of Directors. Students will also study granting agencies for the visual arts in Canada, including those at the municipal, provincial and national levels.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, VISA 1110/1120, VISA 1500

VISA 3040

Gallery Studies: Public Art (2,1,0) 3 credits

In this course students will study the function of art created for public spaces as well as the collecting of art in public institutions. In considering the role of art created for public spaces this study will combine a historic overview with an examination of works commissioned by recent and contemporary artists. Similarly, the study of collections held by such organizations as the Canada Council and public galleries in Canada will be contextualized within an understanding of the historical development of museum and gallery collections. These studies will also include such topics as: policy development; cataloguing collections; application and jurying processes for public commissions, and working with scaled plans.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, VISA 1110/1120, VISA 1500

VISA 3130

Critical Studies in Photographic Histories (3,0,0) 3 credits

This course presents a critical overview of photography in Europe and North America, particularly as it relates to other disciplines of the visual arts and to media culture. This study of the various aesthetic and social movements which surround photography (such as modernism and feminism) will complement courses in other academic area which examine material culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing

VISA 3150

Art of the Italian Renaissance from Giotto to Michelangelo (HUM) (2,1,0)(2,1,0) 6 credits

A survey of the principle works of art from the rise of the city-states (ca. 1250) to the phenomenon of Mannerism in the 16th century; topics include the new conception of the artist and the changing role of the patron as well as the transformation of traditional artistic genres.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing

VISA 3310

Sculpture/Intermedia (1,2,1)(1,2,1)(L) 6 credits

This sculpture course will focus on art-making as the development of a visual language, and focus on finding the most effective medium or media for expressing a given idea, in addition to the acquisition and refinement of skills. Along with learning a number of current and/or traditional sculpture techniques, students will begin to examine their cultural milieu with a critical and wondering eye. Students are exposed to and will refine a wide variety of media, skills and strategies that define contemporary sculpture, including wood and metal fabrication, use of found objects, welding, and mediums and strategies such as site-specific work, installations and time based art like kinetic art, electronics, performance, video projections, and sound.

Prerequisite: VISA 1030

VISA 3410

Ceramics 3 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

Following on from Introductory Ceramics, students will be introduced to further techniques, and will improve on their wheel skills and will undertake more ambitious projects that will incorporate them. Through readings, discussions and slides and videos they will familiarize themselves with recent innovations in the ceramic field and important artists working in the area.

Prerequisite: VISA 2420

VISA 3420

Ceramics 4 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

Students will learn about the nature of glazes and to calculate their own using the unity formula. Studio work will be thematic, and students should be prepared to research and write about their ideas as well as exploring those ideas through designs and maquettes prior to realizing them. Library research and presentations are a required part of the course and artists' statement will accompany each major assignment.

Prerequisite: VISA 3410

VISA 3430

Advanced Wheel Throwing (2,1,0)(L) 3 credits

Students entering the course will already have some wheel experience which will provide the basis upon which they will build and improve their skills. Through slides, seminars and by using the library, students will research high points in the history of Ceramics and the significance of the wheel both culturally and artistically since its inception. They will use this information in a Post-Modern context as a starting point for their work and will also identify ceramic artists who use, or have utilized the wheel as their primary method of working, and with whom they can identify. Students will set goals early on and will work thematically to produce a body of wheel thrown work with personal content and cultural relevance. A written proposal at the beginning of the course, together with an artist’s statement upon its completion will be a required component.

Prerequisite: VISA 3420

VISA 3440

Ceramic Sculpture (2,1,0)(L) 3 credits

This course is designed for those who, having completed VISA 3420, want to pursue and develop sculptural ideas in the context of clay. Students will familiarize themselves with artists worldwide who have chosen clay as their means of communication and will explore ideas, design and execute a group of works which incorporate techniques of clay body formulation, casting and expanded slab techniques as well as a variety of surface treatments.

Prerequisite: VISA 3420

VISA 3510

Studio Media: Printmaking (CPA) (2,1,0)(2,1,0)(L) 6 credits

Drawing upon such specific mediums as etching and/or (stone) lithography, this course provides an exploration of printmaking. In class lecture time will be used to present practical demonstrations of a variety of fundamental printmaking principles and techniques. These will be linked to a series of projects that will be introduced to the students and which will encourage the development of personal imagery and innovation. A historical and contemporary context for these projects will be presented and discussed during seminar sessions. Seminar sessions will also provide a forum for the critique of student work. Out of class studio work will be required in order to complete projects introduced and demonstrated during the class time.

Prerequisite: VISA 2540

VISA 3610

Painting 3 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

The students will be encouraged to become more individualized in their approach to research and practical work. Through lectures, seminars, critiques and readings, key historical and current issues in contemporary painting will be investigated. Through these activities the student will establish a basis for developing and addressing the subject, content and form of their artworks in visual, verbal and oral forms. Although studio projects are demonstrated and introduced during class time, students are expected to complete projects in the studios outside of regularly scheduled class hours.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing and VISA 2620

VISA 3620

Painting 4 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

This course is a continuation of the issues introduced in VISA 3610. Independent research and practice will be combined with seminars, group critiques and slide lectures. Students will develop a working knowledge of selected topics related to the history and theory of painting in order to define and discuss their work in a contemporary context. From the studio demonstrations and projects introduced in class, students will develop their works in the studios outside of class time. Students are expected to be self-motivated and prepared for independent practice.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing and VISA 3610

VISA 3630

Studio Media: Painting and Drawing (CPA) (2,1,0)(2,1,0)(L) 6 credits

This course provides an exploration of drawing and painting, as well as the ways in which these two disciplines overlap and interact with one another in historical and contemporary artistic practice. In-class lectures will be used to present both theoretical/historical material as well as the practical methods of creating artistic works in the areas of drawing, painting, and mixed-media collage. Seminars will be used to critique student work as well as for such things as the discussion of readings and student presentations. Out of class studio work will be required in order to complete projects introduced and demonstrated during the class time.

Prerequisite: VISA 2620

VISA 3710

Photography 3 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

The students will be encouraged to become more individualized in their approach to research and practical work. Through lectures, seminars, critiques and readings, key historical and current issues in contemporary photography will be investigated. Through these activities the student will establish a basis for developing and addressing the subject, content and form of their artworks in visual, verbal and oral forms. Although studio projects are demonstrated and introduced during class time, students are expected to complete projects in the studios outside of regularly schedule class hours.

Prerequisite: VISA 2720

VISA 3720

Photography 4 (3,1,0)(L) Studio - 3 credits

This course is a continuation of the issues introduced in VISA 3710. Independent research and practice will be combined with seminars, group critiques and slide lectures. Students will develop a working knowledge of selected topics related to the history and theory of photography in order to define and discuss their work in a contemporary context. From the studio demonstrations and projects introduced in class students will develop their works in the studios outside of class time. Students are expected to be self-motivated and prepared for independent practice.

Prerequisite: VISA 3710

VISA 3730

Studio Media: Photography and Literature - A Canadian Perspective (CPA) (2,1,0)(2,1,0)(L) Studio - 6 credits

This studio-based course serves equally as a practical introduction to photography and an exploration of relationships between image and text. From a Canadian perspective, a variety of literary and critical works of historical and contemporary photographers are considered. Projects will include photographic series, critical essays and interdisciplinary works which bridge the gap between the traditional disciplines of Art and English. Note: This course would be accessible to students without much prior photographic experience but would also be of interest to students who have taken other photography courses. Out of class studio work will be required in order to complete projects introduced and demonstrated during the class time.

Prerequisite: Foundation Year

VISA 3810

Directed Studies: 2D (3,0,0) or (3,0,0)(3,0,0)(L) 3/6 credits

This course is intended to allow for the development of a personal body of work, primarily in some two dimensional medium such as Drawing, Painting, Photography or Printmaking. Students in this course will work in the Fine Arts studios under the supervision of a faculty advisor towards the creation of such an independent body of work. Priority will be given to BFA students.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, and completion of third-year courses in the appropriate discipline

VISA 3820

Directed Studies: 3D (3,0,0) or (3,0,0)(3,0,0)(L) 3/6 credits

This course is intended to allow for the development of a personal body of work, primarily in some three dimensional medium such as Ceramics, Sculpture or Interdisciplinary forms. Students in this course will work in the Fine Arts studios under the supervision of a faculty advisor towards the creation of such an independent body of work. Priority will be given to BFA students.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing, and completion of third-year courses in the appropriate discipline

VISA 3830

Special Topics in Visual Arts (3,1,0)(L) 3 credits

This is a variable content course which will change from semester to semester. Normally, the themes that are addressed in the course will be ones which complement, or otherwise lie outside, our regular departmental offerings. Such topics of study might include: Alternative Processes in Photography, Papermaking, Landscape Studies, etc. This course will normally be for students with third year standing in the Fine Arts or in some related Arts degree program. Check with the department Chairperson to find out about current offerings as well as any necessary prerequisites. Students should understand that additional studio time will be needed outside of timetabled hours in order to complete practical studies of techniques and processes demonstrated in class.

Prerequisite: Check with the department Co-ordinator to find out about prerequisites as they may vary from offering to offering