The primary goal of the Foundation Art Program is to enable students to synthesize information relative to creative pursuits through exposure to fundamental conceptual approaches and the development of basic skills common to artistic endeavors. This includes developing the ability to integrate verbal and visual communication, the ability to express ideas in a tangible form, and the ability to practice resourcefulness, responsibility, quality crafting skills and a productive work ethic.
Curriculum
Basic foundation art requirements
- 1040 Object Drawing*
- 1050 Drawing Studio*
- 1070 Form and Surface*
- 1080 Form and Space*
*Prerequisites for all studio art and art education majors and minors
Students should consult the WMU catalog for the foundation art program course descriptions and requirements.
Faculty
Collaborations
2009-10—Justopposition: All the Art That's Printed to Fit
A SCAD/WMU Exquisite Corpse Collaboration
In the spirit of the Surrealists' exquisite corpse drawings, our Art 1050: Drawing Studio students have created the "top, above, north, up, over" part of a drawing, and the Savannah College of Art and Design Drawing II students have created the "bottom, south, down, below, under" part of a drawing. The two halves will be united this summer and will be exhibited this fall at WMU in Kalamazoo, Mich., and SCAD in Atlanta, GA, and there is discussion about producing a small catalogue highlighting the work. It is an inter-curricular collaboration for both schools.
2008-09—Foundation Reading Program
Pan-foundation summer reading, Art and Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland was organized during summer 2008 for all foundation students and faculty. Individual class discussions and inter-curricular assignments were carried out relating to ideas in the book in fall 2008
2006-07—Medici Postcards
Pan-foundation area project involving oversight of producing, adjudicating, documenting, printing and presenting of postcards of student works to the College of Fine Arts Medici Society for Dean Margaret Merrion. Begun in fall 2006 and completed in fall 2007.
2006-07—Aole Miller
Visiting performance artist. Arranged for evening foundation classes to attend a performance and discussion of Miller's work with Balinese masks. January 2007.
2006-07—Faber-Castell
Workshop arranged for artist with Faber-Castell to conduct two educational workshops for professors and foundation students using Faber-Castell art materials.
2004-05—Turning the Page/Burning the Page
Pan-foundation book project called Turning the Page/Burning the Page in which every student in the foundation program created altered book. Adjudicated books were exhibited at the Box Factory in St. Joseph, MI. Begun in fall 2004 and completed in fall 2005.
2003-04—Inter-actions
Semester-long, pan-foundations project in which foundation students and faculty worked with visiting artist James Elniski, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, to complete an installation in the courtyard at Sangren Hall. Begun in fall, 2003 and completed in summer, 2004.
2003-04—Medici Masks
Pan-foundation Medici Mask project for Dean Margaret Merrion's College of Fine Arts Medici Society. Masks were created within the curricular structure of the foundation program as gifts for the members of the Medici Society Begun in summer 2003 and completed in fall 2003.