UMN ARTS Spring 2021 Course Highlights

Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, a hybridized learner, or prefer to be completely remote, make art with us in-person or from the comfort of your home. Learn more about the exciting lineup of Spring 2021 courses now being offered in the Department of Art. (More information on our COVID-19 protocols here.)
 

ARTS 3180 Section 001: Zines, Comics, and Books

(partially online, no prerequisite!)
Instructor: Corinne Teed, Assistant Professor

This course introduces students to the culture and creation of artists’ books, comics, and zines. Students will generate one example of each format while being exposed to a wide range of works and relevant processes. Throughout Zines, Comics, and Books, we will view and read examples across cultures and develop an understanding of the history and contemporary context for making artists’ books. We will look at zines that embrace punk culture, gay culture, counter-culture, and feminist movements. We will read graphic novels and connect with the local comics scene. We will consult archives of artists books in the Twin Cities, starting with the impressive collection at the University of Minnesota. Students will learn basic letterpress printing and screen printing as well as other generative techniques for self-publishing, from the copy machine to internet publishing. Students will also be introduced to binding techniques for the artists' book section of this class. MORE ARTS 3180

ARTS 3230 Section 001: Art + Sound

(online, prerequisite ARTS 1704 Intro to Moving Images)
Instructor: Diane Willow, Associate Professor

You’re invited to experiment with sound as your primary artistic medium! Art + Sound is designed to cultivate your curiosity about the sonic as a contemporary art modality. It is accessible to anyone who is curious about sound, passionate about all things sonic, never considered sound as a medium for visual artists, or is interested in experiencing a new creative perspective. It provides an introduction to diverse practices, techniques, and ways of thinking about sound while encouraging you to develop and expand upon your creative work. To do this we will gather and reconfigure sounds, use sound to activate space, explore sound as an interactive medium, make soft speakers and underwater microphones, and consider the potential of sound as a social catalyst. MORE ARTS 3230

ARTS 3260W Section 001: Art + Ecology

(partially online, no prerequisite!)
Instructor: Sean Connaughty, Lecturer

Ecology is the house we live in. Ecology is creativity. Ecology is complex, adaptable, and ever-changing. Like ecology, art is an expression of creativity. Art and artists are leading the way to real transformation. Art + Ecology explores the history, theory, and contemporary practice of artists engaged with the ecological issues of our time. This seminar offers an introduction to the dynamic and emerging field of Environmental Art, focusing on the ways in which artists use creativity to work across disciplines to address ecological concerns. This course investigates the role contemporary artists play as catalysts in relation to a range of concerns, including environmental justice, mass extinction, climate change, and treatment of "waste" as well as issues of the quality of the air, water, soil, and habitat. This seminar will also introduce the notion of artists as agents of change who build communities of ecologically aware practices around interrelated environmental and social issues. Students will be encouraged to see how their creativity and imagination can contribute to finding solutions to pressing environmental problems. MORE ARTS 3206W

ARTS 1103: Introduction to Printmaking

(online, no prerequisite!)
Instructor: Drew Peterson, Lecturer

Students will be introduced to techniques of relief printing, screenprinting, and digital printmaking. Relief projects (linoleum and woodcut) emphasize the exploration of mark-making, printing techniques, and color layering. Screenprint and digital applications will explore layering, color, and image-making strategies. Students will learn digital strategies for creating images in screen printing, working from both photo and drawn sources. The course includes the historical context and recent innovations for each process in order to develop contemporary applications for each method. Students will develop meaningful content in conjunction with the acquisition of technical skills. Individual and group critiques will help students to address technical concerns and contextualize their work within the rich history of printmaking. The course will be taught virtually, and students will be provided take-home screen printing and relief kits to produce engaging and creative projects from home. Instruction and course content includes Zoom demos, pre-recorded videos, printmaking related research and discussion based assignments, and virtual visiting artists talks. Students will need to engage in curbside pick up and drop of course tools and materials throughout the course. MORE ARTS 1103

ARTS 3150: Dimensional Painting

(partially online, prereq ARTS 1102)
Instructor: Mathew Zefeldt, Associate Professor

This course explores the hybridization of painting, sculpture, and installation. The illusionary space and techniques of two-dimensional media are combined and co-exist with three-dimensional sculptural approaches. Students will discover their own solutions to painting in space. Formats for projects include wall constructions, wall paintings, object-based paintings, found objects, assemblages, reliefs, floor works, and installations. We will also explore a vast number of materials, and the technical problems and solutions that are possible. Historical and contemporary artists and concepts that are relevant to dimensional painting will also be introduced. The class will meet Mondays on Zoom and Wednesdays (socially distanced) in the well-ventilated Regis Center for Art. MORE ARTS 3150

Prefer an in-person class?

ARTS 1802: Introduction to Sculpture

(several sections to fit your schedule, no prerequisite!)
Instructors: Chris Larson, Associate Professor or Kristina Estell, Lecturer

An introduction to the inherent nature of materials, the development of form in real space, and the shops and tools with which to create sculptural forms. We will focus on the fundamentals of sculpture through hands-on demonstrations of basic sculptural processes, and you will also be exposed to, and experimenting with, the diverse range of approaches, work methods, and topics that have occupied sculptors, both in the past and present. You will be introduced to the proper use and function of the wood and metal shops, as well as a variety of other tools and techniques, including new technologies such as 3D printing and VR, along with more traditional techniques such as paper folding and plaster. We will try to discover your individual creative process and aid the sculptural articulation of your conceptual issues through discussion and critique of your class accomplishments. The techs in the Department of Art have implemented a safe physical distancing plan for all of our well-ventilated studios to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and faculty. In the event that this studio class transitions to partial or fully online, each student will be supplied with a tool kit along with a variety of materials to take home along with instructions on how to set up a simple workspace in your home.  MORE ARTS 1802 (scroll down for details on all four sections)