Mission

Our overall mission is, and has been, to engage students in the fine arts within a liberal arts context. We provide training for students who intend to pursue careers in the visual arts and we promote an appreciation and understanding of the fine arts in the general student population. Courses in Art Education provide an understanding of the behavioral aspects of art with regard to the creator, the viewer, and the developing person. The Art History curriculum offers a range of courses in Western and non-Western art, criticism, and visual culture from pre-history to the present and from many perspectives, both formal and contextual. These courses produce college-level visual literacy, multi-cultural awareness, art historical skills, and an understanding of art-making practices. Studio Art experiences develop the creative and artistic skills necessary for mastery of established styles and for the exploration of new ones. They also offer students an introduction to a lifetime appreciation of the arts. Courses in the three different disciplines fulfill degree requirements in seven other departments and programs at CSUS (see Chart 2). Seven Art History courses and seven Studio Art courses are in Area C of the General Education program (see Chart 1).

The Art Department engages students not only through its courses but also through numerous public programs that are closely related to the University’s academic mission and are open to the broader community. Every year, we offer a series of art exhibitions and installations in our two on-site galleries as well as workshops, panel discussions, symposia, and lectures (see Appendix D). Members of the Art faculty also have curated exhibitions of international significance for the new University Gallery: “Post-Flesh: Visualizing the Techno-Self” (December 2002-March 2003, organized by Rachel Clarke) and “The Spirit of Contemporary Asian Art” (September-November 2003; organized by Pat Chirapravati). Elaine O’Brien was involved with the important retrospective exhibition “Wayne Thiebaud: Works from 1995 to 2003,” contributing an essay to the catalogue. Each show was accompanied by collateral events and programs to which the public also was invited. Finally, the Director of the Library Gallery, Phil Hitchcock, is a member of the Art faculty.