Toulouse Lautrec glorified the wilder Parisian nightlife. Degas captured the city’s intimate moments and elegant pastimes. A fractured Eiffel Tower became Delaunay’s modernistic ode to a classic Paris icon. As witness to an ever evolving art scene, Christo’s Pont Neuf, wrapped and knotted with high-tech material, became a literal bridge between past and present forms, while the striped columns of Daniel Buren create a palpable tension contrasted against the classic beauty of their setting at Palais Royal.
With Paris as a backdrop, the department of Fine Arts helps students develop artistic craft and encourages personal growth. The curriculum is highly structured and involves rigorous instruction in techniques and materials. While painting and sculpture are the main disciplines of the program, students study drawing, printmaking and also have the opportunity to take electives, such as digital imaging, photography and animation to enrich their skills in communication and expression.
Through courses in art history and liberal studies, class critique/discussions and exposure to rich European artistic and cultural resources, students broaden and deepen both intellectual and technical skills. Students learn to utilize color, form, space and composition and are encouraged to develop individual directions of inquiry. Interaction with faculty who work and exhibit as professional fine artists, as well as guest international artists, give the students a rich background of exposure to the world of art.
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