For the past year and a half, we have been developing a new Visual Art program around the Dean’s Terms of Reference. The group prioritized development of degree plans where the studio component was delivered predominantly by Visual Art instructors.
A draft plan was developed however, the plan encountered operational challenges. The Dean’s Office, students, instructors and alumni all want to see a degree plan in Visual Art. As such, the heads of Art History & Art Conservation, Film & Media, and the DAN School of Drama and Music are jointly advancing an interdisciplinary Visual Art program. This program will be designed around the people we have currently to deliver courses. While the new degree plan will look different from the old BFA, it will provide students a vibrant multidisciplinary program in Visual Art. The structure of the degree plan can be found here (xls), and a brief overview is found below.
Overview of the interdisciplinary Visual Art Program
The Visual Arts program at Queen's is a studio-based program, where students will explore a breadth of 2D and 3D material and digital creation processes. Students build foundational skills in their first two years and then customize the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary visual arts practices in the upper years. The program encourages students to explore creative intersections between drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, theatre, and other performing visual arts. Students will also take a variety of studies courses where they will build transferable professional arts skills, deepen their historical understanding of creative processes, and learn more about the role of visual arts and its practices in various communities and cultures. Graduates of this program will be equipped to explore careers as independent artists, in education, curation/museum studies, arts administration, policy or establish a contemporary studio practice.