Handbook for Art Majors
and Photography Majors
Table of contents
Introduction, and purpose of this Handbook
Accreditation with the NASAD
The Art Professors
Mr. Underwood
Mr. Houston
Ms. Rabun
Ms. Ellis
Dr. Airhart
Mr. Alvis
Ms. Raquel Kennedy-Roy
Mr. Mark Wankel
Art Department Staff, Melissa Patterson
The Art & Photography Curriculum
Academic Advising and Registration for Classes
Requirements for the Art major and Photography major
The Art major
The Photography major
Academic Minors
The Degree Plan
The Warren Art Building
Safety & health issues
The Exhibition Program
Senior Exhibits
The Annual Portfolio Review
Student Workers in the Art Department
List of Possible Art Supply Sources
Gamma Ray Art Club
Introduction
Welcome to the Art Department of Carson-Newman College! The purpose of this Handbook is to provide information to our Art majors and our Photography majors, and to prospective students who are considering attending Carson-Newman, on how to be a successful student in our department and how to get the most out of our program. To learn about Carson-Newman College in general, about academic requirements common for all majors, and about many aspects concerning campus life for students, you should read the most current College Catalog, available in the Registrar’s Office or in the Admissions Office (both located in the Fite Administration Building). A new College Catalog is printed every academic year.
We offer the Bachelor of Arts Degree (a 4-year, liberal arts degree) with a major in Art or a major in Photography. Our Art Department is accredited with the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (the “NASAD”), so you can be assured that you are involved with a program that upholds nationally recognized standards of excellence. Over the past several years, we have consistently maintained approximately 55 to 70 majors in our department, roughly evenly split between Art majors and Photography majors. Our classes also provide Art Appreciation and other General Education courses to well over 150 non-Art major students each year. We have five full-time faculty members and 2-4 adjunct (part-time) faculty members, all of whom are professionally active artists and/or scholars, and all of whom are committed to providing a top notch educational experience to you.
The Art Professors
The Art Department has five full-time professors, each with a particular area of expertise. We also usually use somewhere between 2 and 5 adjunct professors each semester. Each professor has one or more advanced degrees and is an active professional artist and/or scholar in the area(s) in which the professor teaches. The Master of Fine Arts Degree (the MFA) is considered the highest (or “terminal”) degree for professors teaching studio disciplines, and the Ph.D. (or “doctorate” in a given field of study) is considered the terminal degree for Art Historians. You can discover what degrees all of your Carson-Newman College professors have by looking in the back section of the College Catalog. Each of your Art professors has an office in the Warren Art Building, and each professor has his or her name, general title, and a listing of current class and office hour schedules posted on his or her office door. In addition to class time, your full-time professors are available to help you for 10 posted office hours per week, during normal academic semesters.
Mr. Underwood:
Mr. David Underwood is our current Art Department Chairperson, and our coordinator of the major in Photography. He is the academic advisor for some of our Photography majors, and oversees all of the other academic advising for the Art Department. Mr. Underwood was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and he earned the BA in Photography from Carson-Newman, in the first class to graduate with this new major, back in 1982. He earned the MFA in Studio Art from Florida State University in 1990, and started teaching back at Carson-Newman in the same year. Mr. Underwood is an active fine art photographer, and has “stock photography” represented by a New York company. Check out his web site at: www.underwoodartworks.com. Office: WAB room 105. Phone 865-471-3572. E-mail: dunderwood@cn.edu.
Mr. Houston:
Mr. William C. Houston, Artist-in-Residence, has been teaching at Carson-Newman since 1974, and coordinates our Art major emphasis area of Drawing & Painting. He is our academic advisor for Art majors with an emphasis in Drawing & Painting. Mr. Houston has won numerous national and regional awards for his landscape watercolors and drawings, and has artworks in many prestigious corporate and museum collections. He grew up in New Market, Tennessee. An avid painter and furniture builder, Mr. Houston is a man of many talents and interests, and is known locally as an authority on Jazz. He earned his BA in Art from Carson-Newman and his MAT from the University of South Carolina. Check out his web site at www.wchouston.com.
Office: WAB 203. Phone 865-471-3334. E-mail: williamchouston@hotmail.com.
Ms. Rabun:
Ms. Julie Rabun, Assistant Professor of Art, joined Carson-Newman in 2002, and is our coordinator of the Graphic Design emphasis area within the Art major. She is our advisor for all of our Art majors with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Ms. Rabun, who grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, has worked professionally as an architect, and is now an active fine art artist, illustrator, and designer. She has worked collaboratively as an illustrator for five published books, including Revival of the Fittest: Classic Typefaces in the Digital Age (edited by Philip Meggs and Roy McKelvey). Ms. Rabun earned her BFA in Art and her BA in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Office: WAB 205. Phone: 865-471-3332. E-mail: jrabun@cn.edu.
Ms. Ellis:
Ms. Lisa Ellis, Assistant Professor of Art, has been teaching classes in Photography, Art History & Appreciation, and Art Fundamentals at Carson-Newman since 1998. She is the academic advisor for some of our Photography majors. Ms. Ellis is originally from Morristown, Tennessee, and is a fine art photographer who primarily uses the 4x5 view camera. She earned her BA in History from Carson-Newman College, and her MFA in Photography from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City.
Office: WAB 204. Phone: 865-471-4988. E-mail: filmzee@aol.com.
Dr. Airhart:
Dr. Chad Airhart, Assistant Professor of Art, started teaching at Carson-Newman in 2008. As our only full-time Art Historian, Dr. Airhart teaches most of our Art History and Art Appreciation courses, and also is our advisor for Art majors with an emphasis in Teaching. Dr. Airhart grew up in Texas, and earned his BA in Art (painting emphasis) from The University of Dallas. He earned his MA and Ph.D. Degrees in Humanities (Aesthetics and Art History emphasis) from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Airhart’s scholarly specialty is modern art, and he is also an avid painter. His work can be seen at the Valley House Gallery, in Dallas (www.valleyhouse.com).
Office: WAB 205. Phone: 865-471-3333. E-mail: cairhart@cn.edu.
Mr. Alvis:
Mr. Michael Alvis, part-time art instructor and Mac lab technician, taught in our Art Department in the early 1980’s, and then left to pursue other activities. He taught English in Japan for a number of years, and then returned later as our Mac Lab Technician in 2001. With extensive experience as a painter, photographer, graphic designer, and troubleshooter on Macs, Mr. Alvis has taught courses for us in various media since the fall of 2003. He grew up in Tampa, Florida, earned his BA in Art from Carson-Newman, and earned his MFA from Florida State University. Check out his website at http://www.michaelalvis.com/Home.html
Office: WAB 307. Phone: 865-471-4985. E-mail: malvis@cn.edu
Ms. Raquel Kennedy Roy:
Ms. Raquel Roy, part-time art instructor, has been teaching classes in Art Methods (“Art Education”) at CNC since 2007. Ms. Roy is a full-time Art Teacher at Maryville High School, in Maryville, Tennessee. She grew up in Mexico as the daughter of American missionaries, earned her BA in Art from Carson-Newman, and earned her MS in Art Education from Florida State University.
Office: WAB 201A. Phone: 865-471-4985. E-Mail: rkroy@ci.maryville.tn.us
Mr. Mark Wankel:
Mr. Mark Wankel, part-time art instructor, began teaching Art Appreciation at CNC in January of 2008. Since the fall of 2008, Mr. Wankel has taught all of our Art Fundamentals courses. Mr. Wankel is a painter, and a native of Kingsport, Tennessee. He earned his BA in Art from Emory & Henry College in Virginia, and his MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.
Office: WAB 201A. Phone: 865-471-4985. E-Mail: mwankel13@yahoo.com
Art Department Staff:
Ms. Melissa Patterson, Administrative Assistant and Receptionist.
Melissa Patterson started working for our Art Department in 2008. She helps our students and faculty with a wide variety of departmental tasks and issues, and currently works weekday mornings, 8am to Noon. An East Tennessee native, Melissa earned the BFA Degree in Art from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Office : WAB 107. Phone: 865-471-4985. E-Mail: mpatterson@cn.edu
Overview of the Art & Photography Curriculum
Carson-Newman College offers the 4-year, liberal arts, BA (Bachelor of Arts) Degree in Art and the BA Degree in Photography. We also offer a minor in Art, a minor in Photography, and a minor in Art History. We do not offer the BFA Degree. All BA Degrees at CNC require the completion of 128 total semester hours of credit. Currently the Art Degree and the Photography Degree both require at least 45 credit hours in Art, 47 hours from the Liberal Arts Core curriculum, and the remainder of hours as electives. All of these requirements are specifically outlined in each annual edition of the College Catalog, copies of which are available in the Office of Admissions, in the Fite Administration Building. Every student should obtain a copy of the College Catalog, and become very knowledgeable about all the requirements which must be completed in order to earn a degree.
Photography majors do not choose an emphasis area within the major. Art majors must choose an emphasis area (usually sometime by around the end of the sophomore year) of Painting & Drawing, Graphic Design, or Teaching. Both majors and all emphasis areas require completion of a specified core of fundamental courses, and then allow for more concentrated and/or more individualized study toward the end of the program. Lecture classes in the Art Department (such as Art History) meet for 3 hours each week in normal semesters, as do most classes in other departments at CNC. Art-producing (or “studio”) classes usually meet for 6 hours per week during regular semesters, so that significant portions of the studio requirements can be accomplished during class time, with the potential help of the instructor.
Academic Advising and Registration For Classes
Each major in the Art Department is assigned to one of our full-time professors for academic advising, according to major and emphasis area. Ms. Rabun advises the Art majors with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Mr. Houston advises the Art majors with an emphasis in Drawing & Painting. Dr. Airhart advises the Art majors with an emphasis in Teaching. Mr. Underwood and Ms. Ellis advise the Photography majors. Your advisor will help you determine which classes you need, and when to take them. Even though your advisor will help you with your academic schedules and will help you with other college issues, your own academic schedules are your own responsibility. It is important that you take this responsibility seriously and study the requirements for graduation as stipulated in the College Catalog.
Under the current system of Registration, you register for classes on-line, after meeting with your advisor. Designated times are set for you to meet with your advisor, well in advance of the next semester. Summer registration times are set for new freshmen and transfer students. Preregistration for returning students usually happens in April for the following fall semester, and in November for the following spring semester and summer. When you arrive at your advisor’s office for advice and help, you should already have a plan for which classes you still need, and which classes you intend to take the following semester. Your advisor will be glad to help you with this plan, but again, you are responsible for your own academic success.
How many classes should you take each semester? The normal credit load for fall and spring semesters is 16 hours (16 credit hours x 8 semesters = 128 total hours). We normally recommend that you take two studio Art classes each semester, maybe an Art History class each semester of your sophomore and/or junior year, and then fill the rest of your schedule with Liberal Arts Core and elective classes.
Requirements for the Art Major and the Photography Major:
The requirements for Art Department courses for the Art major and the Photography major are listed and explained on pages 64-66 of the 2008-2009 College Catalog, and are listed below. Both majors are earned within the Bachelor of Arts Degree, and the Liberal Arts Core requirements are listed elsewhere in each annual edition of the College Catalog. The student needs to be aware that some courses are offered each semester, some courses only once a year, and some courses only once every two years on a predictable schedule. Check the College Catalog for frequency of offerings.
For a major in Art, the student must complete at least 45 semester hours in Art, including the courses within the Art Core, and the courses within a chosen Emphasis Area.
The Art Core:
ART 100: Art Fundamentals 1
ART 103: Art Fundamentals 2
ART 104: Photography 1
ART 105: Drawing 1
ART 113: Computer Graphics
ART 202: Watercolor 1
ART 205: Drawing 2
ART 316: Art History 1
ART 317: Art History 2
ART 411: Senior Seminar
Graphic Design Emphasis:
ART 223: Digital Imaging
ART 233: Graphic Design 1
ART 243: Graphic Design 2
ART 313: History of Graphic Design
ART 343: Graphic Design 3
ART 453: Graphic Design 4
Drawing and Painting Emphasis:
ART 212/402: Watercolor 2, or Oil/Acrylic 2
ART 302: Oil/Acrylic 1
ART 305: Drawing 3
ART 417: Contemporary Art
ART 440: Advanced Studio 1
Teaching Emphasis:
ART 302: Oil/Acrylic 1
ART 308: Art Methods for Elementary Teachers
ART 408: Art Methods for Secondary Teachers
ART 417: Contemporary Art
ART 418: Non-Western Art
For a major in Photography, the student must complete at least 45 semester hours in Art, including the courses listed below. An Emphasis Area is not chosen.
For the Photography Major:
ART 100: Art Fundamentals 1
ART 103: Art Fundamentals 2
ART 104: Photography 1
ART 113: Computer Graphics
ART 204: Photography 2
ART 214: Studio Photography
ART 316: Art History 1
ART 317: Art History 2
ART 324: Color Photography
ART 334: History of Photography
ART 411: Senior Seminar
ART 414: Alternative Photographic Processes
and the student’s choice of any three of the following courses:
ART 223: Digital Imaging
ART 424: Fine Art Photography
ART 434: Photojournalism
ART 440: Advanced Studio 1
ART 444: Commercial Photography
ART 450: Advanced Studio 2
In addition to these two majors, our Art Department offers a minor in Art, a minor in Photography, and a minor in Art History.
For a minor in Art, the student needs to complete 18 hours in Art, including:
ART 100, 103, 104 or 202, 105, 205, and 317.
For a minor in Photography, the student needs to complete 18 hours in Art, including:
ART 100, 104, 204, 334, and two additional courses in Photography.
For a minor in Art History, the student needs to complete 18 hours in Art, including:
ART 100, 316, 317, 417, 418, and one of the following courses: 313, 334, or 416.
The Degree Plan
Each student who intends to graduate from CNC needs to complete a Degree Plan. This is exactly what the name implies: your plan to obtain a degree. This needs to be completed by you, the student, in the semester in which you will finish earning 96 hours of credit (usually the second semester of the junior year). On the Degree Plan, list every class you have taken, every class in which you are currently enrolled, and every class you still intend to take. Work with your advisor on making a Degree Plan, then allow your advisor to check it out for a day or two, and then your advisor will give this to the Art Department Chairperson (Mr. Underwood) for him to check. Then this goes to the Registrar of the College for final approval. After the Registrar approves your Degree Plan, then you know exactly which classes to take and exactly when you will graduate (provided you pass all the classes on your plan).
Examples of a successful Degree Plan:
Sample Degree Plan 2007-2008 or earlier.
Sample Degree Plan 2008-2009.
The Warren Art Building
The CNC Art Department is housed in the Warren Art Building (WAB). This was built as a building for the physical sciences in the 1930s, by the Works Progress Administration, and converted for the visual arts in the 1970s. The building is not handicap accessible, and we do not have a fire/sprinkler system, but it is a great, old building with a lot of character. All of your Art classes are held in the WAB. Something which is very unique for an undergraduate art program is the fact that we have 25 student studios in the WAB, which are small, private rooms, the use of which are awarded annually to the top students in the program. The method of how these studio spaces are awarded is explained later in this Handbook, in the section on the Annual Portfolio Review.
The basement of the WAB includes several student studios, a mat cutting and presentation lab area, a woodworking and tool shop, and a chemical color darkroom. The ground floor of the building includes two art galleries, a secretary/receptionist office, the Photography classroom and studio area, the main B&W chemical darkroom, and the office of the Art Department Chairperson. The WAB second floor includes a large multi-use classroom, the Art History lecture room, a couple of student studios, several faculty offices, and a storage area for our permanent collection of artworks. The top, third floor of the building includes the Painting classroom, the Drawing classroom, two rooms for Printmaking, the Macintosh computer lab (which is also the Graphic Design classroom), several student studios, and the faculty office for our Mac Lab Technician. Restrooms are located in the basement and on the second floor.
It is important for your own safety, and the safety of others, that you use the facilities and equipment of the Warren Art Building properly, and in the properly designated areas. Safety issues are discussed in each studio class, so please pay attention. For example, use photographic chemistry only in the darkrooms, with the exhaust fan running. Wear eye protection when using power tools (if you are like most visual artists, the good health of your eyes is probably important). Oil-based paints, spray paint or spray glue, or other materials with toxic fumes should be used only in WAB room 301 (the Painting classroom and lab), with the exhaust fans turned on. If and when you are not sure how or where to use some art tools or materials, ask one of your professors.
During the regular fall and spring semesters, the Warren Art Building is open for your use from 8:00am until 11:59pm, seven days a week. Please be out of the building before midnight each day, and do not wait for Campus Security to kick you out before they lock up. For safety and security reasons, permission will not be granted for access to the building between midnight and 8:00am, so don’t bother asking. The WAB is usually open during short breaks such as Labor Day and Fall Break, and is usually locked and closed during longer breaks such as Christmas Break and Spring Break. The building is open for limited hours during the summer, when classes are being held in the building. Check notices on the front door, to see when the building will be closed for breaks and when it will reopen after breaks.
When the building is open, any student currently enrolled in an Art class may appropriately use spaces in the building for working on class projects, making art, or studying. Several rooms may be used for these purposes whenever a class is not using the space, such as WAB 101, 201, 202, 301, 303, and the basement matting room. If you are enrolled in a Photography class, you will be given combination access to the Photo classroom and studio, and to one or more of the darkrooms. The Mac computer lab is open for scheduled evening and weekend hours, only when a hired lab monitor is on duty (schedules vary each semester). Majors in the Art Department who have been awarded a studio may (of course) also use their studio at any time the building is open.
The Art Department owns several specialized tools which can sometimes be checked out for student use, for a day or two. Access to tools available for borrowing, such as a digital camera, medium-format film cameras, or framing tools, will be discussed in appropriate classes. These need to be checked out from your professor, or from the appropriate student assistant during scheduled and posted work hours. A limited amount of photographic supplies are also available for sale in the department, from your professor or from the darkroom student assistant.
In order to aid in the communication of departmental events or deadlines, every Art major and Photography major is issued a mailbox in the lobby, on the ground floor. If you’ve been here and been a major in the Art Department for a week or more, you should have a mailbox (your mailbox is above your name in the cabinet on the ground floor). Each professor also has a mailbox. Please get into the habit of checking and emptying your mailbox often, and please do not use it as a storage area. General news items and notices are also posted in the lobby above the water fountain, so check that area often to keep informed.
The Exhibition Program
The Art Department manages two art galleries which are both on the ground floor of the Warren Art Building, the Omega Gallery (WAB room 103), and the Student Gallery (WAB room 106). In the fall semesters, we host exhibitions by professional artists in the Omega Gallery. These exhibits can be of work by invited guest artists from outside our campus community, graduates of our own program who have become successful professionals, or the Biennial Art Faculty Exhibition (once every two years, during odd-numbered years in the fall semester, you get to see recent work by your Art professors). In the spring semesters, the Omega Gallery schedule is filled with senior thesis exhibitions of our own Art majors and Photography majors (some solo exhibits, and some 2-person or 3-person exhibits). Opening receptions are usually held for each new exhibition, and these are open and advertised to the general public. Both galleries are open during college class days from 8:00am to 4:00pm, and admission to our galleries is always free.
The schedule for the Student Gallery consists of rotating exhibitions of work by our current Art students. Two or three times each semester, students in our Art classes submit artwork to a jury which then decides on the best work to exhibit for a few weeks. For all but the last exhibit of each academic year, this jury is a designated group of senior Art majors and Photography majors. For the last Student Gallery exhibition each year, a guest juror from outside our department is invited to jury this final exhibit and award some prize money for the three best artworks. The schedule for submitting work for these juried exhibitions is determined by the Director of Exhibitions, who is currently Mr. Underwood. Watch for exhibit schedules to be put in your mailbox and posted around the building. Occasionally a December graduate might have a solo senior thesis exhibition in the Student Gallery, but this gallery usually hosts group shows.
Students currently enrolled in a studio art class at the sophomore or above level are required to submit artwork for each and every juried group exhibition, in order to be eligible to receive an above average grade in that course. Here are the rules and instructions for participating in the Student Gallery exhibits:
To participate in our Student Gallery juried exhibits, the student must submit at least one piece of artwork for each and every planned juried exhibit during the semester (usually three times). A schedule of exhibits and required submission dates will be issued each semester by the Director of Exhibitions. Art submitted must be in the same medium as the studio course being taken, and it is preferable that the artwork be actually made for that course. Check with your specific instructor to see if he or she has any additional requirements concerning what you may submit for the exhibitions. Students in more than one studio course must submit separate works for each course. Art and Photography students may submit additional works done in any medium, but not as substitutions for other required submissions as described above.
A student jury will choose an exhibition from all submissions received (except for the last Student Gallery exhibit of each year, The Annual Student Award Exhibit, for which there will be a faculty or other guest professional jury). Please do not pressure or bother the jury, but simply accept their decisions. Work accepted for exhibit must then be properly prepared for the gallery by the artist who created the work, according to the exhibit schedule. Mat board and foam core are available in the College bookstore. Shrink wrap will be provided by the Art Department for these exhibits. Please write your name, the title of your work, and a “top” indicating arrow on the back of each artwork to help the jury in the hanging of the show. Take pride in your own work by presenting your artwork as neatly as possible and by claiming it as your own (write your name on your work!).
Fill out a separate entry form for each work entered, and tape the entry form to the back of the artwork. Print legibly on the forms, use your real name, and use only reasonable prices. Our kind secretaries who make our labels may not know you or your nickname or your Art class abbreviations, so fill out the forms accurately and completely. Be serious with the prices.
Works accepted for exhibition must be included in the scheduled exhibition, and must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit. Accepted and exhibited artworks cannot be removed from the exhibition until the close of that exhibition, which is officially the following submission date (for the next exhibition).
The Director of Exhibitions, and the Art Department faculty as a group, reserve the right to determine which artworks are appropriate for exhibition at Carson-Newman College, and which artworks are not appropriate for exhibition. The faculty, while supporting issues of freedom of expression, will also strive to uphold the Mission of the College in support of the traditional Christian values that Carson-Newman stands for (in other words, what may be appropriate for coursework art production may not necessarily be appropriate for exhibition).
For the last Student Gallery exhibit of the year, a guest professional juror will jury the exhibit and award one student artist a Grand Purchase Prize of $1,000.00. This winning work then becomes part of the Art Department’s permanent collection. The large amount of this Grand Prize Award is given by a very generous anonymous donor to the Art Department, and is meant to motivate students to make high quality works for submission. Two equal Honorable Mention Awards of $100.00 each will also be given for this last exhibit of the year, and these are not purchase awards. These awards apply only to The Annual Student Award Exhibit, which is the last exhibit of the academic year, in April of each spring semester.
Senior Exhibits
Senior Art majors and Photography majors at Carson-Newman College typically have exhibits of their work during the Spring semester of their senior year, and these exhibits usually occur in our Omega Gallery. Having a senior exhibit is optional; no exhibit is required for graduation. Having a senior exhibit is highly recommended by the Art Department faculty because of the high educational value of putting together an exhibition and hosting an opening event. The Spring semester senior exhibit schedule is organized by the Art Department’s Director of Exhibitions each preceding fall semester, usually as part of the Senior Seminar class.
Even though having a senior exhibit is optional, once the student has agreed to have an exhibit, the student must then actually put together the exhibit according to the given schedule and according to the following guidelines. Once the exhibit schedule is determined, the schedule will be sent to various newspapers and public relations offices of the college, and will include dates and names of exhibitors. To agree to have an exhibit and then not actually provide such an exhibit in keeping with all stated expectations is to jeopardize the student’s possibilities of ever receiving positive recommendations from the Art Department faculty. The senior exhibits are to be considered “professional” in nature, or at least training for professional activity.
When time in the schedule permits, the senior exhibits are sometimes solo exhibitions. More typically, the number of seniors each year precludes the possibilities of solo shows, and the senior exhibits are small group shows of two-to-four-students. The size of group shows and the groupings of individuals are determined by the Director of Exhibitions in consultation with the particular graduating class of seniors. Groupings of artists working in different media are usually formed, which makes distinctions between artists obvious for viewers of the exhibition.
Follow the requirements and recommendations of the Director of Exhibitions for all matters concerning the senior exhibits. The Director will be glad to help you with any questions of concerns you may encounter while planning and executing your exhibit, so do not hesitate to ask for help.
Senior Exhibits: Requirements:
By agreeing to have a senior exhibit, the student agrees to the following set of requirements:
1. The student will install his/her exhibit in The Omega Gallery according to the schedule made by the Director of Exhibitions. This means the student will arrange any sculptural objects and will hang on the walls any appropriate artworks (paintings, drawings, etc.). The installation must be complete by the advertised start of the exhibition, and all works must remain on exhibit through the scheduled completion date of the exhibit.
2. Each artwork must be prepared for display in as professional a manner as is possible by the artist. This traditionally means that 2-dimensional work will receive a 4-ply mat and at least a protective glazing cover or shrink-wrap. Framing is not required because of the expense, but is recommended for those who can afford it. Some nontraditional works may be pinned directly to the wall (ask the Director if you are not sure how to display your work).
3. If you are in a group show, then the exhibition must be a cooperative effort by all artists involved. This means that all planning, publicity, hanging, installation, reception, clean up, etc. must be accomplished by equal (or agree upon) efforts on behalf of each exhibitor.
4. If you are in a group show, then each artist must have either an approximately equal number of works in the exhibit or each artist must be assigned approximately equal wall space or floor space. These arrangements are to be made by the exhibitors.
5. Each artwork must somehow be labeled or identified. Wall labels with the artist’s name and title of work can be used, or the works can be numbered and a hand-held list of works provided. Optional information for labels (or works lists) include dates of artwork completion, prices, media, and dimensions (list Height x Width x Depth).
6. The display case in the lobby of the Warren Art Building and the display case outside the front of the building must display the following: a) the title of the exhibit, to include: “Senior Exhibit”; b) the names of the exhibitors; and c) the dates of the exhibition.
7. At the close of the exhibition, the exhibitor(s) must remove all artworks from the gallery and clean up the gallery. All nails must be removed from the walls, and all holes in the walls patched with provided spackling compound. Please remove artworks from the gallery as soon as possible after the close of the exhibition, so that the next exhibitors will have as much time as possible to install their exhibition.
The Annual Portfolio Review
As a special service to the majors in the Art Department, the studio faculty meet in the spring semester of each academic year to evaluate the artwork of all of our freshman through junior majors. The full-time Art professors, as a group, will look at each portfolio and make written comments which will then be passed on to each student/artist. This gives each student the opportunity to receive comments from a variety of faculty, and it gives the faculty the opportunity to see what kind of work all of our majors are doing. The evaluations of these portfolios have real-life consequences also: studio assignments, art department scholarships, and student assistantships for next year are decided at this review. This Annual Review usually happens during the first week of March each year, and determines scholarships and student studio awards for the following academic year. All CNC art majors and photography majors who will be returning to CNC in any following year are required to participate. It is in your own best interest to participate and to show your best work for this review.
Think about this annual event throughout each academic year, and start collecting your best work for presentation We will advertise the date of the Review, which usually occurs during the first week of March each year. When the time comes, collect your 10-15 best artworks together, and present them as your portfolio. You can simply pile up a stack of work if you want to, or you can make or purchase a portfolio case or box for this purpose. If you want to represent a work too big to present for this, or if you have sold a piece you want to include in your portfolio, then you may represent this work with a slide or photograph. Make sure you present at least 10 works, and do not include more than 15. These works can be a variety of sizes, and in a variety of media or styles. Make your presentation as neat as possible. You must label your portfolio of artwork with your name, your classification (freshman, sophomore, or junior), and your emphasis area (photo major; or art major with emphasis in graphic design, painting & drawing, or public school teaching). It is assumed that the majority of works in your portfolio will be works in media & materials which are most appropriate to your particular major or emphasis area. More instructions will be posted and distributed at least a full month before the Annual Portfolio Review is scheduled to take place.
Here’s just a bit of general advice concerning artmaking, which applies to work you might want to put in your portfolio for this Annual Portfolio Review, and/or work you produce for your classes. Don’t be afraid to learn from your mistakes or first efforts and then use that growth to make more work. Too often we see Art students turn in their first attempts with new materials or new methods, when their second or third attempts could be so much better. We realize that art materials are expensive, but if you are not satisfied with any particular first attempt, then don’t be afraid to throw it away (or recycle it), and make improvements in the subsequent attempts. Practice, practice, practice.
Student workers in the Art Department
Each year, the Art Department hires a few students for various Work-Study jobs. Students who are eligible for the Work-Study program and have been cleared by our Office of Financial Assistance may work in the Art Department for a monthly paycheck, as a lab monitor in our Mac computer lab, a student secretary, a darkroom assistant, a wood shop & matting room assistant, or other similar position. The number of available job positions is limited, and might vary each year. We also may occasionally have a few students who work in the department for academic credit instead of for pay (this is under the ART 300 class, and credit is variable, 1-3 credit hours). Check with your advisor or with the Art Department Chairperson to see if any job openings are available.
Possible sources for your Art and Photography supplies
Unless you like to make art out of lumber or pizza, Jefferson City does not have very many sources for art supplies. Each of your Art classes involves a lab fee which has been added to your tuition bill. The lab fees for some of your Art courses are rather high, and in these classes you professor will usually issue you some personal art supplies. For example, in Drawing 1 and in Photography 1, your lab fee has enabled your professor to provide drawing tablets and pencils or film and photographic paper which you may use to accomplish your course assignments. Usually in upper level classes, your lab fee is lower, and purchases bulk supplies which might be shared by everyone in the class, such as flash tubes for photo studio lights, solvents for the painting room, or updated software for the computers in our Mac lab. The department charges you these fees and then purchases these supplies for you partly because Jefferson City does not have sufficient sources for most art supplies.
The supplies given you in various classes from the collection of fees (as mentioned above) may or may not be enough to successfully accomplish your class assignments. You might need to purchase more supplies on your own, and this will become more and more common as you move from freshman classes to senior classes. Listed below are some sources for various art, computer, photography, and framing supplies. Some are local and some are not. If you need to mail order or web order supplies, your goodies can be shipped to your campus post office box by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS.
In Jefferson City:
Blanc & West Lumber (general lumber, some hardware)
702 W. Cherokee Drive (across the railroad tracks, downtown)
Jefferson City, TN 37760
865-475-2045
84 Lumber (general lumber, some hardware)
1325 North Highway 92
Jefferson City, TN 37760
865-475-8477
Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse (lumber, lots of hardware, home improvement stuff)
638 E. Broadway Blvd. (highway 11-E)
Jefferson City, TN 37760
865-475-1361
The Ship Shop (shipping service, with an inexpensive art framing shop in the back)
Broadway (this is Highway 11-E)
Jefferson City, TN 37760
In Morristown:
The Camera Castle (photography supplies and some photo processing services)
201 E. Main Street
Morristown, TN 37814
423-587-2874 Web: www.cameracastle.com
In Knoxville:
Jerry’s Artarama (general art, painting, drawing, & printmaking supplies)
5220 Homberg Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-588-0738 web: www.jerrysartsupplies.com
Thompson Photo Products (photography supplies and lots of photo processing services)
2019 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, TN 37760
865-637-0215 web: www.thompsonphoto.com
Apple Store (all things Apple/Macintosh computers and more)
West Town Mall, 7600 Kingston Pile
Knoxville, TN 37919
865-824-2507 web: www.apple.com/retail/westtownmall/
Mail-order & web-order suppliers commonly used by the department & your professors:
Daniel Smith (general art, painting, drawing, & printmaking supplies; great clear acrylic paint)
P.O. Box 84268
Seattle, WA 98124-5568
800-426-6740; web: danielsmith.com
Dick Blick Art Materials (general art, painting, drawing, & printmaking supplies)
PO Box 1267
Galesburg, IL 61402-1267
800-828-4548 web: www.dickblick.com
Calumet Photographic (photography equipment and supplies)
890 Supreme Drive
Bensenville, IL 60106
800-225-8638 web: www.calumetphoto.com
B&H Photo and Video (photography equipment and supplies)
9th Avenue @ 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
800-606-6969 web: www.bhphotovideo.com
Freestyle Photographic (photography supplies, including alternative photo chemicals)
5124 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
800-292-6137 web: www.freestylephoto.biz
Gamma Ray Art Club
Art and Photography majors, and your art groupie friends, are welcome to participate in the meetings and activities of the Gamma Ray Art Club. Mr. Houston is the faculty advisor for this club. The club President and other officers are elected each year by the participants. With the main purpose of the club to allow Art majors and Photography majors to simply get together to socialize, activities might include organizing the sales of student artworks on campus, sharing meals, watching movies, going to art exhibitions in Knoxville, and making the annual Gamma Ray Club T-shirt. Meeting times are usually on weekday evenings; watch for signs around the building which advertise activities.
We are all a rather friendly bunch, so don’t hesitate to ask another student or any of the faculty members if you have any questions about how to get the most from your CNC experience.
