The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art is designed to meet a variety of student needs through courses in art history, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, photography, and graphic design. Through the program’s flexibility and rich variety, students are encouraged to develop their skills and broaden their knowledge in courses that can lead to graduate school or a variety of careers in visual art and graphic design.

The Studio Art option introduces and fosters the individual development of four major areas of study: Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Photography, and Ceramics. Throughout introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses, a balance of theoretical and technical knowledge is emphasized. The Studio Art option is designed to enable each student to focus on one of these areas.

The Graphic Design option provides students with a foundation in the theory and practice of graphic design. Graphic designers convert concepts into visual language. Graduates from the Graphic Design option are prepared for design-related careers such as publishing, advertising, web design, and multimedia graphics.

Admissions Criteria
Entrance into the Art major is highly competitive. To become an Art major (Graphic Design and Studio Art options), a portfolio of 10 to 20 pieces of artwork in Studio Art or Graphic Design must be submitted and accepted (see below). Upon acceptance, students will be assigned an Art faculty advisor and within their first year must officially declare their major. Due to the selective nature of the Art program, the number of available openings is limited. All students are accepted to the Art major through the portfolio approval process.

It is anticipated that most students who enter the Art major do so directly from high school and will submit a portfolio of work before they begin classes at Keene State College. Transfer students are also required to submit a portfolio to the Art Department as part of the application process. Based on a favorable assessment of their artwork produced at other accredited institutions, transfer students may request a waiver of some requirements.

Students who are already enrolled at Keene State College with another major or who have not declared a major must also submit a portfolio to be accepted into the Art major. The portfolio for enrolled students must include work from a minimum of two Keene State College art courses. The portfolio acceptance process for enrolled students is conducted at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. It is highly recommended that enrolled students submit their portfolios by the beginning of their sophomore year at Keene State College.

Portfolio Requirements

1. Ten to 20 pieces of original artwork, including drawings, in Studio Art, Graphic Design, or both.
2. Criteria used in evaluation includes skill with design, drawing, materials, and creativity.
3. The portfolio should include original artwork in 35mm slide or digital format compatible with Macintosh operating system (jpeg preferred).
4. All slides or discs must be clearly labeled with your name and be numbered.
5. A sheet numbered with each work’s title, medium, dimensions, and level of completion (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior). If the work was completed independently, be sure to clearly state your concept.
6. Please include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.
7. Please include the following information:
   1. Indicate your area of interest with regard to Studio Art, Graphic Design, or both, in relation to your career goals.
   2. List the number and description of all art courses taken on the high school or college level.
   3. List extracurricular activities and interests.
8. Please send portfolio to:
   

   Art Department Portfolio Review Committee
   Art Department Office
   Keene State College
   229 Main St
   Keene NH 03435-2405

9. Application deadline is April 1.

   Portfolios without the above information will be automatically placed on a waiting list while all other portfolios are reviewed. After this time, if there are any remaining openings, incomplete portfolios will then be considered.

   All portfolios will be accepted, refused, or put on a waiting list. With regard to portfolios on the waiting list, all decisions will be made by May 1.

Art 350 Graphic Design II Portfolio Review
At the end of ART 350 Graphic Design II students will submit a portfolio of work completed during the core Graphic Design courses (ART 151, ART 250, ART 258, and ART 350). A panel of three Graphic Design faculty will review the portfolio and a written evaluation will be supplied to each student. This portfolio review is a graduation requirement for all students in the Graphic Design Options.

Graphic Design Transfer Students
Graphic Design transfer students must take ART 151, ART 250, ART 258, and ART 350. ART 151 and/or ART 250 may be substituted for equivalent courses from an accredited institution; however, ART 258 and ART 350 must be taken at Keene State College. Transfer students will be required to submit a portfolio of quality work from these classes at the completion of ART 350 (see ART 350 Graphic Design II Portfolio Review).

Art Department Fellowships
The Art Department offers five fellowships for outstanding junior and senior Art majors. The stipend is for one academic year and requires some service to the Art Department on a weekly basis. The application process is conducted annually during the spring semester.

Use and Return of Student Artwork
Due to space limitations, 2-D student artwork left behind will be held for one semester and then disposed of, 3-D student artwork must be removed at the end of the semester in which it was completed or it will be disposed of (unless arrangements have been made between the individual instructor and the student).

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
The student must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English as specified by the Language Requirement for Students with Majors in the School of Arts and Humanities. The complete policy statement is located at the beginning of the Bachelor’s Degree Programs section in this catalog.

INTEGRATIVE STUDIES REQUIREMENTS
44 credits minimum

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
48 credits – Studio Art Option
50 credits – Graphic Design Option

ELECTIVES
Select courses to reach a total of 120 credits for the degree.

It is recommended that students in the B.A. program in Studio Art take additional studio art courses at the 300 and 400 level as well as additional Art History courses.

It is recommended that students in the B.A. program in Graphic Design take ART 333 Printmaking I, ART 226 Painting I, and additional 300- and 400-level Graphic Design courses. Students who plan to apply to graduate programs in the visual arts should consider the B.F.A. program

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
120 credits

Updated: May 6, 2008