Four Fields for Any Interes
One distinguishing feature of the Faculty of Art curriculum is that students have plenty of time to explore in their first year of study before choosing a course when they advance to their second year. During their first year, students can choose to learn up to four specialized fields from seven courses: Oil Painting, Japanese Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Textiles, Printmaking, or Video & Media Arts. Students can choose different fields to get a feel for each and compare them with their areas of interest. Alternatively, students can focus on a single field of study for the entire year, allowing them to pursue individual interests and concerns.
Some potential examples are as follows.
From their second year onwards, students choose one of seven courses to specialize in.
Student Interviews
“The experiences I had during my first year greatly expanded my potential.
I studied oil painting all the way through junior and senior high school, but I wanted to try other techniques at university, so out of the seven courses available, I chose Japanese painting and video and media. The new creative techniques I learned there really broadened my scope of interest. I decided to course in video and media arts in my second year instead of oil painting because I wanted to learn even more. Now I’m planning new works that integrate oil painting techniques into my creative process. The fact that I was able to learn a wide range of methods from different fields, develop flexibility, and gain the ability to think critically about creativity has given me the courage to try new things.
Other New Curriculum Initiatives
In 2017, the Faculty of Art rolled out a major curriculum redesign. Initially, students would apply and enroll in one of the seven courses of study, but the faculty has been completely restructured, offering students greater flexibility in pursuing their artistic interests. Under the new curriculum, students learn the observational skills, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills needed for artists and creators. But they can also expect to acquire expertise and discover new possibilities for expression by being introduced to specialized fields.
Building a Firm Foundation for Artists & Creators
The TAIKAN Basic Art Education program was started as a cross-listed core class for first-year students in the Faculty of Art. The word taikan means “torso” or “trunk,” and just as the word “trunk” implies, this program forms a firm foundation for artists and creators, working to improve their observational skills, critical thinking, and imagination. While art education tends to focus only on creation, here, students learn the ideas and mindsets that lie at the heart of expression.
