Areas of Study

 

Our Ceramics Program emphasizes a foundation of technical knowledge and the tools necessary to pursue their artistic vision in pottery and ceramic sculpture. Students learn material and traditional techniques including clay mixing, hand-building, wheel throwing, mold making, slip casting, glazing and kiln firing. Incorporating form, shape, space and functionality, students are encouraged to take ownership of the direction of their work in the context of our rigorous and supportive creative environment. Lectures explore the history of ceramics with an emphasis on representation and conceptual strategies. There is a focus on research, paritcipating in a communal lab, and working through unexpected results as a critical part of the creative process.

Courses offered include:

ART 150-Fundamentals of Ceramics is an introductory course on the techniques employed in working with clay. Topics include wheel throwing, hand-building, engobe and glaze application.

ART 151-Intermediate Ceramics focuses on expanding the skills in forming techniques, wheel throwing, slab construction and various glaze applications. It includes an exploration of surface treatments of intaglio, sgraffito, majolica, mishima, wax resist. Raku and other firing techniques are also covered.

ART 154-Ceramic Sculpture is an introduction to three-dimensional and relief sculptural forms. Emphasis is placed on learning sound fundamental skills of clay forming, design, surface treatment and firing practices as applied to aesthetic and conceptually-based projects.

All courses are CSU/UC transferable.

The Ceramics Classroom and Lab is H-107, which is located on the first floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.

Our Drawing Program offers important foundation level training in observational and life drawing. We also study process, abstraction and drawing as a tool for conceptualization and visual problem solving. Students develop proficiency with the visual elements of line, contour, gesture, proportion, value relationships, mark making and compositional approaches. Students are encouraged to explore materiality and develop knowledge in a range of media including pencil, charcoal, pen and ink and water based paint. There is a focus on perception, attentiveness, experimentation and revision work as key elements of the creative process. 

Courses offered include:

Art 120 - Fundamentals of Drawing is the foundation level class and teaches a range of skills and media proficiency critical for visual problem solving.

ART 123 - Figure and Portrait Drawing focuses on anatomy, life drawing of the figure, and creative approaches to narrative.

ART 130 - Integrated Drawing and Painting is focused on the intersection of drawing and painting. Topics vary by semester but will include perception, conceptual sketching, material experiments, scale and seriality, degrees of representation, color theory and diverse approaches to perspective. You must have had a foundations level drawing or painting class prior to enrollment. 

All courses are CSU/UC transferable.

The Drawing Lab is located in H-220, on the second floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.

Our Painting Program explores painting as a vehicle for cultural expression and creative problem solving. Students do not need any prior painting experience. We offer important foundation level training in formal techniques, color theory and contemporary art practice. Students develop proficiency with the visual elements of color, value, mark making, representation strategies, abstraction and compositional approaches. Students also learn how to make paint, mix colors, construct canvases and other supports and experiment with materials. There is a focus on research, conceptualization and following through on ambitious multi-week projects as a critical part of the creative working process. 

Courses offered include the following: 

ART 132 - Fundamentals of Painting is the foundation level class for this area. It covers all of the critical formal skills you will need to become proficient in painting. By the end of the semester you will have: built your own canvases from scratch; learned the elements of paint/ paint making; completed paintings from life in the studio; completed paintings from outdoors; worked large format abstraction (2’x3” or larger); worked with oil paint and gouache; learned how to utilize color theory across all of these paintings as well as visual analysis and problem solving.  

ART 130 - Integrated Painting and Drawing is focused on the intersection of drawing and painting. Topics vary by semester but will include perception, conceptual sketching, material experiments, scale and seriality, degrees of representation, color theory and diverse approaches to perspective. You must have had a foundations level drawing or painting class prior to enrollment.

All courses are CSU/UC transferable.

The Painting Lab is located in H-204, on the second floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.

Our Printmaking Program offers introductory and intermediate level studies that teach various techniques and important concepts in print media. Using state of the art equipment including two Takach presses, full screenprint facilities and a darkroom, students develop proficiency in etching, drypoint relief, and screenprint. Lectures explores the history of printmaking and the role of the multiple, recontextualization, appropriation and dissemination as it relates to contemporary print. There is a focus on research, working in a communal lab, resourcefulness and working through unexpected results as a critical part of the creative working process. 

Courses offered include the following: 

ART 190 - Introduction to Printmaking introduces students to the proper use of print lab equipment and contemporary concepts in print art. Students will make art in drypoint, etching, screenprint and block printing. 

ART 193 - Introduction to Screen Printing focuses exclusively on screenprinting and various approaches to creating screen printed art and objects.

ART 194 - Intermediate Printmaking focuses on expanding scale and techniques introduced in printmaking. Students will further explore personal narrative through printmaking and self-guided research.

Art 195 - Theory and Application is an introduction to a theory-based approach to contemporary printmaking and a continued study of technique. Readings, lecture and discussion will be used to guide the creation of portfolio artwork with an emphasis on the conceptual territory of the medium.

All courses are CSU/UC transferable.

The Printmaking Lab is located in H-112, on the first floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.

Our program emphasizes a wide range of approaches to sculpture. Students develop proficiency in spatial design, awareness and perception and learn fabrication techniques in tandem with material experimentation. Lectures explore the history of sculpture, site specificity, performance and the limits of objects, images and actions. There is a focus on sculpture as a speculative laboratory that branches into disciplines such as science, anthropology, ecology, ethnology, media studies, history and more. We engage our students in the growing technical, critical and philosophical conditions that shape sculpture today. Our mission is to develop a rigorous yet supportive environment that leads to the extensive growth of individual student artists.

Courses offered include the following: 

ART 141-Studio Art Foundations 3D is a beginning course in three-dimensional design. Students are introduced to form, structure, the elements of design and three-dimensional design theory. The course includes an exploration of various materials and techniques, with emphasis on the creative process.

ART 170-Introduction to Sculpture introduces students to the materials, tools and techniques of sculpture. Fundamentals of sculpture production is explored, including methods of carving, construction and casting.

ART 171-Intermediate Sculpture focuses studies and projects in lasting materials and the use of power tools. Three-dimensional aesthetics and problem-solving techniques are included. 

ART 173-Beginning Casting is an introduction to a variety of casting techniques and sculptural relationships. Covers all steps of the casting process, but concentrates on the early stages of casting. Possible casting techniques to include plaster, wax, ceramic and poured metals.

All courses are CSU/UC transferable.

The Sculpture Lab is located in H-102 and H-111, on the first floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.

Our program explores a broad range of subject areas with a global perspective. Courses feature art of a geographic region or survey the evolution of art styles over a period of time. The featured art is set in its historical, political and technical context, and interpreted as the expression of societal beliefs and values of the culture. Students who take these courses gain an in depth understanding of cultural aesthetics, visual analysis skills, and basic methodologies of interpretation. These courses provide a foundation for artistic careers in interior design, graphic design, game development and animation. They inform art making in areas of painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture. Any Art History course, or an Art History Certificate, or a Minor in Art History strengthens studies in a broad range of subject areas and is a required component of many Humanities majors.

Courses offered include:

Art 100-Art in Culture selects significant works of ancient to contemporary art, which are studied in an expanded cultural context. Each of the works is contextualized within its own history, politics, economics, philosophy, technology, music and literary traditions to offer the fullest appreciation of art in culture.
 
Art 101-Visual Literacy studies the language, methods, materials and meaning of visual imagery, as found in the visual arts. Role and meaning of visual images in society, both historical and contemporary, are surveyed.
 
Art 102A-Survey of Early Modern Art 1900-1945 surveys major styles and innovations in art during the first half of the 20th century. The course focuses on the historical, cultural, and ideological context of modernism, and on the sequence and significance of modern art.
 
Art 102B-Survey of Late Modern Art 1945-Present is an introductionary course to developments in art of the late 20th century and their theoretical basis. The course explores the historical, social, cultural and ideological context of art made after World War II to the end of the century.
 
Art 103 / 103 Honors-History of Art, Prehistoric through Gothic is a survey of art from Paleolithic times through the Gothic period, and an examination of its cultural and conceptual context.
 
Art 104 / Art 104 Honors-History of Art, Renaissance through Modern is a survey of art from 1400 to the end to the 20th century, and an examination of its cultural and conceptual context.
 
Art 106-History of American Art studies American painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts and photography from Colonial times to the present.
 
Art 108-Survey of Asian Art is an introduction to the painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts of India, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. The course works as an overview of the relationship of artistic, cultural and historical events in both East and West, stressing exchange of influences and ideas.
 
Art 110-History of Women in Art studies the history of women in art from ancient to contemporary periods, featuring the roles and contributions of women in art as artists, patrons and subject matter.
 
Art 111-Survey of Tribal Arts is an overview of the traditional arts of African tribes, kingdoms of Oceania and Australia and of Native Americans located north of Rio Grande River; the course focuses on painting, sculpture, masks, ritual objects and architecture.
 
Art 112-Survey of Ancient American Art is an introduction to the art and architecture of Ancient America, including Mexico, Central America and South America. Major monuments are examined in their cultural contexts.
 
Art 113-Survey of Architecture is an overview of architecture, structural systems and urban design, from ancient civilizations to the present day.
 
Art 114-History of Photography is an overview of the history of photography from 1839 to the present. Organized in a topical framework, the course examines the development of photography, its role in visual communication and artistic expression, as well as its contribution to the visual arts. Technological developments and individual photographers are also discussed.
 
Art 211-Nineteenth Century Art surveys European and American art of the 19th century and artistic innovations that defined modernism and the avant-garde. Historical context of art, including democracy, worker's rights, suffrage, and abolition are highlighted. Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism style periods are surveyed.
 
Art 215-Survey of Non-Western Art surveys the art of Asia, Ancient Americas, Africa and Oceania.
 
Art 216-Survey of Islamic Art and Architecture surveys of Islamic art and architecture from Asia to North Africa and Spain, from the era of Muhammad to the 19th century C.E. The course considers the regional artistic manifestations of the vast Islamic world and analyzes how intercultural relations between Europe and the Islamic world have influenced both spheres of art.
 
All courses are CSU/UC transferable.
 

The Art History classrooms are H-111 and H-219 on the first and second floor of the Humanities Building on SBCC's Cliff Campus.