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Artists' Books is a beginning/intermediate level course that focuses on the fundamental techniques of bookbinding so as to be able to design and produce one or an edition of artists' books and boxes. The class begins by learning a range of traditional binding techniques, discussing material choices, and learning about the history of artists' books. Later on breaking out of the box to take risks, explore concepts and unconventional materials will be strongly encouraged for individual projects. In addition, the intention of this class is to meld your own studio work and personal expression with the form of artists' books.

Through this course, students will learn techniques traditionally used in working with fur to reimagine materials from faux fur and upcycled materials, to felt, leather, suede and woven fabrics. Focused in the introduction and use of specialized industrial sewing machines specifically designed to stitch fur like materials, students will learn designing, pattern cutting, and construction for garments and accessories, and will explore the history and future of fur and fur like fabrics both as a material and an embellishment. Students will design and create one full garment.

This drawing studio serves as a broad introduction to historical and contemporary drawing practices. This course presents drawing as an organizer of thought, experience, and image.

Students will investigate a full range of drawing materials and supports. Lectures and exercises introduce various concepts of drawing, possibly including illusionistic form and space, gesture and expressive mark-making, or collage and found imagery, depending on the instructor?s emphasis.

Designed to accommodate many skill levels, students can explore various creative strategies through technical drawing exercises, material explorations, and individual projects. Structured classroom critiques will bring drawing concepts into personal student work.

This course introduces students to digital pattern-making for fashion. Students learn to use the CAD hardware and software, designing and modifying patterns virtually. This includes digitizing/converting hard patterns to digital files, modifying existing stock patterns, textile printing, 3-D visualization, and plotting sample patterns. Students receive a hands-on approach to developing virtual patterns through fabric testing, using body measurements, and assembling prototypes for final design approval. Other industry skills are developed, such as creating pattern cards, cutter's musts, grading, and marker making.

Neon is a medium of light, color, and atmosphere-at once iconic in commercial signage and radical in contemporary art. This course introduces students to the history and practice of neon, from early experiments to its use by contemporary makers. In the Light Lab, students will learn essential methods of tube bending, wiring, and installation, while also exploring neon's significance as both a craft tradition and a contemporary artistic medium.

We will look at how artists such as Bruce Nauman, Keith Sonnier, Joseph Kosuth, and Cerith Wyn Evans transformed neon into a language of sculpture, architecture, and experimental art. Readings on light, vision, and color theory will provide both scientific and conceptual grounding for studio practice. By the end of the semester, students will have created an original neon work that reflects their own creative vision.

This furniture studio will critically engage the chair as an archetype. Chairs have long been a fascination of designers as they require a developed understanding of structure, material, and form. Importantly, chairs represent the cultural mores of the time in which they are produced and are inextricably linked to larger systems of power, technology, and economy. This course will explore the chair as a fluid, dynamic furniture category that is in a reciprocal relationship with culture, technology, and politics and will emphasize a hands-on approach to design and production.

This furniture studio will critically engage the chair as an archetype. Chairs have long been a fascination of designers as they require a developed understanding of structure, material, and form. Importantly, chairs represent the cultural mores of the time in which they are produced and are inextricably linked to larger systems of power, technology, and economy. This course will explore the chair as a fluid, dynamic furniture category that is in a reciprocal relationship with culture, technology, and politics and will emphasize a hands-on approach to design and production.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 ¿ 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 ¿ 1350 AD. During those years it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university and cuisine are internationally renowned.
Living the Past in the Present will use the archival and cultural resources there to give young artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with artists, historians, archivists, art and architecture conservators, scientists and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of growing up, living, working and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.
Our time on the study trip will primarily be used for visiting and learning about sites, collections, and the people who study and live amongst them. We will also be gathering reference information to document what we are looking at and learning about: sketches, drawings, lists, diagrams, photographs, research notes, and reflective writing. There will be two assignments (one studio, one academic) that we will work on in Siena.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 ¿ 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 ¿ 1350 AD. During those years it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university and cuisine are internationally renowned.
Living the Past in the Present will use the archival and cultural resources there to give young artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with artists, historians, archivists, art and architecture conservators, scientists and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of growing up, living, working and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.
Our time on the study trip will primarily be used for visiting and learning about sites, collections, and the people who study and live amongst them. We will also be gathering reference information to document what we are looking at and learning about: sketches, drawings, lists, diagrams, photographs, research notes, and reflective writing. There will be two assignments (one studio, one academic) that we will work on in Siena.

Siena is a hill town in Tuscany that was first settled by the Etruscans in 900 ¿ 400 BC. It reached its peak as a political, economic and artistic center in the Medieval period from 1150 ¿ 1350 AD. During those years it prospered, enjoying a ¿golden¿ era as an independent republic with a representative government, where enlightened trade and economic philosophies fostered modern banking practices and distinctive styles of painting, sculpture, and architecture developed in the service of aesthetic pleasure and civic pride. Today, Siena's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's art, medieval architecture, museums, archives, university and cuisine are internationally renowned.
Living the Past in the Present will use the archival and cultural resources there to give young artists greater insight into how historical interests and study can serve as a catalyst for their own growth and work as contemporary artists and thinkers. We will be interacting with artists, historians, archivists, art and architecture conservators, scientists and ordinary Sienese to understand how the experience of growing up, living, working and creating in a place with hundreds of years of vibrant historical and cultural traditions affects contemporary identity and expression.
Our time on the study trip will primarily be used for visiting and learning about sites, collections, and the people who study and live amongst them. We will also be gathering reference information to document what we are looking at and learning about: sketches, drawings, lists, diagrams, photographs, research notes, and reflective writing. There will be two assignments (one studio, one academic) that we will work on in Siena.

New York City is a cultural center, and no matter where you choose to live and work as an artist or cultural producer, you will need to negotiate the economic, critical, and institutional hierarchies governing this metropolis. This trip starts to map the different art worlds that operate in this city and their intersections, making sense of NYC's complexity and energy by tracing the dynamic pathways through which art travels: the connections between artists, dealers, collectors, institutions, and critical voices. During ten intensely busy days in January, this study trip will investigate the full range of contemporary art production in the city, visiting artists' studios, non-profit spaces, residencies, commercial galleries, and major museums. The class will benefit from numerous ¿behind-the-scenes¿ opportunities to engage with parts of the NYC art world not usually open to the public. This class is essential for the ongoing practice of mapping the ever-changing cultural landscape, understanding its dominant signifiers, and critically assessing its blind spots.

New York City is a cultural center, and no matter where you choose to live and work as an artist or cultural producer, you will need to negotiate the economic, critical, and institutional hierarchies governing this metropolis. This trip starts to map the different art worlds that operate in this city and their intersections, making sense of NYC's complexity and energy by tracing the dynamic pathways through which art travels: the connections between artists, dealers, collectors, institutions, and critical voices. During ten intensely busy days in January, this study trip will investigate the full range of contemporary art production in the city, visiting artists' studios, non-profit spaces, residencies, commercial galleries, and major museums. The class will benefit from numerous ¿behind-the-scenes¿ opportunities to engage with parts of the NYC art world not usually open to the public. This class is essential for the ongoing practice of mapping the ever-changing cultural landscape, understanding its dominant signifiers, and critically assessing its blind spots.

In this class, students will explore the contemporary art and design landscapes of India, through visits to the cities of Mumbai, Jaipur, Kochi, and Varanasi. The course investigates the intersection of local and global influences, focusing on how contemporary Indian artists and designers shape art and design within India and across the world. This course blends historical exploration, hands-on workshops, and exclusive access to leading artists and designers shaping India¿s creative landscape.
Beginning in Mumbai, students will visit studios of internationally acclaimed artists, and designers. Giving further historical and political contexts throughout the trip, students will engage with cultural and historical landmarks, attend lectures by scholars, historians, and cultural revivalists. Students will then visit the 6th Edition of the internationally renowned Kochi Muziris Biennale, the largest and most significant art event in South Asia. Guided by the Biennale¿s curator, renowned artist Nikhil Chopra, students will explore site-specific projects created by leading artists from India and around the world.
From the Biennale, the class will travel to Jaipur to engage with world-renowned designers and learn historical material techniques within a global context. Hands-on workshops, led by master artisans who collaborate with the high-end fashion industry in both India and globally, will include centuries-old techniques such as block printing, resist dyeing, and the design of jewelry using precious and semi-precious stones, as well as paper making. The final destination is Varanasi, where students will be hosted by the international recognized Kriti Gallery and Residency. Here, as artists-in-residence, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the art, culture, history, and politics they experienced throughout the trip. They will create works that deepen their studio practices, collaborating with traditional craftspeople and materials to produce individually led studio projects.

In this class, students will explore the contemporary art and design landscapes of India, through visits to the cities of Mumbai, Jaipur, Kochi, and Varanasi. The course investigates the intersection of local and global influences, focusing on how contemporary Indian artists and designers shape art and design within India and across the world. This course blends historical exploration, hands-on workshops, and exclusive access to leading artists and designers shaping India¿s creative landscape.
Beginning in Mumbai, students will visit studios of internationally acclaimed artists, and designers. Giving further historical and political contexts throughout the trip, students will engage with cultural and historical landmarks, attend lectures by scholars, historians, and cultural revivalists. Students will then visit the 6th Edition of the internationally renowned Kochi Muziris Biennale, the largest and most significant art event in South Asia. Guided by the Biennale¿s curator, renowned artist Nikhil Chopra, students will explore site-specific projects created by leading artists from India and around the world.
From the Biennale, the class will travel to Jaipur to engage with world-renowned designers and learn historical material techniques within a global context. Hands-on workshops, led by master artisans who collaborate with the high-end fashion industry in both India and globally, will include centuries-old techniques such as block printing, resist dyeing, and the design of jewelry using precious and semi-precious stones, as well as paper making. The final destination is Varanasi, where students will be hosted by the international recognized Kriti Gallery and Residency. Here, as artists-in-residence, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the art, culture, history, and politics they experienced throughout the trip. They will create works that deepen their studio practices, collaborating with traditional craftspeople and materials to produce individually led studio projects.

This three-week study trip combines the presentation of a student-generated exhibition in Venice with an exploration of the city itself as a unique cultural, historical, and ecological location. During the study trip, students will install and maintain an exhibition developed in the prior fall 2025 Venice Exhibition Seminar at the gallery of the Czok Foundation in Venice, Italy, providing a concrete outcome to the research, curation, and production undertaken during the previous semester. This includes installing and de-installing the exhibition, presenting public programs, and interfacing with the Venetian public and the city¿s cultural practitioners. The program provides a rare opportunity for students to collaborate with the socially-minded Marta Czok Foundation and its gallery staff to present their work in an international setting. Concurrently, students will visit important cultural and ecological sites in and around Venice, including museums, churches, historic neighborhoods, and artisan work spaces. Students taking the study trip for studio credit are encouraged to integrate their on-site practice with the exhibition, and those taking art history credit are invited to direct their research and writing towards the interaction of the exhibition with the city of Venice.

This three-week study trip combines the presentation of a student-generated exhibition in Venice with an exploration of the city itself as a unique cultural, historical, and ecological location. During the study trip, students will install and maintain an exhibition developed in the prior fall 2025 Venice Exhibition Seminar at the gallery of the Czok Foundation in Venice, Italy, providing a concrete outcome to the research, curation, and production undertaken during the previous semester. This includes installing and de-installing the exhibition, presenting public programs, and interfacing with the Venetian public and the city¿s cultural practitioners. The program provides a rare opportunity for students to collaborate with the socially-minded Marta Czok Foundation and its gallery staff to present their work in an international setting. Concurrently, students will visit important cultural and ecological sites in and around Venice, including museums, churches, historic neighborhoods, and artisan work spaces. Students taking the study trip for studio credit are encouraged to integrate their on-site practice with the exhibition, and those taking art history credit are invited to direct their research and writing towards the interaction of the exhibition with the city of Venice.

This course investigates painting materials, application, color, form, and ideas through contemporary and traditional methodologies. Designed to accommodate many skill levels, students can explore various creative strategies through a skill-based curriculum as well as individual projects. This course serves as a requirement and preparation for topic-based Painting Studio Multi-Level B classes.

Symbiosis describes the relationships that bind organisms in a life together. Symbioses can be between species or within species¿bee to flower, mother to child, and even parasite to host. Drawing from ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral research, we will carefully consider the dynamics of cooperation and dependency across cells, food webs, and even urban neighborhood. Studying symbiosis is not only a window into a myriad of extraordinary biological relations, it is also fundamental to systems thinking in the context of sustainability. Weekly readings, in-class exercises, small collaborative projects will be integral to our study, leading to an understanding of how observation and experiment can help us unpack the many complexities of living together.
We will consider the work by Lynn Margulis, Robin Wall-Kimmerer, Charles Darwin,Suzanne Simard, Harry Harlow, Thomas Schelling, Vi Hart, and many others.
Weekly readings, in-class and out-of-class exercises, small collaborative projects.

This course is an introduction to the User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX) principles, issues, and methods of user-centered responsive web design (mobile, tablet, and laptop).
Students design a website of their choice, in two ways. The first way is making the website with Figma (2 weeks), and the second way translates the Figma website into a simplified HTML/ CSS website made with Dreamweaver (1 week).
Principles, issues and methods explored include: problem-solving processes, content organization / wireframes, navigation strategies, usability principles, interface look and feel, interface design elements, user requirements /specifications, audience analysis, and professional best practices.
This course is for students from all departments who may have no previous web design experience, as well as those with some experience who want to explore web design in new ways. There are no prerequisites for this course, and all necessary software skills will be taught in class.

HTML defines the structure of a web page, while CSS lends style by controlling the presentation of elements. This online course caters to students with little or no prior coding experience. Through hands-on coding modules, students will use a text editing program to acquire proficiency in standards-compliant HTML and CSS. A strong emphasis on redundancy will ensure that coding concepts are fully understood and best practices reinforced. Students will undertake research, design, and coding tasks to create a fully functional, responsive website. With a solid understanding of HTML and CSS, students will explore opportunities to develop dynamic web pages that adapt seamlessly to different devices and screen sizes. Additionally, students will investigate interface possibilities, evaluate site navigation opportunities, and analyze the effectiveness of various page structures in communicating information effectively and efficiently. There are no prerequisites for this course.