Delano Dunn

In this course, students will focus their interests and refine their skills to create strong, portfolio-quality work. This advanced course is intended for students with previous drawing and/or painting experience who are ready to experiment, take risks, and push their skills to the next level. The organization of ideas and development of self-directed work is emphasized with instructor guidance and peer support. Students explore contemporary artistic practices through interdisciplinary approaches that cultivate material exploration, image-making strategies, and traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques. Led by their individual projects and goals, students may work in various media, such as water-based paint, oil paint, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media. Trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, contemporary artist presentations, group critiques, daily writing exercises, and class discussions supplement the studio experience.

NOTE: Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independently required. Students are encouraged to bring a digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects.

In this course, students will focus their interests and refine their skills to create strong, portfolio-quality work. This advanced course is intended for students with previous drawing and/or painting experience who are ready to experiment, take risks, and push their skills to the next level. The organization of ideas and development of self-directed work is emphasized with instructor guidance and peer support. Students explore contemporary artistic practices through interdisciplinary approaches that cultivate material exploration, image-making strategies, and traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques. Led by their individual projects and goals, students may work in various media, such as water-based paint, oil paint, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media. Trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, contemporary artist presentations, group critiques, daily writing exercises, and class discussions supplement the studio experience.

NOTE: Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independently required. Students are encouraged to bring a digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects.

In this course we will focus on disciplinary and interdisciplinary art and design practices of contemporary art production. This team-taught, year-long class explores the materials and techniques of surface, space, and time (2D, 3D, and 4D), as well as the connections and interplay of these areas. Core Studio integrates the formal with the conceptual, traditional with the contemporary, and makes visible a variety of approaches in current cultural production in order to foster the development of students? emerging practices as makers and thinkers.

In this interdisciplinary studio course students will be authorized to use a variety of school shops, materials and equipment; including the woodshop, plaster studio, digital lab, sewing machine, hand tools, sound and video production, digital workflows and principles of visual fundamentals. This is a hands-on making class, faculty present artists and content related to a particular toolkit and, or project theme. Every section of Core Studio has shared learning outcomes which are uniquely realized by each Core faculty partnership.

Students should expect a fast-paced studio environment. In Core Studio students will complete short assignments as well as longer multi-week projects. Assignments are designed to help students develop their own ideas in relation to the materials, processes, and themes presented by faculty.

In this course we will focus on disciplinary and interdisciplinary art and design practices of contemporary art production. This team-taught, year-long class explores the materials and techniques of surface, space, and time (2D, 3D, and 4D), as well as the connections and interplay of these areas. Core Studio integrates the formal with the conceptual, traditional with the contemporary, and makes visible a variety of approaches in current cultural production in order to foster the development of students? emerging practices as makers and thinkers.

In this interdisciplinary studio course students will be authorized to use a variety of school shops, materials and equipment; including the woodshop, plaster studio, digital lab, sewing machine, hand tools, sound and video production, digital workflows and principles of visual fundamentals. This is a hands-on making class, faculty present artists and content related to a particular toolkit and, or project theme. Every section of Core Studio has shared learning outcomes which are uniquely realized by each Core faculty partnership.

Students should expect a fast-paced studio environment. In Core Studio students will complete short assignments as well as longer multi-week projects. Assignments are designed to help students develop their own ideas in relation to the materials, processes, and themes presented by faculty.

This studio course focuses on themes, practices, contexts, and questions undertaken by contemporary artists and designers. Research Studio I is a course that asks students to begin to develop and connect their own work and ideas with a diverse range of artists, designers, and communities. This course engages with cultural institutions including: museums, galleries, libraries and archives as resources of critical engagement.

Students will undertake various types of research activities: a) collecting and classification, b) mapping and diagramming, c) systems of measurement, d) social interaction, e) information search systems, f) recording and representation, and g) drawing and other notational systems.


Assignments in this course are faculty directed, open-media, interdisciplinary and idea based. The projects are designed to help students recognize their work habits, biases, strengths, and weaknesses. Students will experience a wide range of research methods and making strategies. Critique as an evaluative process used in art and design schools, is a focus in this course. Various methods and models of critique are used in order to give students the tools to discuss their own work and the work of others.

'Movies can communicate concepts, ideas and stories. They allow us to be cognitively transported to a different time or a place, and experience life through different eyes- gaining new perspectives, inspiration and understanding' - Tom Sherak, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

How can film, popular films, affect the way we view the world? Yes, we are in an art institution where 'art' films perhaps are seen as the gold standard, but before you knew what an 'art' film was you knew and were exposed to popular movies/films. And that exposure, whether conscious or subconscious, has affected the way you view the world and communicate. This class gives students the opportunity to explore, process, and create works that take a deep dive into how moving images can impact the way an artist approaches and creates works that are, you might say, static. To be clear this class is not a film appreciation class, film making class, film history class, or an 'art' film class. This class is an investigation into the popular movie/film experience. Films such as Alien, Kids, Weekend At Bernie's, Halloween, and The Breakfast Club, amongst others will be shown.

Project Example:
Reflecting on the Birth of A Nation, Song of The South, Paris Is Burning and Philadelphia, create a new work reflecting on Othering; how that action can play out, whether it is being Othered or Othering. Consider exploring the experience of different marginalized groups as fact based research, conversation, and openess on the experiences of others leads to empathy.

Note: Student will watch films with, violence, racist depictions, sexual assault, trans and homophobia, and very harsh language. Trigger warnings will be given prior to watching the films.

In the early 20th century, Max Ernst coined the phrase ?collage thinking? to describe the burst of innovation taking place in his studio and among fellow artists. Learn the techniques of the ?collage mind? as well as the historical view of creative reassembling as it appears before the 20th century and throughout art history.

This multi-level studio will cover all of the various traditional methods of assembling cut paper into a complete work of art. Additionally, we will touch upon the use of unorthodox materials for 2-D assemblage, movable art and bas-relief. Individual as well as group instruction will provide a flexible educational environment, accommodating both the novice and accomplished collagist. Examples from the rich history of collage will be shown and reinforced by field trips to related exhibitions.

The class will review historic and contemporary approaches to collage through lectures, demonstrations and bi-weekly visits to the Ryerson Library in order to study reference images. The history and use of the demonstrated collage methods will form the foundation of six class assignments, ending with a final independent project.
Mid-term and final group critiques provide valuable feedback. The successful student will acquire a thorough knowledge of all existing analog collage techniques, appropriate glues and adhesives and suitable supports.