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Mission Statement & Learning Outcomes

Faculty members in the Whitworth University Art Department are committed to excellent teaching. The department mission is to provide students who are enrolled in art courses with a rigorous intellectual environment in which students may gain knowledge and skills that will enable their creative progress in the visual arts. Art core courses provide a solid foundation in artistic form and content. Opportunities for development in critical thinking, problem-solving, visual literacy, effective communication, art criticism, ethics, and individual expression are addressed in every art course. Students are encouraged to investigate the relationship between a Christian worldview and artwork created within the contemporary world. The faculty is dedicated to providing students of art with an education of the mind and heart and to the integration of faith and learning.

Learning outcomes of this major prepare the student in the following areas:

Knowledge

• To demonstrate the methods and assumptions involved in the discipline of making art
• To explore the history of art – artists, processes, and masterworks in all forms of art media
• To expand understanding of past and current movements in art
• To enhance appreciation for a variety of artists, styles and movements
• To illustrate the interdisciplinary connections between art and the larger intellectual world
• To foster an understanding of the aesthetic uniqueness involved in the making of art

Skills

• To develop the capacity for intellectual critical thinking in relation to art
• To foster problem-solving skills
• To demonstrate the technical processes involved in the making of art
• To begin to master specific art processes and techniques
• To gain empathy and understanding for other voices by studying artworks created by artists in a variety of cultures
• To develop a personal direction in imagery and media
• To communicate effectively about the making of art, and about the meaning and significance of each student's work