Art and Art History
Recognized as one of the most artistic colleges in the country (Newsweek).
The Department of Art and Art History at Albright College has provided me with a professional and welcoming environment to create, allowing me to experience making art in a place that is challenging yet encouraging. The faculty provide opportunities for developing artists within the departments spacious studios + exhibit in local galleries, meet with professional artists and attend artist lectures.
– Faith Miravich ’20, Studio Art Major
Located in the Center for the Arts complex, the Department of Art and Art History at Albright offers courses ranging from Studio Art, Art History, Art Education and Digital media for all creative pathways.
Mediums include: Painting, Printmaking, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Media and Emerging Technologies.
Aside from degrees in Studio Art and Digital Studio Art, The Department offers minors in Art History, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Film and Video and Arts Administration + a state certificate in K-12 Art Education.
“We recognize competitive student art portfolios”
Please submit your art portfolio for a possible Talent Grant scholarship!
Check out our “Virtual Tour” of the of the Art Wing
The Art major, combined Art major, and special program minors within the Department of Art and Art History provide you the opportunity to combine general liberal studies with in-depth study in studio art and art history. By expanding your knowledge of art genres, visual concepts, media and artists, the Art Department heightens your awareness of and appreciation for the visual arts. We emphasize critical thinking, effective self-expression and creative problem solving. Through our curriculum, the Art and Art History fosters your understanding of the global role of visual arts in human society.
- Understanding the elements and principles of design.
- Heightening awareness of the visual arts through expansion of knowledge of art forms and artists, and their relation to society
- Knowledge of art history and contemporary art
- Expressive use of a broad range of media and techniques
- Conceptual problem solving in the visual arts
- Understanding of professional practices in studio art disciplines, art history, arts administration, and art education
Over the last few years, Albright Art graduates have begun working in a wide variety of fields and for numerous attractive employers:
- Architectural and design representative, Superior Products, Wilmington, DE
- Archivist, National Park Service, San Francisco
- Art assistant, GoggleWorks, Reading, PA
- Art director, Special Recognition, Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ
- Art director, MGT Design, Watchung, NJ
- Assistant editor, photography department, InStyle, New York
- Curator and studio manager, All Together Art, Shillington, PA
- Creative director, Big Bear Promotions, Kutztown, PA
- Designer, G. Scott Designs, Seattle, WA
- Designer, The Lorish Company, Reading, PA
- Founder, Moviate, Harrisburg, PA
- Framer, Framer’s Market Gallery, Exton, PA
- Owner, Art and Antique Dealer, Annville, PA
- Owner/designer, White Swan Gallery, Elverson, PA
- Painter/artist, A First Impression, Naples, FL
- Partner, Expressions in Sculpture, Loganton, PA
- Photographer, Joe Neil, Inc., New York
- Photographer, Lifetouch Portraits, Norristown, PA
- Student coordinator, Florence International Film Festival, Florence, Italy
- Studio assistant to pop artist John A. Chamberlain, New York
- Teacher, Intrax International Institute, Chicago
- Teacher, Los Angeles United School District, Los Angeles
Please see the Digital Studio Art page for digital-based student outcomes

Mark Baldridge, MFA
Assistant Professor, Art and Computer Science
610-921-7867
mbaldridge@albright.edu

David Kaul
Assistant Professor
484-268-2843
dkaul@albright.edu

Kate Perkins
Adjunct Instructor
kperkins@albright.edu

Mike L. Miller
Artist-in-Residence/Pre-College and Summer Programs
mlmiller@albright.edu

Matthew Garrison, MFA
Professor of Art and Digital Media
mgarrison@albright.edu

Brian N. Glaze, MFA
Associate Professor of Sculpture; Department Chair
610-921-7712
bglaze@albright.edu

Joseph Hocker, MFA
Assistant Professor of Photography and Digital Art
610-921-7715
jhocker@albright.edu

Kristen T. Woodward, MFA
Professor of Art
610-921-7710
kwoodward@albright.edu
The Art Department offers a curriculum that combines theory and practice, well in keeping with Albright’s emphases on the liberal arts and experiential learning. This curriculum, which comprises both studio and lecture courses, has two aims:
- To education students who elect the Art major, combined major or minor options required for a professional degree
- To heighten the awareness and appreciation of the visual arts through expansion of your knowledge of art forms and artists, and their relation to society
Studio Art Major
-
- ART 101 Drawing
- ART 103 Design
- ART 112 Painting I
- ART 113 Sculpture I
- ART 114 Printmaking
- Two Art History courses
- Two courses from among the following:
- ART 102 Life Drawing
- ART 216 Photography
- ART 265 Computer Graphics
- Concentration in either:
- Painting (ART 212, 312 and 412)
OR
-
- Sculpture (ART 213, 313 and 413)
- ART 400 Advanced Studio Topics**
*One of these courses may also be used to satisfy the Foundations-Fine Arts requirement of the General Education Curriculum.
**Must be the same area as 200-level course. All sections of ART 400 Studio Topics need are restricted to junior-level or higher students
Combined Major in Studio Art
- ART 101 Drawing
- ART 103 Design
- One of the following:
- ART 105 Art History I
- ART 106 Art History II
- ART 200+ Art History
- ART 112 Painting I
- ART 113 Sculpture I
- ART 212 Painting II or ART 213 Sculpture II
- ART 400 Advanced Studio Topics***
*One of these courses may also be used to satisfy the Foundations-Fine Arts requirement of the General Education Curriculum.
***All sections of ART 400 Studio Topics need are restricted to junior-level or higher students
Digital Studio Art
- ART 101 Drawing
- ART 103 Design
- ART 113 Sculpture I
- ART 216 Photography I or ART 112 Painting I
- ART 256 Modern Art and Design Concepts
- ART 265 Computer Graphics
- ART 400 Studio Topics*** (Painting, Sculpture or Digital Studio)
- DIG 265 Digital Literacy
- SYN 352 Aesthetic Rebels in Film and Art (formerly IDS252)
- Three courses from:
- DIG 201 Digital Video
- DIG 270 Digital Illustration and Design
- DIG 315 Web Design or DIG 325 Visual Design for the Web
- ART 212 Painting II or ART 213 Sculpture II
- DIG 420 Senior Seminar
One of the ART courses may also be used to satisfy the Foundations-Fine Arts requirement of the General Education Curriculum.
***All sections of ART 400 Studio Topics need are restricted to junior-level or higher students
Minors
Minor in Art History
- Two 100-level Art History courses
- Two 200-level Art History courses
- One 300-level Art History research course
Minor in Film/Video
- One 100-level Art History course
- One introductory studio course
- DIG 201 Digital Video I and DIG 301 Digital Video II
- ART400 Digital Studio Topics (Digital) or DIG420 Senior Seminar
Minor in Photography
- One Art History course
- One introductory studio course
- ART 216 and 316 (Photography I and II)
- One 400-level studio topics course
Minor in Painting
- One 100 level Art History Course
- Design (ART 103)
- Painting I (ART 112)
- Painting II ( ART 212)
- Studio Topics-Painting (ART 400)
Minor in Sculpture
- One 100 level Art History Course
- Design (ART 103)
- Sculpture I (ART 113)
- Sculpture II ( ART 213)
- Studio Topics-Sculpture (ART 400)
Art Education Certification
Art Majors preparing for a career in education take Art courses and a series of Education and other courses specified by the Education Department to meet Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations. As early as possible in their college experience, candidates for teacher certification in Art should consult the Requirements section of the Education website and the chair of Education regarding specific course requirements. The Art Education certification is a grades K-12 program.
Courses
Studio Art
ART 101
Drawing
This is a sequence of experiences and discussions intended to expand the student’s awareness of the visual world and of the special language of visual communication through drawing. The use of materials such as a brush and ink, pencil, and collage is stressed. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 102
Life Drawing
Students will draw from a variety of sources including the live model and biological specimens as fundamental experiences for developing hand-eye coordination. Various media and techniques are explored.
ART 103
Design
Design is an introductory course dealing with the elements and principles involved with the visual organization of two- and three-dimensional space. Emphasis is placed on developing understanding and sensitivity to the components of works of art and creative approaches to composition and uses of color. Developing the ability to articulately critique the work of others as well as one’s own artwork is also emphasized. The course is designed to develop perceptual ability and increased application of creative thinking to the world around us and everyday experience. We will explore design possibilities through the use of observation, speculation and imagination. Increased understanding of use of computer programs in the innovative creation of design is also a primary objective. Conceptual explorations will be made regularly in a journal, which will then selectively be further developed in various media. Throughout the course, assignments will be presented that are involved with the creative employment of the principles of design: repetition, balance, emphasis, movement, rhythm, contrast, pattern and unity. This course will be team-taught. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 112
Painting I
This is a series of exercises and discussions exploring color relationships and acrylic painting practices. The principles of two-dimensional composition and design are emphasized. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 113
Sculpture I
A survey of spatial arrangement and expressive ideas, utilizing materials such as wood, clay, metal and non-traditional materials. Students will be exposed to associated historical topics, tools and artists pertaining to the practice of sculpture. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 114
Printmaking
This course consists of a sequence of exercises and discussions intended to expand the student’s awareness of visual expression through multiple graphic images. Various printing processes are introduced including intaglio and relief. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 212
Painting II
Students will continue their study of the principles of painting and design, and are encouraged to develop their own personal idiom while working in oil, acrylic and mixed media. Prerequisite: ART 112 or permission of department.
ART 213
Sculpture II
A continued exploration of sculptural practices ranging from further personal development of concept and process. Methods include: mold making, metal casting, carving and welding. Prerequisite: ART 113 or permission of department.
ART 216
Photography I
This is an introduction to film-based still photography; basic camera operation, developing film, as well as prints in the darkroom. The emphasis is on composition, technique, and experimental photography as a means of visual expression.
ART 220
Watercolor Painting: Global Imagery
An investigation into the historical evolution of style and techniques in watercolor painting with the intent of establishing a broad base of understanding of diverse cultural values as reflected in visual art throughout history. Stress is placed on the understanding and use of watercolor throughout the history of art for solving various problems of representation and abstraction. A main objective of the course is to increase understanding of the role of imagery in communicating and representing universal concepts and ideas through the history of art and civilization. Class lectures, discussions, research and studio assignments will include the role of painting in the history of civilization and the diverse ways in which it reflects and affects culture. GENERAL STUDIES CONNECTIONS GLOBAL
ART 265
Computer Graphics, Art and Design
Computer Graphics is a combined studio/lecture course providing instruction in the use of industry-standard digital media tools. Students learn from the perspective of an artist and designer the essentials of digital still image creation, graphic design and digital animation. This course not only provides students with a strong technical foundation, but also introduces students to the concepts intrinsic to art and design in the digital age. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 312
Painting III
This is an advanced-level study of methods and materials, as well as aesthetic and conceptual issues, as they apply to painting. Prerequisite: ART 212 or permission of department.
ART 313
Sculpture III
A further study of various three-dimensional medias incorporating emerging technologies and practices in sculpture. Prerequisite: ART 213 or permission of department.
ART 316
Photography II
In this course, students concentrate on Digital Photography with a focus on making, editing, organizing, and printing images using industry standard software and equipment. Studio fee. Prerequisite: ART 216 or permission of department.
ART 400
Studio Topics
This is an individual study program, arranged in consultation with the instructor. Students will develop a cohesive body of work based upon an intensive exploration of thematic context, materials and techniques. This course emphasizes individual concept development, personal direction, originality and problem solving.
ART 412
Painting IV
This is an individual study program, arranged in consultation with the instructor, for continued development of a personal approach to painting and creative decision-making. Prerequisite: ART 312 or permission of department.
ART 413
Sculpture IV
This is an individual study program, arranged in consultation with the instructor, for continued development of a personal approach to sculpture and creative decision-making. Prerequisite: ART 313 or permission of department.
Art History
ART 105
Art History I: Prehistory to the 1300s
This course will introduce students to key artworks from the Western and Non-Western worlds created from Prehistory until the 1300s C.E. Art allows us to glean information about the past, but more than that, it continues to shape our understanding of history and contemporary events. This course is designed to have us think about art itself as a historical force. We will examine how artistic creations and their related networks have shaped and disseminated religious, political, and social ideas. A field trip is required. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 106
Art History II: 14th Century to the Present
This survey examines art from the early 14th century to the present. Students will learn about the broader historical contexts that saw the transformation of painting, sculpture, and architecture in the Western and non-Western worlds and examine how the definition of art has changed throughout history. A field trip is required. General Studies Foundations-Fine Arts
ART 207
Modern & Contemporary Art
What makes art “modern”? When and why was the shift toward “post-modern” art? How can the perspective-warping Cubist paintings be related to Surrealist notions of psychic liberation? And perhaps most importantly, how does today’s art represent our society? Throughout this course we will respond to these questions as we follow the development of art from the rise of Impressionism in France during the late nineteenth century to the globalized present. We will trace the avant-garde developments starting with Impressionism and learn about the state of art today. This class is designed for students who already have a background in art or art history. The course will help you develop conceptual and analytical tools necessary to understand the art made from the Impressionist period until today. A field trip is required. Prerequisite: One Art Department Course
ART 240
Latin American Art of the 20th Century
How do we define Latin American art? Can Latin American art be made in the United States? This course seeks to respond to these questions while we examine the rich and diverse Latin American and Latinx art produced throughout the twentieth century. Our aim is to explore a range of regions, with a special focus on the art of Brazil and Mexico. In our discussions, we will learn about different historical contexts to better understand how artists conceived of their work in relationship to both local and international aesthetics and political debates. Together, we will analyze the strategies artists used to respond to issues of identity, colonialism, urbanism, and globalization. General Studies Connections-Global-Humanities
ART 244
Gender in the Visual Arts
This course provides an overview of the relationship between gender and the visual arts in Western civilization from prehistory to the present. We will look at art patronage and academic institutions, and the other factors which impacted the lives of women artists. The narrative of gender in contemporary culture will be examined, to question questions in aesthetic and the evolution of the global art marketplace. General Studies Connections-Humanities
ART 256
Modern Art and Design Concepts in the 20th Century
This course is designed to give the student an understanding of how the world looks and why. The centerpiece of the course is the German Bauhaus [1918-1933], the most influential design school in the twentieth-century. Modern architecture, which was developed in Europe and in the Chicago School, determined the “look” of the twentieth century and contemporary life. With this modern architecture came new ideas in fashion, graphics, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial design. GENERAL STUDIES CONNECTIONS
ART 300
Topics in Art History
In this course, students will study a topic or area of interest in art history. The course may focus on an area such as museum management or be a specialized course on, for example, Impressionism or Dutch Baroque art. The course offers the student the close intellectual scrutiny that accompanies scholarly readings not always tenable in a survey course.
ART 356
Portraying the Nation: Representation in American Art
This course examines representations of Americans and of the United States in order to understand the role of visual culture in the formation of American identity. Visual depictions are integral to how we understand ourselves and our environment. How did 18th Century citizens define and view themselves in relation to this nascent democracy? And what of the slaves, Native Americans, and women, who were omitted from “We the People”? How were they presented? And how did they make themselves present? Throughout the semester, we will analyze images of individuals, types, and historical episodes that participated in shaping, transforming, and challenging how “We the people” was and continues to be understood. Together, we will study how representations are constructed and how they shape our vision of the United States and our individual role as Americans. General Studies Connections-Humanities
ART 357
Issues in American Art from 1940 to the Present
Developments in painting, sculpture and related forms from abstract expressionism through postmodernism of the 1980s are examined in detail. Considerable attention is given to issues of mass culture. A field trip is required.
ART 358
The History of Photography
This course explores the early history of photography from its beginnings in the early decades of the 19th century until the present. Considerable attention is given to the question of how photography has impacted the aesthetic, intellectual, and spiritual values of modern civilization, a question that has preoccupied thinkers from Walter Benjamin to Susan Sontag.
Art Education
ART/EDU 337
Teaching Art in the Elementary School
This course engages art education candidates in developing an understanding of the philosophy and principles of art education in the elementary school curriculum. Each student will work with a variety of public school art materials as a basis for teaching, understanding and evaluating children’s artwork. This course is a pre-student teaching experience in which each student prepares lessons for N-7 instruction. Activities include field trips, observations and classroom presentations.
ART/EDU 338
Teaching Art in the Secondary School
This course engages art education candidates in the investigation of the concepts and values of art theory and practice as related to the secondary curriculum. Students study classroom problems and procedure in various teaching situations. Emphasis is placed upon application, observation and evaluation of teaching as related to the adolescent in the secondary school. This course is a pre-student teaching experience in which each student prepares lessons for secondary art instruction. Activities include field trips, observations and classroom presentations.
Art Studios and Equipment
Housed in the Center for the Arts (CFA). The Department of Art and Art History blends traditional and digital studio practices under one roof. From still-life drawing under natural light to editing a 3D model to produced out of resin; The Department of Art and Art History fosters cross-pollination with the department and beyond.
Students have access to these facilities throughout the week with faculty approval and accessed outside of normal hours by campus security.
DRAWING
From foundational design to advanced studies in watercolor. The drawing studio encapsulates a number of drawing processes in dry or wet media in controlled and natural light.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Macintosh-based platform, Adobe Creative Master Suite, rapid prototyping (resin and polymer 3D printing, laser etching).
PAINTING
Spacious open studio that explores a variety of traditional, experimental media and techniques in painting.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Providing both wet and digital processes, the darkroom has a number of enlargers while the upper-level courses work within 3 Mac labs.
PRINTMAKING
Two etching presses and one relief press, acid etching bath, screen printing and numerous hand tools and ink types.
SCULPTURE COMPLEX
Sculpture has a number of studios within its complex that range from general-purpose to dedicated processes.
- Main Studio – general work is for a number of media with hand and hand power tools
- Wood Shop – table saw (SawStop), 2 chop saws, band saw, stationary sander, drill press and other tools
- Welding Studio – 2 MIG welders, plasma torch, sandblaster, ARC welder, oxy/acetylene torch and cold saw
- Foundry/Mold Making – metal casting facilities for aluminum, bronze and iron + rubber mold making for cold casting and preparatory work for metal casting
- Sculpture Yard – Crucible furnace and cupola furnace (for melting iron)
Student Resources
Art students have supplemented classroom and studio learning with experiential education in recent years:
- Student Art Club: Albright Visual Arts Organization (AVAO), organized workshops with art faculty to construct bones from clay and plaster to be exhibited as part of One Million Bones, a national project calling attention to genocide throughout the world. AVAO’s fabricated bones were displayed at Penn State Berks’s Freyberger Gallery and the Goggleworks Art Center in Reading before making their way to the National Mall in Washington, DC.
- Internships: Berks Filmmakers Media Center, the Reading Public Museum and the Goggleworks Center for the Arts
- Student/Faculty based Research: Numerous Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE) projects
- Exhibitions: stemming from the department’s student gallery to a number of local, regional and national exhibitions (examples: Small Works Exhibition at Elon College in North Carolina, the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia, the 6x6x6 exhibit and fundraiser at the Rochester Contemporary Arts Center, and the Troika exchange of small works at Dragon Hall, England)
Profile: The Indie Filmmaker
After graduating from Albright with a bachelor’s in Art, Steve Cossman went on to found and direct Mono No Aware; a nonprofit cinema arts organization whose annual event exhibits the work of contemporary artists who incorporate live film projections and altered light as part of a performance, sculpture or installation. In 2010 the organization established a series of analog filmmaking workshops in conjunction with the event that currently works with 200 participants a year. Steve’s first major work on film, TUSSLEMUSCLE, earned him Kodak’s Continued Excellence in Filmmaking award and has screened at many festivals and institutions internationally. In 2013, he completed residencies at MoMA PS1’s Expo 1 and the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto. He has been a visiting artist at Dartmouth, the New York Academy of Art, Yale and the Aurora Picture Show in Houston. Steve’s newest work on film, WHITE CABBAGE (2011-2013), a collaboration with Jahiliyya Fields of L.I.E.S., had its U.S. premiere with a series of new work at Anthology Film Archives in December 2013. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn as a director, curator, visual artist and member of the collective DecayNY, creating time-based works on film, video, and paper.
Profiles: The Art Teachers
In the year following her graduation from Albright with a major in Art Education, Adrienne Lastoskie was a substitute teacher at Daniel Boone High School, where she had also attended high school. She was then offered a full-time position teaching art in Maryland for the Brandywine School District.
She attributes the experiences she had as an Art Education student at Albright as the primary reason she was offered a teaching position in a location of her choice. Adrienne says the team-teaching experiences at public elementary and secondary schools as well as at the Reading Public Museum prior to student teaching gave her a unique background and competitive advantage over art education graduates from other institutions.
Adrienne also feels the challenging studio art courses at the College enabled her to develop her artistic skills and create a strong teaching portfolio. She now takes her Albright studio assignments and converts them to projects she can assign her public school students.
Angela Morin excelled as a student teacher during her placement at Boyertown High School. When her cooperating teacher had to take an extended leave of absence, Angela was offered a contract as a long-term substitute teacher because of how effective she was a student teacher. Cooperating teachers in local elementary and high schools have expressed preference in having Albright College art education students because of how well prepared they are as student teachers.