Students entering the Department of Visual Art program receive a Pre Art classification. Pre Art students receive priority registration in visual art courses. Pre Art classification changes to Art (for BFA studio majors), Art BA, or Pre Art Ed after the student completes 30 credits with at least a 2.75 grade point average. The 30 credits include 18 Foundations credits plus 12 academic credits. Students must also meet the university English and Math requirements.

The Pre-Art Foundations courses Pre Art students take in their first two semesters include: Basic Drawing I and II, 2-D Concepts, 3-D Concepts, Digital Arts: Culture, Theory, Practice, and Art Survey, a lecture course. These core classes will prepare students for an intensive college-level study of the visual arts.

All Foundations studio courses meet for five hours per week of intensive hands-on work, one-on-one instruction and critiques in small studio communities of 16-24 students. Foundations coursework is project-based. Students respond to assignments which are designed to highlight specific concepts and skills. Early projects tend to be simple, isolating one or two skills or concepts; later project become more and more complex as students build their knowledge.

Our Pre-Art Foundations instructors guide beginning students toward an understanding of the language used to see, to talk about, and to make art. The foundations year is a time of growth, both intellectually and artistically, as students begin to choose their areas of concentration and see themselves as visual artists.

For further information:
Frankie Flood, Director of Foundations
414.229.4200, Main Art Office
fflood@uwm.edu