Spacing In this course we will investigate physical structures encountered daily. Buildings, parks, and infrastructure constitute this built environment, reflecting their societies. But what could abolitionist architecture look like, or how might public space in the U.S. create new social relations? Through lenses of race, class, and gender we will build critical vocabularies around the practice of making space. We will focus on the historical and contemporary embodiment of power, race, and culture of the U.S. through the built environment. This studio class will then present a series of projects addressing basic three-dimensional construction and model making techniques. We will engage historical and contemporary artworks, urban planning, architecture, and poetry from perspectives of resistance to dominant modes of constructing space.

Sculpture I In this sculpture class we will foreground “process” in the creation of form. We will address a variety of traditional tool and material relationships as well as inventing new and unusual processes with unconventional materials and tools. Parallel to studio-based experimentation we will engage in a weekly practice of critique learning how to process the visual with language. The class will be organized around a series of existing artworks, texts and films that will serve as models to help guide our collective inquiry.

Ruins and Rituals In this course we will examine monuments, memorials, landscape, and cultural memory. The title comes from a 1979 sculptural work by the black feminist artist Beverly Buchanan. Buchanan has described her works as monuments made from earthen materials to remember acts of black resistance in the United States. We will also investigate recent actions to remove and destroy monuments to confederate soldiers and other figures related to colonial violence. This is a studio class incorporating material experimentation and research. Students will work at model scale using paper, wood, plaster, digital photography, and photoshop to propose (anti)monuments for our time.

Advanced Studio I This course is designed for dedicated students who have taken full advantage of the many different modes of creation offered by the Program in Studio Art.  Demonstrated visual literacy is essential before entering this course where you will begin developing an individual voice and practice as a young artist.   Designed to help develop a cohesive body of work with a personal point of view, this course provides the basic tools needed to express artistic intentions visually, verbally, and in writing.  Weekly group critiques, class discussions about contemporary art theory/art criticism, and regular one-on-one studio visits with the Studio Art faculty and visiting artists provide a broader context for your artwork. This class culminates with a public exhibition curated and promoted by the class as a whole.  In addition, students are guided in the creation of a professional portfolio, including extensive documentation of the artwork produced and multiple versions of an artist statement, both suitable for submission to artist internships, residencies, or graduate schools. Graduating seniors enrolled in ART 700 will curate, mount and promote a solo thesis exhibition.  They will also create and submit a digital portfolio to be archived by the Program in Studio Art. Interested students should contact the professor a minimum of one (1) week prior to online registration. Provide a transcript of all completed Studio Art courses, images of work created, and a brief, 1-2 page description of the media you intend to use and the subject matter you wish to further investigate. Students are expected to have completed two Studio Art classes in the medium they wish to explore before applying for ART 700. Approval required. 4 hrs sem./lab.

Matthew Schrader

Reviews and ratings for Matthew Schrader at Middlebury College.Matthew Schrader teaches Spacing, Sculpture I, Ruins and Rituals and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Matthew Schrader good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Would highly recommend this course to students interested in black studies, architecture, urban planning, etc. There were 3 projects that focused on ideas of space/movement. There are readings for this class; however, the class is not reading-heavy and the material is interesting. Love the professor

Very project based and you can do a lot of work on what you find interesting! Work outside of class is important and there are some readings and slideshows with relevant artists' work. Matthew is accommodating and the class is actually process-focused; your effort matters more than necessarily outcome 