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.

Notes from the Woodshed: Sculpture, Abstraction, and Improvisation This class takes its title from a book of writing by the black American visual artist Jack Whitten (1939-2018). Whitten’s title itself borrows from a tradition in jazz music, ‘the woodshed’ was a metaphorical place to practice, experiment and develop new ideas before taking them public. We engage the classroom as our own ‘woodshed’, creating sculptural form through close looking, response, and improvisation. Students will develop the basic skills and visual language for creating sculpture using wood, foam, Magic-Sculpt, and found materials. We will read Whitten’s book ‘Notes from the Woodshed’, and other texts that contextualize the rich histories of abstract sculpture made by black Americans in the 20th century. No former experience with art is necessary to take this class.

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.

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.

Matthew Schrader

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

This class has been very easy and slow-paced. I enjoy working on the projects and the assignments for these. Based on the description, I thought we would get more hands-on time in the woodshop. There have been a lot of found material projects so far. The days when we do critiques are a bit tedious and I wish we broke them up across the classes more evenly. 

Spacing is a valuable course for those interested in black studies and conceptual architecture, but the course is time-heavy. I often found myself glancing at the clock more than I'd like to in any class. I also found the discussions to often feel forced and too long. I would not take this course again, but I know there are students who would find a lot of joy in it.

There are a few writing assignments but they're all <1 page and not super analytical. The main assignments are to make 3d objects (mainly out of cardboard) with vague/open prompts. You can make this class what you want it to be - you can get and A by pretty easily with bare min effort, so if you need an art credit or an easy/chill fourth class, this is it. If you're genuinely interested in the material or the process of creation, it could definitely be fulfilling as well - readings are thought-provoking and you'll have ample time to discuss them in class, and projects can mean as much or as little to you as you want them to. 