Color in Theory and Practice In this studio course, we will explore the role of color in art through exercises in a range of media: from paint to digital graphics software. We will discuss principles of color interaction, the composition of different artistic media, and the ways that color functions perceptually and expressively in works of art. We will also investigate the historical relationship between color theories in art and developments in physics, optics, and philosophy; the symbolic dimension of color in different art traditions; and the ways that digital technology has transformed contemporary understandings of color. Students will develop skills and sensitivities around color that can be applied in a variety of artistic practices. No prior artmaking experience is required.

Figuratively Distorted: Creating Characters for Cartoon, Caricature, and Animation In this introductory class we will explore the human figure and its mannerisms through learning to draw using methods that invent expressive characters. We will learn foundational drawing principles depicting the figure from observation, studying its anatomy and how that manifests human expression. We will see, learn, and use the principles of drawing found in images of humans in the Lascaux Caves and Mayan Reliefs; to expressionists like Egon Schiele; and cartoons from Walt Disney to South Park. Students will develop their own individual cartoon characters and storyboard an archetypical narrative forming a collaborative class animation screened publicly in Twilight. No prior drawing experience is expected. It is a 100 level beginning level class open to and designed for students with no visual artmaking experience. This course will count as a prerequisite towards 300-level courses in The Program In Studio Art. 6 hrs lct.

Drawing: Unlearning What You See Drawing is an intuitive act of expression. It serves many purposes: observation, emotional reflection, and creating altered realities beyond the written word. In this course we will learn foundational drawing techniques utilizing different approaches and materials including dry and wet media and basic sculptural principles to understand volume depicting space and figures. We address composition, scale, contour delineation, and tonal values. Developing a personal style will be paramount. Topics relating to drawing in the context of history and issues around who gets represented and how will be discussed. Readings and short lectures will inform these discussions.  No prior drawing experience is expected. (Not open to students who have taken ART 0157 or ART 0159) 6 hrs lct.

Studio Art I: Drawing This course is a complete and thorough basic drawing course. Mediums used will be pencil, charcoal, and ink, among others. Work will be done from observation and invention. Line, perspective, value, and composition will be discussed. Assignments will involve students with the formal and technical aspects of drawing and with the idea of drawing as an individual means of expression. No prior drawing experience is assumed or expected. This course is required of all art majors and minors.

Visual Storytelling Through the Lens This photo-based studio course examines the ways images work together in succession to build narratives. Students will study contemporary and historical approaches to the photo essay in addition to authoring their own stories with images they have taken or sourced by other means. While we will discuss the basics of image making, the class is focused on the sequencing of images. Students may use any type of camera for this class including cell phone cameras and no prior photographic knowledge is required. The class will culminate in a web-based slideshow and printed book projects for each individual student.

Topics in Contemporary Art The term "contemporary art" names not only artworks made over the past half-century, but the art-historical discourse that attempts to explain them, the network of museums and exhibition spaces through which they reach the public, and the global industry in which they are bought and sold. In this course we will examine contemporary art’s relationship to the political, social, and technological developments of our era, attempting to answer the questions: How do we make sense of art produced in the present day? And: How does this art help us understand the world?

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.

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.

Touching the Surface: Drawing in Latin America This course is designed to get students acquainted with foundational drawing techniques while also exploring different artists and artistic movements in Latin America who have redefined the medium through their own contexts and approaches to experimentation. We will study artists such as Lygia Clark, Belkis Ayón, Carmen Herrera, Beatriz González, Marisol, María Izquierdo, Felipe Baez, and Teresita Fernandez and unpack artistic movements that shape Latin American art as we know it today which span from around the 14th century to art being made today. Throughout the course, we will question what is considered Latin American and expand our geographical delineations that include Latinx American artists who bring their ancestral histories with them beyond borders and tongues. Dry and wet media will be used as well as some basic sculptural techniques to get a better understanding on the volumetric qualities of depicting space and figures. Students will learn foundational drawing skills such as composition, scale, negative/positive space, contour lines, tonal values, line quality, and personal style. There will be regular class critiques.

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.

Making Art in the 21st Century What is it to be an artist in the 21st century? How can seeing and making art help us understand our own time and place? In this course, we will examine some of the many permutations of visual artistic practice in our era, trace the art-historical roots of these contemporary forms, and analyze art’s relationship to political, social, and technological developments across the globe. We will focus on the role of context of works of art, comparing works from different cultures and asking how art is shaped by, and responds to, social and historical forces. Students will explore these topics through writing and by creating their own artworks in response to studio- based assignments, employing both traditional and digital art media. No prior art-making experience is required.

CMD+Z: Infinite Possibilities of The Digital Studio In this foundation design course we will explore various aspects of design including 2D composition, color theory, image editing, and typography while developing literacy in graphics software using the Adobe Creative Suite. Focusing on the comparison of visual communication across global cultures, lectures and assignments will be centered around the ways design intersects with art and socio-political issues.  Students will develop creative visual problem-solving and image-making skills that they can apply across many disciplines, learning to communicate and present their ideas effectively. Students will produce two substantial screen-based and print projects over the course of the semester. It is a 100 level beginning level class open to and designed for students with no visual artmaking experience. This course will count as a prerequisite towards 300-level courses in The Program In Studio Art.

Figure Drawing I: The Human Body as Expression Depictions of the human are the longest historical record of our species. In this course we will learn to draw the human body as a key to unlocking that history and your imagination, to create new cultural stories. We will apply foundational knowledge obtained via deep analysis of skeletal/muscular anatomy to axioms of drawing including spatial reasoning using principles of geometry to depict the nude human form from life. You will learn to pictorialize figures meeting your creative intentions using inks, graphite, charcoal, and acrylics. Weekly lectures will survey figurative representation throughout the history of global art. Labs include application of linear perspective, movement, clothing, and implications of adornment. All levels; no pre-req; Content is connective to programs including Dance, Theater, History, and Philosophy. Lecture/Lab

Art, Aesthetics, and Climate Change What is the role of aesthetics in understanding the climate crisis? How do questions of beauty inform our decisions about land use, justice, and technology? What is the relationship between art-making and climate action advocacy? In this combined seminar and studio course we will examine points of intersection between the artistic and the environmental: from climate activism to data visualization to aesthetic debates about landscape and energy. We will explore these themes through readings in art history and philosophy, and by examining works of climate-oriented contemporary art. Students will complete creative projects designed to illuminate the role of visual communication in shaping individual and societal responses to climate change.

Botanical Illustration: The Art of Science, The Science of Art The natural diversity of plants and the adaptations they possess is awe-inspiring and has been the subject of botanical illustration for thousands of years. In this course students will develop fundamental artistic techniques for capturing plant forms using a variety of artistic methods (graphite, charcoal, silver point, ink, watercolor) and a diversity of living plant specimens. Students will learn how to represent the broad scale of botanical diversity, from the shapes of trees via field-based journaling to the cells of mosses via microscopy-to-paper transcription. Students will develop a practice of close observation that challenges their assumptions of how they see the natural world, will master faithful transformation of 3D natural forms to 2D, and will be challenged to apply plant anatomical knowledge and form-function relationships to develop scientifically accurate, publication-quality illustrations in a feedback-rich studio environment.

Advanced Drawing: Making Your Mark In this course students will refine their drawing skills, emphasizing personal growth and a deeper exploration of drawing techniques. An understanding of formal pictorial language and how to effectively communicate through visual means will be stressed. Students will draw from observation employing imagination, abstraction, and unconventional approaches. Exposure to the importance and relevance of both contemporary and historical art will occur through image lectures with an emphasis on critical thinking. Exploration of materials will also be discussed.  (ART 0155, 0156, 0157, ART 0159, ART 0185, ART 0200 or by approval) )

The Art of Pastel Painting In this class we will study and apply principles of making images using the medium of dry pastels. Pastel-painting involves sticks of dry pigment bound with gum-arabic and applied by the artist’s hand to paper. Used skillfully it is intense, direct, and expressive. Using pastels we will learn color theory and how to control value and perspective by creating images of still-life, interiors, and the human figure. This studio course will also include image-lectures on the history of pastel in art history. (ART 0156, ART 0157 or ART 0159 or ART 0185 or ART 1128 or ART 1129 or THEA 0101). There will be a required purchase of materials.

Painting the Figure in Oil In this course we will learn the how to paint images of human beings. The class will begin with an overview of artistic anatomy and resulting patterns of movement. This initial portion of the semester will focus on color theory and refreshing understanding foundations of describing form. Using this knowledge we will then paint in oil by directly observing the live model outdoors. Part of this class will focus on painting portrait images. Studio work will be accompanied by regular image-lectures of the pan-global history of depicting the human form.

Hybrid Printmaking In this course we will examine a range of hybrid printmaking techniques. We will work from observation and imagination. We will explore monoprint, relief, and hand-cut/ digital stencil-making applications. Emphasis on non-traditional approaches will be studied through experimentation and collaboration. Students’ voices will be developed through guided exploration of thematic projects. Texture, value, surface, colors, marks, and pattern will be discussed. Students will be exposed to the importance and relevance of both contemporary art and historical art through image-lectures with an emphasis on critical thinking. Prior drawing experience expected. (Open to students who have taken ART0155, ART0156, ART 0157, ART 0159, ART0185, or ART0200) 6 hrs lab/lct.

Figure Sculpture In this course students will be introduced to sculpture concepts and processes using the figure as the central subject matter. Students will learn to translate perceived form into sculptural form through modeling directly in clay alongside class assignments which will introduce a variety of materials including: clay, wood, metal, plaster, textiles and found objects. Importance is placed on the fundamental sculptural principles of proportion, volume, and gesture. We will look at a variety of artists who use the figure in their work and explore the relationship between the physical and psychological aspects of the human form and its presentation in contemporary art. Sculpture will be explored through a combination of lectures/presentations, group discussion, critique, hands-on studio work and short writing assignments.

Scratching the Surface In this course we will explore studio instruction in traditional and contemporary methods of intaglio printmaking with a critical emphasis on different methods of working directly on the plate. The general term intaglio (from the Italian intagliare, which means to engrave, carve, or cut) covers a multitude of processes. The incised line in the plate holds the ink while the surface is wiped clean. Only the line prints when paper is placed on the plate and both are run through the etching press. The course is augmented by slide lectures to provide the students with a thorough background in the intaglio medium as well as other drawing based mediums.  Depending on resources, students may have the opportunity to be a part of an intensive, collaborative print project to produce an edition of prints with a professional artist.

Painting the Human Face In this lecture and lab course we will create drawings and paintings of the human visage. Our class begins with an in-depth anatomical study of the human head, neck, and upper torso. This will lead us to analyze ways previous art of America and Europe has mapped forms of the human face to communicate expressive content in painting. Then, using oil paint on paper, panel, and canvas we will work from the live model to design our own contemporary images of human beings. Our goals will be imaginative expression of psychologies of those we depict and the stories they project.

Silkscreen Printmaking In this course students will explore the silkscreen medium with guided studio instruction. This will include paper stencil method, film stencil method, photographic stencil method, and multicolor printing. Concentration will be on drawing. Towards the end of the semester, students will learn to use basic computer-aided imagery. Students will explore the roll of silkscreen printing in contemporary art as well as its use in popular culture. Depending on resources, students may have the opportunity to be part of an intensive collaborative print project to produce an edition of prints with a professional artist.

Watercolor Painting In this studio course we will explore the techniques and principles of watercolor painting through guided exercises and individual projects. Students will work from observation and invention to develop a familiarity with this versatile medium, paying special attention to color mixing and color theory. We will also examine historical and contemporary examples of watercolor painting from around the world. (Any 100-level Studio Art course).

Monoprint Printing Printmaking is ever present in our society tracing back to impressions of prehistoric hands on cave walls all the way to printed signs used at protests. In this course students will explore direct and immediate approaches to printmaking, which include collographs, collage, rubbings, layering, pochoir (also known as stenciling), and hand painted applications. The possibilities of creating complex prints are infinite and often painterly. Using “ghost prints” and found material as a way to generate materials for making edition variables, students will have the opportunity to create unique impressions from both observation and invention.

Hot Processes! Exploring Heat as a Transformative Force in Sculpture In this course students will explore the history, theory, and making of sculpture using heat-based processes. Students will engage with hot processes in glass, clay, and metal, gaining technical proficiency while investigating the material transformations that occur through high-temperature methods of object making. Emphasis will be placed on both conceptual development and craftsmanship, encouraging students to consider the relationship between process, material, and meaning. Lectures, demonstrations, and studio practice will guide the development of a cohesive body of work that integrates conceptual rigor and technical skill. Readings from a range of scholarly texts and art books will guide the conceptual and material growth of each student’s work.

Metamorphosis and the Print In this course students will focus on intaglio printmaking, a form of art-making that derives from early metal smithing. Under the premise of "metamorphosis" we will work on one single copper plate over the course of the semester, printing different stages of this transformation as both documents and final images of essential change. Time, patience, and effort will result in a body of work - making use of intimacy, limitations, and scale. Students will learn about the history, and processes of intaglio printmaking and its relevance in contemporary art practice. In an age of digital mass reproduction and AI-generated images it is also essential to discuss the function and value of terms like original, reproduction, sample, multiple and craft.

Oil Painting Outdoors - Visually Interpreting The Landscape Around Us In this outdoor lab we will create paintings directly from the fall landscape of Middlebury. Using oil paint we will learn how to set up a palette, deploy color theory in picture-making, and apply spatial principles in composing our paintings. Oil on canvas will be our gateway to understanding the natural world, our built environment, and transitory phenomena of weather and light. A portion of the class will address how to incorporate humans and animals into our  images. Lecture and readings will address historical and philosophical ideas of landscape in culture. (one intro drawing course).

Magic and Material: The Alchemy of Photography What are images made of? In this course we will spend the semester exploring the materiality of photography. Students will discover the magic and meaning of harnessing light through various material processes, including cyanotype, anthotype, gum bichromate printing, and more. In addition to traditional alternative processes, students will experiment with ways to incorporate modern technology with historic techniques. Students will produce a series of projects informed by the conceptual and expressive qualities inherent in these processes through hands-on engagement with physical matter, both in the environment and in the studio.

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.

Photography Now In this color digital photography course students will sharpen their points of view within the framework of a contemporary photographic practice. Students will learn how to shoot digitally, scan, develop lighting strategies, make large format prints and edit their images into a cohesive body of work. Readings and class discussions will be based on how the photographic image functions in our current culture. Students must have access to 15MP (or bigger) digital SLR camera with manual controls of focus, aperture, and shutter.

Origins of Photography: Shooting Film In this course students will track photography’s evolution historically and technically as we create lense-based art. We will start in the darkroom making photograms, shooting film with a manual SLR camera, and printing black and white wet process images. The second half of the semester we will continue shooting film while transitioning into scanning and color digital printing. Emphasis will be on development of an individual creative voice through close personal attention. In addition to studio work we will be studying the history of photography. Required: 35mm film SLR camera (preferable) or 8MP (or bigger) DSLR camera manual focus, aperture, and shutter.

Advanced Studio Thesis I In this studio course, students will conceive, produce, exhibit, and document a body of work in one or more artistic media. We will conduct regular group critiques and discussions, learn to present artworks in oral and written formats, and explore the role of critique in developing an individual creative practice. Students will become familiar with the themes and critical discourse of contemporary art through selected readings, studio visits with Studio Arts faculty and visiting artists, and field trips to museums and exhibition spaces. Each student will receive studio space and a stipend for production. Interested students should contact the professor a minimum of (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.   Majors and minors may submit a proposal for ART0701 and ART0702 after completing ART0700.

Advanced Studio Thesis II Approval required.

Advanced Studio Thesis III Approval required.

A New World In this class, students will learn foundational drawing techniques while drawing from observation. Using simple materials like cardboard, 2x4s, burlap, and paper, we will turn the whole classroom into a New World. We will study, shape and determine what kind of new world emerges. Over the course of four weeks, students will produce short animations within this setting of "A New World" using Green Screen technology to combine drawing- and stop-motion animations with 3D Backgrounds. At the conclusion of the month, we will leave this world taking our sketchbooks, drawings and animations (2d and 3d stop motion) as a record of our shared experience. One all-s recording. An all-seeing eye (a wide-angle camera) will capture the rise and fall of this New World in time-lapse. This class counts toward the major as a prerequisite for all 300 level courses. No prior drawing experience is expected. Not open to students who have taken ART0155, ART0156, ART 0157, ART 0159) 9 hrs lab/lct. Heimo Wallner is a visual artists in whose work animation plays an important role./

The Art of Science: Drawing Nature's Forms In this studio course we will draw from life. Before the advent of photography, natural history art, in addition to celebrating nature’s beauty, served as an important translator of scientific knowledge. The College’s rich natural history collections (mounted specimens, preserved specimens, eggs, study skins, skeletons, herbaria, live specimens in the greenhouse, etc.) will become both our laboratory and studio where we will investigate, inspect, and record nature, and gain inspiration from it. We will acquire knowledge of natural forms through sustained direct observation and drawing. Artistic media will include graphite, charcoal, gouache, watercolor, ink, and tempera. We will examine examples of natural history art from cultures around the world, from its beginnings to today’s digital scientific illustration. No prerequisites.  Kate Gridley is an award-winning artist whose works are in museums and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Her work includes portraiture, landscapes, still-lives and botanical illustration in an array of media, including oil paint, graphite, pastel, watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera. Website: kategridley.com

Painting in Oil A comprehensive beginning oil painting class exploring multiple subjects beginning with a refresh of applied color theory and principles of design. Over four weeks we will work in class from the live model with outside assignments of self-portraiture, interior spaces, and still life subjects. Studio work will be accompanied by weekly image lectures on historical movements from 20th-century modernism to contemporary painting. One previous studio course.  Brian Cirmo is an internationally exhibiting artist and a 2023 recipient of the Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant for American painters from the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Solo exhibitions include Where Teardrops Fall, 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, New York, NY and Projektraum FN, All the Feels, Friedrichshafen, Germany. Artist residencies include the Saltonstall Foundation, the Lake Constance Cultural Department, Salem, Germany, The Vermont Studio Center, and the Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency.

Touching the Surface: Drawing in Latin America This course is designed to get students acquainted with foundational drawing techniques while also exploring different artists and artistic movements in Latin America who have redefined the medium through their own contexts and approaches to experimentation. We will study artists such as Lygia Clark, Belkis Ayón, Carmen Herrera, Beatriz González, Marisol, María Izquierdo, Felipe Baez, and Teresita Fernandez and unpack artistic movements that shape Latin American art as we know it today which span from around the 14th century to art being made today. Throughout the course, we will question what is considered Latin American and expand our geographical delineations that include Latinx American artists who bring their ancestral histories with them beyond borders and tongues. Dry and wet media will be used as well as some basic sculptural techniques to get a better understanding on the volumetric qualities of depicting space and figures. Students will learn foundational drawing skills such as composition, scale, negative/positive space, contour lines, tonal values, line quality, and personal style. There will be regular class critiques.  Estefania Puerta Grisales is a recent recipient of the 2024 Rome Prize in Visual Arts and has exhibited internationally. She graduated from Yale School of Art in 2018 and currently lives and works in Burlington, Vermont.

The Centered Self In this course students will explore the creation of personas and constructed identities as tools for artistic expression. We will investigate how these strategies enable artists to transcend personal boundaries, challenge cultural norms, and build immersive narratives. Through research, critique, and hands-on making, students will create embodied characters and objects that challenge conventions. Projects will incorporate a range of materials and techniques, encouraging experimental approaches to identity, storytelling, and spatial invention allowing students to push the boundaries of self-expression and create alternative realities that challenge traditional artistic forms. The course will include trips to study local collections alongside the Contemporary Native Arts class. No previous experience required.

Contemporary Native Arts In this course we will examine contemporary art practices by Native American artists who explore kinship relationships to nature, land, and environment. In this course we will study new approaches to creative innovation and object-making in preparation for an exhibition opening at Middlebury in 2027. Students will be introduced to works of art by contemporary Native artists including Akwesasne Mohawk sculptor Margaret Jacobs. Assignments acquaint students with foundational drawing and basic sculptural techniques to get a better understanding of the volumetric qualities. Written responses to works of art encourage discussion about how to expand art discourse. Developing installation designs will broaden an understanding of how objects are displayed in museums. The course will include trips to study local collections.

Experimental Etching In this introductory studio course students will explore etching as a dynamic medium in contemporary art. For the first half of the course students will learn to combine foundational etching techniques with alternative and mixed-media processes through demonstrations and hands-on experimentation. Processes will include hard ground, soft ground, spray paint aquatint, photo transfer on copper plates, and digital tools for etching. In the second half of the course students will design and complete individual etching projects that integrate these processes to develop their personal ideas and voice. Course components include skill-building in traditional and non-traditional etching methods, group discussions, critiques, visits to the Middlebury College Museum of Art, examples drawn from historical and contemporary printmakers, and self-designed projects.

Brian Cirmo

Chloe Wilwerding

Estefania Puerta

Hedya Klein

Heimo Wallner

James Butler

Jane Kent

Josephine Rodgers

Kate Gridley

Kirsten Coe

Margaret Jacobs

Matthew Schrader

Michelle Leftheris

Phoebe Streblow

Rebecca Horn

Roger White

Read 97 reviews for Studio Art courses at Middlebury College. Find the best Studio Art professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

There is a heavy work load, but if you learn the professor's expectations and use class time wisely you can get the work done. The teacher is extremely flexible and the content is very interesting. As someone who had never taken a formal art class before, I enjoyed our in depth examination of foundational drawing skills.

Michelle is very accommodating and helpful to individual student's needs. However, lectures especially over a 2.75 hour long class can get a bit boring and hard to follow. I think that some concepts could have been explained in a more concise way, but overall I still learned a significant amount in this course. 

This course was taught by Kate Gridley, and I really enjoyed it. She graded with the idea that she just wants to see improvement in your work. If you do the work and show up to class then you will get an A.