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Department of Art and Music

Faculty

Colleen Kiely, Chair and Professor
Makeda Best, Lecturer
Edie Bresler, Professor of Practice
Danica Buckley, Director, Simmons University Chamber Choir
Sara Egan, Lecturer
Rosemary Engstrom, Lecturer
Heather Hole, Associate Professor
Jaclyn Kain, Lecturer
Helen Popinchalk, Director, Trustman Art Gallery, Assistant Professor (NTT)
Guhapriya Ranganathan, Lecturer
Arthur Rishi, Lecturer
Gregory Slowik, Professor
Michael Zachary, Assistant Professor (NTT)

Overview

  •  The Department of Art and Music offers three majors: art, music, and an interdepartmental major in arts administration; as well as five minors: art, photography, arts administration, music, and performing arts.

  • The department’s residency requirements are as follows. Normally, students majoring in art or music take all courses required for the major within the Department of Art and Music. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 16 credit hours within the department. A minimum of 12 semester hours must be taken within the department to complete a minor.

  • Students who pursue a double major or combine a major and a minor within the department may not double-count courses.

  • Students may not take required courses or required electives for their major pass/fail. In order to pass, students must earn at least a C- in pass/fail courses in the Department of Art and Music.

Department Learning Goals

I. Develop visual or aural literacy.

Students will:

  • Identify and utilize significant practices and processes of art or music.

  • Understand artistic and musical terminology, critical methods and historical contexts to analyze, criticize and interpret visual and musical texts.

  • Apply their knowledge in effective oral and written presentations. 

II. Develop and apply skills learned in an art or music practice course to create original works of art or music.

Students will:

  • Demonstrate the technical skills and the ability to organize the visual or musical elements necessary to communicate concepts and experiences.

  • Produce creative works that demonstrate innovation in concepts, formal language and/or materials.

III. Articulate that the study of art or music involves the mind, spirit and senses.

Students will:

  • Articulate, orally and in writing, the cultural and institutional purposes—historical and contemporary—for the creation of art and music.

  • Engage in sophisticated oral or written communication and critical discussions in which students argue and defend ideas and offer new perspectives.

  • Recognize and analyze the significance of cultural diversity in the creation of art and/ or music.

IV. Apply classroom theory and practice to experiential learning within Boston’s cultural institutions and creative community.

Students will:

  • Understand the role and value of cultural institutions in society.

  • Recognize the roles and responsibilities of professionals in cultural institutions.

  • Apply professional values and ethics in classes and internships. 

Art and Music Departmental Honors

  • Students must have a 3.5 GPA to apply.

  • Students submit a written proposal to the faculty supervisor with whom they would like to work. A thesis-quality research paper or an independent study project in art or music would be eligible.

  • Project must be proposed and approved by the Department by April 15 for completion in the following fall semester or by October 30th for spring semester completion.

  • The student must receive an A grade from the supervising professor in order to be awarded Department Honors.