Art
William J. Diebold
Ancient and medieval art, manuscript illumination, art historical method.
Ömür Harmansah
Near Eastern art and architecture, archeological theory and method.
Dana Katz
Renaissance, Baroque and Colonial Latin American art and architecture; Jews and the visual arts; methodology of art history.
Michael Knutson
Painting, drawing, printmaking.
Akihiko Miyoshi
Photography and digital media.
Geraldine Ondrizek
Sculpture, installation, drawing, artists’ books.
James A. van Dyke
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century art and theory.
Laura Weigert
Late medieval, Northern Renaissance, and Baroque art history; methods of art history. On leave 2005-06.
In studio art, the 200-level courses stress formal, technical, and
conceptual concepts in a broad range of projects. More independent
exploration, which might involve further work in the traditional
core media or branch off into more experimental forms, is
encouraged in 300-level courses. In art history, the introductory
course introduces students to the discipline of art history through
a detailed, methodologically based examination of a particular body
of art. Advanced courses acquaint students with selected periods
and movements in art and in the various methods of art historical
research, as students learn to refine their powers of critical
observation by looking, talking, and writing at length about
individual works of art.
The advanced student may undertake independent work in areas of
special interest. In recent years majors have often supplemented
their program at Reed with a semester or year of studio art,
architecture, museum training, or art history research at
cooperating institutions in Europe, the United States, or
elsewhere, as well as with summer internships at major
museums.
Art history facilities include a large conference room equipped
with slide and digital projection equipment, a visual resources
collection, a secure study room where students can examine books
and works from the collection, and a first-class gallery. These
offer students the possibility of working closely with original
objects.
In 2001 the college extensively expanded and renovated the studio
arts building. The renovation included a new darkroom, a digital
media room, a gallery and critique room, a projection room, a new
faculty office and studio, senior studios, expanded classroom
space, and a lounge.
The Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery shows past and
contemporary art of national and international stature through
traveling exhibitions and those curated by the gallery director and
faculty members. These exhibitions coincide with related courses in
the visual arts and humanities at Reed, and are accompanied by
lectures and discussions open to the Portland community. In 2003-04
the gallery showed artists’ books from the Reed College collection
and three exhibitions devoted to the work of single artists:
Jennifer Bartlett, Whitfield Lovell, and Michael C. McMillen.
Requirements for the Major
For students doing a studio thesis: four units of art history,
including Art 201 and at least one course in non-Western art; seven
units of studio art, including Art 161; and Art 470. At least one
semester of a 300-level studio course should be completed before
the thesis year. For students doing an art history thesis: five
units of art history, including Art 201, at least one course in
non-Western art, and one course at the 400 level; four units of
studio art, including Art 161; and Art 470.
No art major, except one who transfers with junior standing, may
use more than one unit of studio art and one unit of art history
from outside Reed to fulfill departmental requirements.
Interdisciplinary majors are normally allowed to waive two units
from the departmental requirement, one each from art history and
studio art.
Applicants planning to major in art are not normally considered
before successful completion, or reasonable certainty thereof, of
Art 161 and 201. Transfers from other colleges, for whom in some
cases one of these introductory courses may be waived, are expected
to take a comparable amount of course work at Reed (one unit of art
history and one unit of studio art) before they can be considered
as majors.
Normally, before taking the junior qualifying exam, students should
have taken the following courses at Reed (in addition to Art 161
and 201): for students planning a studio art thesis, at least one
unit of studio art at the 300 level; for students planning an art
history thesis, three units of art history.
Senior Thesis
The senior thesis encourages students to pursue a significant,
clearly defined project through individual initiative and
independent work, culminating in a unified body of art or
historical study.
Pacific Northwest College of Art Program
Reed students are eligible to apply to a joint program with the
Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). The joint program requires
five years: the first and second years at Reed, followed by a
two-year course of full-time study at PNCA, and a fifth year
combining work at both institutions. Graduates of this program
receive a bachelor of arts from Reed and a bachelor of fine arts
from PNCA.
Students interested in this course of study are strongly advised to
meet with the Reed chair of the joint program before the end of
their first year. Although application to the program occurs in the
fourth semester, it is important that students be aware of the
requirement differences for the Reed art and joint program majors.
Applicants to the program are recommended by the Reed chair, and
acceptance is contingent upon successful completion of at least 16
units of Reed credit, including at least three units of studio art
and one unit of art history at Reed.
