Exploring the Art Department at UCLA: Programs, Faculty, and Opportunities

The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts) stands as a beacon of artistic exploration and innovation. With a rich history dating back to the early commitment to the arts in 1919, UCLA Arts fosters a dynamic environment where students can hone their skills and engage with the world of art. Through its four degree-granting departments, UCLA Arts provides a range of course offerings and programs. Following academic restructuring in the late 1980s, the UC Regents formally approved the establishment of two schools: the School of the Arts and the School of Theater, Film and Television. This article delves into the art department at UCLA, highlighting its programs, faculty, and the unique opportunities it offers to aspiring artists.

A Legacy of Artistic Commitment

UCLA's dedication to the arts is deeply rooted in its history. In 1919, the university established an art gallery and a music department, demonstrating an early commitment to providing students with opportunities to explore their creative passions. This commitment has grown over the years, culminating in the establishment of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, a professional school dedicated to fostering artistic excellence.

Unparalleled Opportunities for Students

Students in the UCLA art department benefit from unparalleled opportunities to learn from and collaborate with a faculty of internationally recognized artists and distinguished guest lecturers. This close interaction with accomplished professionals provides invaluable mentorship and guidance, shaping students' artistic development and preparing them for successful careers in the art world.

Foundational Courses: Building a Strong Artistic Base

The art department offers a range of foundational courses designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen media. These courses provide a comprehensive introduction to various artistic disciplines, fostering a strong artistic base upon which students can build their individual practices.

Drawing (Course 1A)

This introductory course focuses on basic drawing skills, history, and conceptual concerns, serving as preparation for work in a variety of media. Students engage in studio work for eight hours, with an additional five hours arranged for individual exploration and development.

Painting (Course 11A)

This course introduces students to the basics of painting, covering technical procedures, tools, and materials. Fundamental conceptual and formal concerns are discussed, providing a solid foundation for further exploration in the medium. The course involves eight hours of studio work and seven hours arranged for individual practice.

Intermediate Drawing (Course 11B)

Building upon the skills learned in Course 1A, this course explores drawing as both an independent expressive medium and as a means of visualization. Students with credit for course 20 cannot take this course for credit. May be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. The course involves eight hours of studio work and seven hours arranged for individual practice.

Intermediate Painting (Course 11C)

A continuation of Course 11A, this course delves into varied media and subjects to further develop students' technical and expressive means to implement their ideas. May be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. The course involves eight hours of studio work and seven hours arranged for individual practice. A requisite for this course is Course 11A.

Advanced Studies: Specialization and Exploration

As students progress in their studies, they have the opportunity to specialize in specific areas of interest and explore advanced concepts and techniques. These advanced courses allow students to deepen their understanding of their chosen media and develop their unique artistic voices.

Advanced Painting (Course 133 & 133A)

These courses offer varied approaches to painting media and content, with the goal of developing students' technical, expressive, and conceptual tools to understand and explore anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. A combination of courses 133 and 133A may be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. The course involves eight hours of studio work and seven hours arranged for individual practice. A requisite for this course is Course 11C.

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Fine Printmaking (Course 134)

This course explores selected studies in fine printmaking, both historical and contemporary, including woodcut, etching and engraving, lithography, silk screen, and mixed media. May be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. The course involves eight hours of studio work.

Individual Studies in Painting (Course 197)

This course allows for in-depth study in painting and associated media. It may be repeated for credit with the consent of an adviser. The course includes four hours of discussion and tutorial sessions to be arranged.

Group Critique/Discussion (Course 200A)

This course involves group critique and discussion of students' research, with additional tutorial meetings arranged with the instructor. May be repeated for credit. The course involves a three-hour seminar.

Advanced Topics in Critical Theory (Course 280A & C180)

These courses delve into advanced topics in critical theory and the study of contemporary art, with an emphasis on individuals, issues, and methodologies. Possible areas of study include structuralism, deconstruction, feminist and psychoanalytic theory, commodification, and censorship. May be repeated for credit. These courses are concurrently scheduled.

Photography: A Lens-Based Exploration

The Photography Area at UCLA defines photography broadly as a lens-based medium, fostering a rich history of alumni who practice in both traditional and experimental modes. The area concentrates on issues of contemporary photography, encompassing print, installation, and video. The medium of photography's history is discussed through a unique understanding of the historical/material relationship in fine-art photography.

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Introduction to Photography (Course 40)

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of photographic technique, with an emphasis on individual projects. It explores varied approaches, processes, and applications of the photographic medium within the context of art, supported by studies in theory, aesthetics, and the history of photography. The course is graded P/NP or letter grading. The course involves four hours of studio work. This course is limited to art majors and is not open for credit to students with credit for course 20.

Digital Photography (Course 46A)

This course covers techniques and processes, including the basics of shooting, editing, and output for still images and photographs. It explores professional setups and standard practices, as well as alternatives. The course reviews tools, software, workflow, storage, and output modalities. Instruction is provided in postproduction skills and tools for editing and altering images and producing high-quality printed images.

Intermediate Photography (Course 147 & 147A)

These courses explore selected projects in photography and related media, concentrating on the development of individual students' artwork. Studio emphasis is combined with special topics in theory and critical analysis. May be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. Letter grading. The course involves eight hours of studio work and seven hours arranged. A requisite for this course is Course 11B.

These courses offer varied approaches to photography's history, media, and content to develop students' technical, expressive, and conceptual tools to understand and explore anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. A combination of courses 147 and 147A may be repeated for a maximum of 20 units. Letter grading. The course involves eight hours of studio work. A requisite for this course is Course 11B.

Individual Studies in Photography (Course 197)

These studies concentrate on the development of individual students' artwork, with a studio emphasis and adjacent studies in theoretical and critical analysis. Specific attention is given to the original, expressive, social, and humanistic values of art. May be repeated for credit with consent of adviser. The course includes four hours of discussion and tutorial sessions to be arranged.

Graduate Photography Studies

Photography is one of six areas of study offered in the M.F.A. art program. Graduate students in this area are encouraged to experiment and strengthen their individual practices of making works of art using photographs. Photography faculty Catherine Opie and Rodrigo Valenzuela serve as the primary advisors to students admitted to this area of study.

Notable Faculty: Shaping the Future of Art

The UCLA art department boasts a distinguished faculty of renowned artists and scholars who are actively engaged in shaping the future of art. Their expertise and guidance provide students with invaluable insights and perspectives, fostering a vibrant and intellectually stimulating learning environment.

Current notable Professors of Design Media Arts include Rebecca Allen, Erkki Huhtamo, Peter Lunenfeld, Christian Moeller, Casey Reas, Jennifer Steinkamp, Eddo Stern, and Victoria Vesna. Current Professors of Architecture include Neil Denari, Thom Mayne, Sylvia Lavin, and Greg Lynn. Other notable faculty include Distinguished Professor of world arts and cultures Peter Sellars, Professor of Photography Catherine Opie, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studio and Department of Art Chair Andrea Fraser, Distinguished Professor of New Genres Barbara Kruger, and Distinguished Professor of Painting Lari Pittman.

M.F.A. Program and Facilities

All M.F.A. students are offered the use of off-campus individual studios in the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios, located in Culver City. In addition to individual studio spaces, the studio building houses photography, sculpture, ceramics, and computer labs, as well as open spaces for exhibitions, lectures, and group critiques.

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