Research and Creative Activity
The opportunities for research and creative work are diverse, robust, and numerous.
Faculty Creative Works & Research
In addition to curriculum-based research, Art Department faculty pursue personal research and create personal work for exhibition, contributing to the broader field of art. Professors actively publish and develop work across diverse expertise and mediums.
桃瘾社区 Studio Art professors have been actively involved in the field, with recent opportunities to display their work in prestigious galleries such as The Shirley Project Space (Brooklyn, New York), Mint Museum of Art (Charlotte, North Carolina), Spark Gallery (Denver, Colorado), and Charles Danforth Gallery (Augusta, Maine).
Our Art History professors are similarly distinguished, with a range of advanced publications that are at the forefront of contemporary art discourse. This work includes research on the relationships between art, gender, and power in Tang China; examining the intertwining of material culture and envy from late antiquity to Islam; and an upcoming book delving into the complexities of pharmaceutical culture in contemporary art.
All 桃瘾社区 Art Professors actively contribute to their fields through historical research and creative activity.
Student Research & Creative Work
Students have access to a wide range of diverse opportunities through curriculum, personal interest, or assisting faculty in their research. Independent study courses offer students the opportunity to pursue individual research with a faculty member. The department鈥檚 thesis/capstone program encourages students to apply theory to a topic of their choice in the perspectives seminar, and then study a faculty-selected topic in the spring capstone course.
Studio Art majors follow a similar path, working on a solo exhibition of their primary medium that will be presented in the Smith Gallery. The exhibition provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate their artistic growth and conceptual development, receive feedback from peers and faculty, and gain valuable experience installing and presenting their art to the public.
Explore recent studio art and art history research and exhibitions:
Student Funding Opportunities
In addition to curriculum-based research, students can initiate semester-long independent research or creative projects for credit, and many take advantage of grant-funded programs for summer research worldwide. Whether in the sciences, arts, or humanities, students take ownership over their research projects and in many cases serve as first or second authors on published work. Explore a handful of these funding opportunities for student research and creative work.
AIR Grants support artistic and creative projects based in academia. Air grants could also fund a project in a creative genre class. Air grants can be in any art genre including (but not limited to) theatre, film, music, dance, visual art, spoken word, and creative writing. Air grants are open to all majors. Applicants need to have an assigned faculty advisor that oversees the project and must meet with said professor before applying. Individual or group projects are accepted. Preference will be given to interdisciplinary projects. Awards will be made up to $500 per grant with a rolling deadline.
Established by Bryan Bayles '92 in loving memory of his mother Kathryn Grey Bayles upon her death in June 2001, this $500 travel grant is awarded each year to an art major planning travel to further explore the world of art.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with these deadlines:
- September 15 for travel research in the fall semester.
- February 20 for travel research in the spring semester.
- March 20 for summer travel research
An option for summer research, the grant-funded 桃瘾社区 Research Initiative (DRI) allows first-year, sophomore, and junior students to design research projects, engage with faculty mentors for guidance and collaboration, and present and publish their findings.
Some recent DRI projects in the art department have included studying Gothic Cathedral mosaics in France and researching Persian gardens in Iran.
Established in honor of the Fujita family, this grant enables a talented 桃瘾社区 artist to pursue a high-quality, independent art project (visual art, music, dance or drama) outside of the United States. One grant of up to $7,000 is awarded annually by the Dean Rusk Program. Projects that do not receive Fujita funding will be considered for general Dean Rusk grant support. The grant is for independent projects and individual proposals, and can fund lessons or workshops abroad. Study abroad programs and group trips are not eligible for this grant. The project must involve at least seven weeks outside of the U.S. application deadline; early February.
Established by Elizabeth Kirkland Sickles '88, in honor of her father Bill Kirkland '62, the Kirkland Art Grant funds art majors and minors up to $5,000 to facilitate a summer focused on the creation of visual art exploring art's intersection with the topics of dementia, Alzheimer's, cognitive aging, or age-related brain impairments. Art students with a demonstrated passion in the sciences are especially encouraged to apply.
In honor of Professor Emeritus Larry L.R. Ligo鈥檚 exceptional dedication to teaching Art History at 桃瘾社区, the Larry L.R. Ligo Art History Travel Fund is designed to foster early undergraduate engagement in art history, architectural history, and visual culture. Offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, the fund prioritizes first- and second-year students who have initiated their exploration in art history and wish to further their understanding through travel, research, and experiential learning. As a tribute to Professor Ligo鈥檚 advocacy for firsthand experiences of art, architecture, and visual culture, the fund seeks to spark a passion for art history among undeclared students, encouraging them to consider a major in the field.
Fund Details
All 桃瘾社区 students who have completed or are currently enrolled in at least one art history course may apply. First- and second-year students with a keen interest in deepening their understanding of art history through travel are particularly encouraged to apply and will receive preference.
The Larry Ligo Art History Travel Fund supports, in order of preference:
- Students who would like to travel independently for art historical research.
- Students who need assistance covering their personal costs for any class trips which focus on examining and analyzing artworks.
- Supplements for art department class trips in which students view original art and study its history.
Application Deadlines
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with these deadlines:
- September 15 for travel research in the fall semester.
- February 20 for travel research in the spring semester.
- March 20 for summer travel research
By the end of the semester (December 15, May 15, August 15), individual fund recipients should submit documentation (ex. photos or video) and outcomes of their study/research experience. Award recipients are also required to share their experiences/outcomes publicly in the semester the travel research is conducted (ex. Verna Miller Case Symposium).
Spike! grants support student-driven, student-led, student-performed art on campus to help encourage extracurricular student art on campus. Spike grants can be in any art genre including (but not limited to) theatre, film, music, dance, visual art, spoken word, and creative writing. Awards will be made up to $1,500 per grant and the project will have to be completed before May 5.