Course Syllabus

ART 2950 Experiments in Creative Thinking

Course Description

Experiments in Creative Thinking is an idea-driven course designed to teach students to solve creative, conceptual, and material problems through interpretation and invention. Emphasis is placed on imagination, experimentation, audience, and on gaining an understanding of the rationale behind one's own and others' artistic production. This course incorporates current themes in contemporary art and culture. Students develop an expanded vocabulary of contemporary creative practices while learning how to visually and verbally communicate their ideas and process. Students are expected to be self-motivated and directed. Class hours are devoted to lectures, discussions, creative exercises, and critiques. This course is open to all students interested in the creative process.

Justification

Snow College Visual Arts has an Associate of Fine Art (AFA) in Visual Studies Degree. Experiments in Creative Thinking addresses artistic issues not currently taught in other art classes. Students need to be able to articulate the creative process and support their material production with intellectual rigor in the context of current academic debate. Most higher education institutions teach these ideas and methods and it is important that Snow students can articulate these concepts both visually and verbally. This course will prepare students to transfer to a BFA program with a stronger understanding of contemporary creative genres and concepts.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in materials as applied to a range of concepts and techniques.
2. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to identify conceptual principles including discernment between material, formal and conceptual issues, problem solving, and communication as applied to their creative process.
3. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to critically analyze the creative process including materials, concepts, historical context, conceptual merit, and effective visual communication.
4. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to utilize the creative process as it applies to their own and others’ work.

Course Content

This class will include lectures, discussions, critiques, and applied projects as they apply to the following topics in experimental and creative practices: resource building, mapping systems in cultural belief and future planning, risk management in artistic practice, and audience integration. Students will complete a series of exercises designed to explore the boundaries of creative practice.