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Art

The goal of the Art Department is to raise students to a level of self-sufficiency, independent critical thinking, and proficiency in the creation and discussion of works of art in order that they might sustain a lively, generative, and relevant practice outside of the College environment.

About the Major

At Hamilton, art students create, learn, and display their talents in the new Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts. Across the street is the Wellin Museum, another acclaimed facility that hosts professional exhibits. As part of this exciting, rigorous, interdisciplinary art-making community, students explore the meaning art holds in their own lives and how art communicates ideas to others.

Students Will Learn To:

  • Construct meaning using visual information
  • Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic tools and techniques of new and traditional media
  • Analyze their studio processes by diagramming the stages in creative thinking
  • Use critique to formulate and build personal direction
  • Generate a public exhibition

A Sampling of Courses

Pottery

Introduction to Ceramics

Handbuilding techniques will be employed to explore the sculptural possibilities of clay. A developed visual and conceptual vocabulary will accompany the technical aspects of ceramics through studio practice and class critique.

Explore these select courses:

An introduction to the history, tools and language of basic animation styles. This course will trace the history of experiments in animated imagery from 19th Century photography through 20th Century film into 21st Century digital works. The class will cover basic techniques in Photoshop, Adobe Premier, and illustration and animation software interfaces.

Study of advanced elements in imaginative and representational drawing with emphasis on color and mixed media.

Advanced study of photography through the investigation of alternative processes. Emphasis on the use of various historic and non-traditional processes, including photograms, pinhole cameras, cyanotype printing, and polaroid transfers, as well as emerging digital techniques including digital negatives and solarplate photogravure printing. Continued exploration of personal vision. Normally offered every 3rd year.

Advanced study of materials such as clay, wood, plaster, steel, and plastic utilizing processes such as moulding, casting, fabrication, carving and construction. May repeat for credit at increasingly advanced levels with permission of the professor.

Exploration of the process and theory of museum exhibition curating, taught in conjunction with the preparation of an exhibition in the Wellin Museum. Emphasis on the history of photography and the role of western art institutions in the appropriation and repurposing of archival imagery. Studio-based artistic response required based on materials presented. Students will work collaboratively on exhibition materials, including image selection and layout, catalog and wall text production, and multimedia materials such as podcasts.
All Courses Requirements

Meet Our Faculty

William Salzillo

Chair, the Kevin W. Kennedy Professor of Art

wsalzill@hamilton.edu

most recent works explore the landscapes of California, the American Southwest, and Italy

Amy Brener

Assistant Professor of Art

abrener@hamilton.edu

sculpture, drawing, and digital media

Laurie (Ella) Gant

Professor of Art

egant@hamilton.edu

video, performance, installation, photography, electronic media, and history and contemporary practices in each of those areas

Robert Knight

Associate Professor of Art

rbknight@hamilton.edu

photography, history of photography, video capture and editing, Adobe premiere, art foundations curriculum, and 2D and 4D fundamentals

Katharine Kuharic

Professor of Art

kkuharic@hamilton.edu

painting and drawing

Rebecca Murtaugh

John and Anne Fischer Professor of the Fine Arts

rmurtaug@hamilton.edu

sculpture, ceramics

Explore Hamilton Stories

Alex and the Chapel

Hockey, Art, Music and Economy in November’s News

November’s news coverage highlights include a profile of alumnus and folk musician Jake Blount ’17, announcement of Hamilton’s new dean of admission, and an interview with the Wellin Museum’s director discussing its 10th anniversary.

Alumni Docent Panel

Wellin Docents Discuss Careers in Art

For many, work in the art world conjures images of artists at easels. However, a career in art can be much broader and involve aspects beyond the creation of art.

Fiona Murphy '23

Murphy ’23 Exploring Artistic Technique of Embodiment

As Fiona Murphy ’23 creates her comics, she pulls her mental state into the physical world. Each blurred line or harsh impression is purposeful, constructed to evoke a certain psychological experience: gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, or sleep deprivation.

Careers After Hamilton

Hamilton graduates who concentrated in art are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:

  • Editorial Assistant, Random House
  • Director, High Museum of Art
  • Visual Designer, Fidelity Investment
  • Director, Credit Suisse
  • Landscape Design, Living Green
  • Technical Director, Pixar Animation Studios
  • Photographer, United Nations
  • Major Gifts Officer, Grand Teton National Park Foundation
  • Owner/Founder, Vermont Glass Workshop

Contact

Department Name

Art Department

Contact Name

Bill Salzillo, Chair

Office Location
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
Phone
315-859-4269
URL
Department-Maintained Website

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