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
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.
Advanced study of materials such as clay, wood, plaster, steel, and plastic utilizing processes such as moulding, casting, fabrication, carving and construction.
Meet Our Faculty
photography, history of photography, video capture and editing, Adobe premiere, art foundations curriculum, and 2D and 4D fundamentals
Painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, performance
sculpture, drawing, and digital media
video, performance, installation, photography, electronic media, and history and contemporary practices in each of those areas
painting and drawing
sculpture, ceramics
Analog and digital photography workflows, studio lighting, image and society
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
Explore Hamilton Stories
Cultivating an Aesthetic Eye: Levin ’26 Studies Ceramics in Spain
Many people assume that being pre-med means sacrificing hobbies and travel opportunities. Not so for Carolyn Levin ’26, a biochemistry and art double major, who is nurturing her pre-med goals by tapping into her enthusiasm for ceramics. With the help of an Emerson grant and the Global Study Office, she has traversed continents, languages, and ceramics studios to explore her passion.
The Last Kirkland Professor: Bill Salzillo
When Professor of Art Bill Salzillo retired in June, it marked more than the end of a productive 50-plus year career. The artist, teacher, and gallery director is the last member of the Hamilton faculty to have begun his tenure at Kirkland College.
Curating Curiosity Through Summer Museum Internships
In 2023, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Hamilton a grant for its new curatorial studies program, and this summer a handful of students had the opportunity to work behind-the-scenes as interns at regional galleries and museums. We talked with a few about their experiences.
Contact
Department Name
Art Department
Contact Name
Rob Knight, Chair
Clinton, NY 13323
