Painting & Drawing

Office: 112 South Michigan Avenue, 15th floor
312.345-3593

Students in the painting and drawing department investigate and develop ideas and practice in painting and related disciplines. Studio practice and the rigorous critical, theoretical, and historical study necessary to inform individual aesthetic choices and expression are emphasized. The painting and drawing department offers the opportunity for focused study within the tradition of painting, as well as for expansive and interdisciplinary activity that draws on the many other resources and disciplines within the breadth of the School. Some students choose to work with more traditional regard for painting practices, while others may expand their practices to engage alternative media or materials that range from print media to computer imaging, or involvement with the time arts. Students work from a considerable variety of perceptual, conceptual, procedural, imaginary, and theoretical models.

Rigorous critiques help students articulate their intentions, analyze their efforts, and evaluate their progress. Among the painting and drawing department’s fifty-two faculty members, twelve have won grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; many have won Fulbright, Tiffany, Ford Foundation, and Guggenheim grants as well as national and regional honors. Faculty works appear in galleries and museums throughout the world. This level of achievement sets the standard for students in painting and drawing.

Equipment and facilities include:

Ample individual studios; four large, naturally lit critique spaces; in-house art supply store; access to library, computer labs, models, and
specific undergraduate classes.