BA – ARTS ADMINISTRATION – VISUAL ARTS CONCENTRATION

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT REPORT: AY 2012-2013

Program Rationale/Purpose Statement:
The interdisciplinary nature of the major and the curriculum incorporates areas of study from the Arts, Communications, and Business. The program is designed to balance artistic sensibilities with business, marketing and management skills that will prepare students for the world of work in the public and private sector. Studio and art history courses will use a global thematic approach to develop the student’s vocabulary and interpretive skills with an emphasis on contemporary applications and interpretations. Visual applications will originate from a combination of formal art studio courses and digitally based visual communication courses. Business courses will offer a great deal of flexibility in areas such as management and marketing. The program will incorporate four branches of learning: the fine arts, business, research and technology. The program will be flexible enough to allow students to achieve a balance of artistic and managerial concerns, of theory and hands-on experience. The high degree of flexibility allows students to tailor a degree program according to their individual needs and interests. The opening of the Diane Kidd Gallery in the Hayes Art Center gives Tiffin University a much higher profile in the arts, locally and regionally, and it will offer the students a professional arts venue capable of supporting a wide variety of exhibitions on a larger scale. Internships will be required, in galleries and museums in the Toledo/Columbus/Cleveland areas, and may offer students hands-on experience in aspects of gallery management: exhibition development, contract negotiation, marketing and promotion, budget development, design of related publications, cost and program analysis. The Major in Arts Administration also serves students who plan to pursue graduate studies in Arts Administration/Management at a variety of institutions across the country.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Marketing / Recruitment Target Statement:
See “Marketing/Recruitment Target Statement” at the beginning of this section. Students with artistic and creative skills, but sensitive to the economic reality of today’s society, can work towards a degree that is flexible enough in content and focus to incorporate personal creativity with sound business skills and practices.
Goals of the Program/Corresponding Classes:
Knowledgeable in basic principles of exhibition development. ART392
To implement the observational, analytical, research, and interpretive skills necessary for understanding the cultural and stylistic significance of works of art. ART201
To establish artistic and practical skills needed for graduate level studies in this field. ART392
Program Executive Summary:
The program continues to develop in response both to the industry of Arts Administration and the particular needs of our student body. A survey by the Association of Arts Administration Educators of over 640 arts organizations found that the top skills needed were leadership, fundraising, communication and writing, marketing and audience development, budgeting, aesthetic/artistic sense and community outreach. This year, I surveyed over 12 Arts Administration curricula at different universities, and redesigned our curriculum to bring it up to date with current trends. This curriculum will go into effect AY 2013-14. This new curriculum would work to build those desired skills, and would bring TU’s program into greater alignment with nationally recognized programs.
The current curriculum does not fit the needs of the visual arts administration industry. These proposed changes include greater exposure to digital media, a solid foundation in art history and the discipline’s methodologies, and an added course in arts administration issues specific to visual arts management. These curricular changes would still give non-majors access to studio and art history courses that would fulfill their general education requirement and build skills useful in professions outside of the arts, but would hopefully address the problem of chronically under-enrolled courses in the current Art curriculum.
This new curriculum reflects changes in art and arts administration programs across the country. These changes include a move away from art as a practice of distinct mediums, and instead approach the discipline as a process of visual problem-solving with each medium as a different tool, with an increased emphasis on digital media. This revised approach will also offer more applicable skills to students outside the major.
Section One: Describe all department activities with respect to improving student learning in the major. This may include new faculty hires, course revisions, assignment creation, rubric revisions, goal evaluations, etc.
Section Two: Describe which program goal(s) in the Major Program Plan was assessed during the academic year.
Section Three: Describe analysis of assessment data and action plans for upcoming academic year.
Intended Outcomes/Assessment Criteria:
Intended Outcome 1: (D–Career Readiness–Program Specific) Knowledgeable in principles of exhibition development.
Assessment Criteria: As part of completing ART392, students will design, publicize and install an exhibit of student work. 80% of majors will be proficient or better.
Section One - Activity Statement:
Students in Art 392 designed and installed an exhibit of their work in a designated area of the gallery for the annual Student Art Show. Each student had at least four pieces as a part of the show, and an artist statement. The instructor also integrated the gallery’s professional exhibits into the course, as class time was dedicated to discussing the work and the shows’ installation.
Section Two - Results of Outcomes Activity:
2012-2013 / Met/Not Met
Not Met / Data Details
One student was proficient, one student was not.
Section Three - Analysis and Action Plans:
One of the majors was not present for the day of curation and installation, and so the instructor hung her work.
Intended Outcome 2: (D – Critical Thinking / D – Career Readiness – Program Specific) To implement the observational, analytical, research, and interpretive skills necessary for understanding the cultural and stylistic significance of works of art.
Assessment Criteria: Students will make a final presentation in ART201 that demonstrates competency in the ability to research, analyze, and interpret the work of a select artist.75% of majors will be basic or better.
Section One - Activity Statement:
Students research a specific artist and give a presentation analyzing the artist’s work. I had provided the adjunct with the assessment rubric at the beginning of the course, and given her several resources about art historical methodologies to use in the course.
Section Two - Results of Outcomes Activity:
2012-2013 / Met/Not Met
Met / Data Details
75% of majors will be basic or better (mean average 85%)
Section Three - Analysis and Action Plans:
There was one major in the course, and she did exceptional work. Her presentation was well-researched, and she articulated both contextual information about the artist and was able to use several art historical methodologies to analyze the work. I will suggest a continued emphasis on visual analysis with these methodologies, and continue to have the instructor concentrate more on depth of study rather than concern with light coverage of all time periods in art history.
Intended Outcome 3: (D – Career Readiness – Program Specific)To establish intellectual and practical skills needed for graduate level studies in this field.
Assessment Criteria: Students will complete an oral defense of their final portfolio before a panel review as part of completing ART392. 80% of majors will be proficient or better.
Section One - Activity Statement:
Many of the students attended gallery openings and heard the artists talk about their work. Students in Art 392 participated in a group critique of each other’s final portfolio of work.
Section Two - Results of Outcomes Activity:
2012-2013 / Met/Not Met
Met / Data Details
80% of majors will be proficient or better (mean was 90%).
Section Three - Analysis and Action Plans:
One major was able to discuss his drawing style that was influenced by tattoo artists. His color choices were inspired by the Pop art movement and showed in his artwork. He described his work both compositionally and thematically with accuracy. He created mood with his use of black and white designs that included splashes of color. He was able to take criticism, respond to it and to apply it. He answered questions when they were presented to him about the work. The other major discussed concepts that interested her (architecture, patterns), but these inspirations were not represent often in her work. She addressed topics that dealt with personal issues and concepts. She was hesitant to speak about her work because of the personal associations in concepts. She changed her work regularly because she struggled with discussing her ideas around the pieces. Throughout the course she developed a dialogue with others. She expanded her vocabulary articulately when explaining her work and was open to suggestions.
Critiques are difficult conversations for students, as they require the student to allow peers, not just the professor, to assess their work. Critiques are intended to not only allow peer assessment, but also to encourage the students to change and revise work based on those conversations. These students experiences with the critique process suggests that continued emphasis on critiques must be emphasized to the instructors of the lower-level studio courses. Resources and materials should be given to the adjuncts, beyond the informal conversations I’ve had with them over the academic year. I should also observe their critiques, and give them feedback as to the expectations of that process. Building critique skills in the lower-level studio courses will help students when they take Art 392, the studio capstone course.
Now that the gallery is back under the direction of Academic Affairs, greater effort will be made to integrate its activities into the Visual Art courses.