Sculpture
Sculpture Faculty
Kay Dartt, MFA • kdartt@shepherd.edu
Interim Coordinator of Sculpture Program, Clinical Assistant Professor of Art & 3D Fabrication Manager
The B.F.A. Sculpture program at Shepherd gives students an opportunity to learn contemporary and traditional sculptural techniques while exploring the relationship between media, concept and spatial perception. The first two years of the program provide an introduction to basic sculptural processes and visual language as it applies to 3-dimensional and time based work. Students are encouraged to develop an awareness of how art and designed objects impact the spaces they inhabit, how scale affects response, and how the materials themselves communicate ideas. Problem-solving techniques and exposure to different materials and processes are encouraged and developed during the first year. The upper level curriculum is more open-ended, allowing students to find a balance in work between media, form and function. They develop their own unique methods and visual vocabulary, a personal style through a balance of theory and practice.
Our sculpture program places a strong emphasis on the importance of learning outside of the classroom, as demonstrated in our numerous travel opportunities. Students will explore contemporary approaches to sculpture through exposure to current working artists. Departmental field trips to museums, galleries, and studios are offered many times throughout the year to provide this first-hand experience. A well-established travel program to New York City is offered annually. Our travel abroad program allows students to travel with the faculty to study and experience the best museums and cultural centers in the world. A gallery and visiting artist program brings contemporary art and artists directly to you. The department also capitalizes on the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region to take students to conferences, exhibitions, and other professional events.
The facility hosts a variety of wood, metal, plastic, mold-making and foundry, and electronic tools for students to use and is connected to the SU FASTEnER Lab, for digital tooling such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC cutting processes. Design and interdisciplinary integration is paramount in this space and students are encouraged to work across disciplines.
For more info about SU FASTEnER Lab please visit www.sufastenerlab.org