Art & Technology Program

Overview
The Art & Technology Program (ARTC) at Stevens Institute of Technology spans several visual art disciplines involving the technical, scientific, entertainment, design and fine arts communities. We offer a setting for experimentation and creative production that includes print, animation, video, the Internet, and sculpture. Some students lean towards creative expression and design while others focus on hybrid areas situated between the arts and the sciences. The two approaches complement one another, leading to critical and creative thinking, the development of cultural perspective, and technological innovations. The program offers an opportunity to select complementary courses from engineering, science, and business programs, as well as the College of Arts and Letters. We have also devised a set of computer graphics and visualization courses within the Department of Computer Science that are of particular interest in our field.

Program Mission
The Art & Technology Program has several missions:
1) We are an academic department that promotes and administers the education of students in art as it relates to, and interacts with, technology, science and the humanities. This includes a curriculum that draws upon traditional as well as new and emerging art forms and remains firmly rooted in historical, theoretical and critical inquiry.
2) We provide a program that utilizes our close proximity to New York City’s art, artists, and professionals in industry. Aesthetic criteria dominate our offering, but practical experience is fostered by internships and work in the professional arena with visiting artists, artists in residence, and individuals, organizations and companies in the Metropolitan Area.
3) The program is a conduit for partnerships involving artists, engineers, and scientists in collaborative initiatives. Highly specialized laboratories are provided for research, innovation and creativity within various areas at Stevens, building upon a tradition of cooperation across technical and conceptual divides.
4) The program increases the reputation of Stevens Institute and our faculty. Located next door to New York City, the capital of the art and entertainment industries, we include internationally recognized faculty — artists and researchers committed to the creation and dissemination of work at the highest level, a fact evident in the number of exhibitions, performances, publications, and invited talks we offer. Additionally, we have partnerships with institutions such as the School of Visual Arts, Harvestworks Media Arts Center, Parsons School of Design, and others.
5) The program operates within the larger context of Stevens Institute of Technology, providing a forum for information, education, aesthetics, and culture to other departments and schools within the Institute.

Admission
We do not require a portfolio review for admission into the Art & Technology Program. We believe that art education in most secondary schools is rooted in early 20th century practices of drawing and painting and does not promote development of, or reward for, students who are interested in less traditional modes of creative expression.

Curriculum

In the first year, students concentrate on formal 2-D and 3-D foundations in art, coupled with drawing, art history, math, science and the humanities. Second year students add digital imaging, 3-D animation, and video. In the third year, students are introduced to a transmedia approach to production and learn to focus a variety of media and methods towards a common goal. The students’ final year culminates with an exhibition of a significant body of work or major project in which the ideas, methods of investigation, and execution are determined by the student under the guidance and direction of a faculty advisor. Many students elect to minor or double major in Computer Science, Business, or Engineering. A few complete their masters degrees while receiving their Bachelor of Arts.

The Bachelor of Arts curriculum organizes courses into the following categories:  Freshman/Sophomore Humanities (8 courses), the Major Concentration (10 courses), upper-level Electives (9 courses), and the Secondary Concentration (5 courses). Additional requirements include 6 courses covering Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, and Economics or Psychology, and 6 semesters of Physical Education.

History

One of Stevens’ most world-renowned alums is Alexander Calder (’19), who incorporated his training as an engineer into the arts and invented the mobile. Calder’s contribution to the merging of art and technology plays a tremendous role in both the history of art and the history of Stevens. It was in 1969 that the first art class was offered at Stevens, and this was at the request of the humanities department, which thought that a non-text-based course should be offered as “an alternative to the written response.” Under the guidance of artist-in-residence Paul Miller, art for engineers thrived. “Naturally, students asked their professors about materials, techniques, systems, and technical information, and just as naturally, the professors became involved, and so the interest spread.” (Miller). A gallery on campus showcased student work, and opportunities for creative thinking enabled students to experiment with art and technology in ways that today we take for granted. In 1971, for example, an electrical engineering student proposed “a digital computer ‘digatone’ which produces 16-note melodies” whenever someone walked in front of a camera, and a mechanical engineering student “used his knowledge of gears and cams to develop a ‘kinetic mosaic’ of transparent acetate flowers which revolve and move independently at various speeds.”

In 2003, Erich Kunhardt, Dean of the Imperatore School of Science and Art, spearheaded the Department of Art, Music and Technology, under which the Art & Technology program was founded and is directed by Julie Harrison. We are currently housed within the newly formed College of Arts & Letters.

Visiting Artists

Every year leading artists in their fields are invited to work with our students. This aspect of the program enables students to go deeper into an area of interest, collaborate with the most cutting-edge thinkers and disciplines, and become involved with professionals as life-long mentors.

Facilities

• The Media Arts Center is available as a classroom and lab, which contains seventeen Macintosh workstations with state-of-the art audio, video, and animation software, assorted audio and video equipment, and an isolation booth.
• The Green Room is a multi-purpose studio with a green screen cyclorama and a sculpture area.
• The Print Room houses a large-scale Epson 9800 and is utilized for printing, cutting and mounting.
• Babbio Atrium is a glassed-in area overlooking the Manhattan skyline and is utilized for exhibitions, performances, and special functions.
• DeBaun Theatre
• Babbio Auditorium

The Stevens Community

Stevens is one of the leading technological universities in the country with an established reputation for innovation in science, engineering, and technology. Against this backdrop, students in the Art & Technology program will have opportunities to find unique ways of merging their interest in science and technology with their passion for art, an opportunity not available in most academic institutions.