24 courses with the subject ART, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ART 101FOUNDATIONS OF CREATIVE PRACTICE3
This course provides strategies for students to adjust to college as a first step in pursuing a creative career. Students will learn about the college’s resources, services, policies, and educational technology. The course will also teach proper use of tools, equipment, and chemicals, and will introduce digital skills necessary for portfolio documentation. Students will develop skills in educational planning, goal setting, and time management particular to their creative pursuits.
This course is an introduction to inventive drawing techniques, with an emphasis on narrative. The skills developed are applicable to a range of illustration styles, from simple cartooning to anime and naturalistic rendering. Students examine strategies for effective communication of story and mood to create characters, props, and environments. Exercises use both traditional and digital media.
This course is an exploration of type design, including its history and contemporary use. The course examines the development of letter formation. It addresses calligraphy, letterpress printing, and digital experimentation. Concepts will be examined for creative potential, corporate identification, and personal exploration. Assignments demonstrate visual solutions for typographic design problems, with emphasis on traditional and digital solutions.
This course provides a basic introduction to the field of printmaking through its historic and contemporary technological forms and function. It explores the potential of the variant and the edition print. Relief, intaglio, drypoint, monoprint and risograph processes will be covered. It introduces an analysis of paper, print matrix, inks and the related fields of bookmaking and letterpress printing. Students will examine the role of the hand- printed image, the digital reproduction and the rich hybrid between these methods of printmaking.
This course surveys the history and stylistic development of the visual arts. The student is introduced to the process of formal, compositional analysis as it relates to content and historical context, as well as the changing role of art and artist in culture.
This course examines the function, construction, and context of objects created in the non-Western cultures of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. It establishes how art objects are an unconscious representation of a culture’s ideology. The arts of these areas will be examined from an anthropological perspective. Particular attention will be paid to cross-fertilization of iconography, material and methodologies. Content will be explored primarily in a chronological 2026-2027 Westmoreland County Community College Catalog and geographic framework.
This course examines contemporary art from the 1960s to the present. It covers the fundamental framework and critical ideas that have been documented in recent art history. It explores the major changes in the perception and function of art – how it is made, where it is presented, the role of the audience and how the work is historically recorded. The course focuses on a thematic approach to content.
This course introduces the student to the historical and cultural context of American painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts. It examines the development of a distinctly American art. In addition to the history and progression of art of the United States, students will examine the role of local institutions such as the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
This course explores the evolution of visual communication from early symbolic systems to digital culture, tracing key movements, influential designers, and major technological shifts. Students examine how typography, imagery, layout, and design principles emerged and transformed in response to cultural, political, and technological change. The course emphasizes learning to interpret design within historical contexts, analyze landmark works, and understand design’s role in communication, persuasion, and cultural identity.
This course examines the elements and principles of 2D design, including line, shape, value, color, and composition. Students will solve design problems to develop their understanding of visual communication.
This course applies the basic elements and principles of design to the creation of three-dimensional projects, from wall-reliefs to free-standing forms. Students use a variety of materials to solve sculptural design problems involving volume, space, fabrication and construction. Prerequisite(s): ART 160 or Permission of Instructor
Drawing is a foundational art skill, which enables students to think visually and imaginatively. The course will emphasize drawing from observation, while exploring other ways to analyze shapes and the illusion of space on a two-dimensional picture-plane. In this survey course, students will explore a range of techniques and materials.
By focusing on the human figure, students will learn to render complex forms using a variety of strategies and materials. The course mixes anatomical study and observational drawing. Emphasis is placed on a balance of gesture and structure to express the personality and emotion of both artist and subject. Prerequisite(s): ART 162 or
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of color mixing, paint application, surface preparation, and other key factors of the painter's craft. The course will explore composition, visual observation, and personal expression as crucial components of the picture making process. Students will consider the historical and contexts of painting. Prerequisite(s): ART 162 or Permission of Instructor
This course introduces students to the philanthropic world and the fundamentals of successfully attracting grant funding. Students will become familiar with the vocabulary used in this field and the skills and education needed to pursue a grant-writing career. During the course, students will develop an appreciation of the importance of thorough research and preparation in developing a fundable “ask” and in identifying the best donor match(es) for it. They will be given guidance and asked to build an effective case statement that employs persuasion and critical analytical skills in written discourse.
CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS 3-0-3 This course provides a broad overview of legal issues that may affect artists and creative professionals. It is not designed to make lawyers of students, but rather to create a heightened awareness of legal issues, which may require that the artist seek the counsel of a legal professional. The course will address issues such as: copyright protection, censorship, contract law, forms of business entities, and online resources.
This course will provide an overview of the possible careers within museums, particularly for students undertaking liberal arts/creative degrees. The course is designed to make students aware of the jobs and career paths available so that they can better utilize their degree offerings in order to streamline and strengthen their skills and education for future employment.
Art Special Topics is developed to cover specific emerging technologies, issues or specialized content not represented in the main curriculum. Special topics courses meet the variable needs of students, businesses and community and will enhance the disciplinary framework where the content of the course changes each time it is offered. The special topics area will be designated in the course outline of record, and must be approved by the Division Dean. Special topics course descriptions are not printed in the college catalog but are included in the class schedule for the semester they will be offered.
This course will provide students with the educational foundations to grow or launch a creative business. This course focuses on six essential elements of creative business success- capital, markets, peers, space, guidance, and workforce as the guiding elements for assignments and class discussions. Over the course of the semester, each student will develop a business plan framework for a real or fictional creative business, which will include aspects such as basic legal considerations, art business finances, and marketing. Students will gain the fundamental building blocks to make a living as a creative professional.
This course is an introduction to the materials and techniques used in creating artist’s books. In addition to lectures and discussions, students will explore historical and contemporary binding methods through hands-on activities. Students will develop skills in signature binding, material selection, and container construction. Additionally the course will focus on the conceptual aspects of book design, including narrative structures, text/image relationships, and alternative book forms. 2026-2027 Westmoreland County Community College Catalog
This course provides an overview of fabric arts. Students will explore the development of textile aesthetics with an emphasis on cultural context. Students will experiment with a variety of techniques, including dying, batiking, and weaving. The course will also examine color, material, and strategies for pattern design.
This course is designed to prepare a student’s work for advanced art programs and professional employment. The student will be provided with a fundamental set of skills that will be used throughout their developing careers. Students will assess and define their professional goals and write an artist statement. Students will document, present, and organize their studio work. They will also create a resume and portfolio web page. Students are required to enter at least one art competition or graphic publication, locate desirable job descriptions, and participate in a mock interview.
This course is a capstone experience for art students, which builds upon the material covered in ART 101 and ART 285. Students will develop and install an exhibition based on a cohesive body of their own work. Students will be responsible for all aspects of the exhibition process, including curation, time management, publicity, and installation. In addition to a public reception, the resulting show will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and professionals. Prerequisite(s): ART 285
