Answering Questions about Art at Brown, Registering at RISD, & art resources at Brown

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<p>I’m a VA (visual arts) major at Brown. As a potter / wannabe glass blower, I take a lot of my classes as RISD, though also some at Brown. I don’t know a ton about the program here but it doesn’t seem like there are not a lot of VA majors on this board so I figured I know enough to answer some questions. </p>

<p>A few points to start off with</p>

<p>— The department is laid back and flexible. I’m a transfer, and they let me apply my Tulane art credits to my “must be at Brown” credits required for graduation. They are also just really nice</p>

<p>— There is a listserve (weekly email) that updates you on fieldtrips to galleries around town or New York, gallery shows, and other happenings at Brown</p>

<p>— There are gallery shows you can get it on as an undergrad. I had a piece in one of Hilell’s shows this year. </p>

<p>— There are galleries around town that will sometimes be willing to host and sell your work. I haven’t explored this too much, but have had conversations with gallery owners about the possibility. (The trouble here is you have to produce so much to sell at a gallery. Time becomes an issue). </p>

<p>— The department is small and you get a lot of attention. So far I’ve really liked my professors and my adviser (though I haven’t had much contact with her and will probably switch (only because of my field) – but she seems very open and laid back and fun). And I hear only good things about the others. </p>

<p>— The department has your traditional disciplines. Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking, and Photography. But there are also innovative classes like “The Big Print” (giant works of art) and “Art of the Book” (which is suppose to be fantastic) where you learn all about artistic ways of book binding and every aspect of MAKING books. Look at the list of offered courses on the VA website</p>

<p>— The department DOES NOT have non-traditional or more crafty disciplines like ceramics, glass, jewelry, fashion design, interior design, furniture design, or studio architecture. But this brings me to my next point</p>

<p>— YOU CAN CROSS REGISTER AT RISD!!! I have had very good luck with this in ceramics because the department isn’t very crowded and the department head is a great guy. Your success in cross registering will vary depending on how full a given department is and how willing that department head is to take on Brown students. Go early. Talk to the professor. Be persistent. (DO NOT show up the first day of classes and expect to get in). </p>

<p>— my story with this. I really wanted to take “Pottery” last spring, which is the (2 Brown credits, 6 RISD credits) “hardcore” pottery class for majors. I went to the professor at the end of fall semester, with a portfolio and a letter I had written giving him all the reasons I was hardcore and he should let me into his class. I was all prepared to give a big speech and finagle my way in. He (Larry is his name) was just like, dude, you did way more work than you needed to! Just go write your name on the list and sign my initials! After the end of the semester he snuck me into the full slipcasting (a kind of ceramics) class for the fall. I unfortunately couldn’t take it because of the evilness that is ticks and lyme disease, but that’s another story. </p>

<p>But back to the point. The RISD cross-registration is a mixed blessing. It’s wonderful because RISD is probably the best art school in the country and you have access to all these crazy classes like furniture design and glass blowing that you don’t get at most schools. But it’s also more work to get into the classes and RISD students always get priority. I don’t know how each department is specifically with letting in Brown students, as my experience has only been with ceramics, but sometimes, often even, you can’t get in. (It’s easier than everyone likes to tell you. My regular academic advisor was like there’s no way you’re gonna get in! And I got in in a snap :)). </p>

<p>Winter term at RISD is another great resource. It’s during our winter break, and you get a credit for it. It’s the RISD student’s “exploratory” term, and it’s more laid back and I think easier to get into the classes. However, they are all pretty much beginner classes so if you, like me, have some experience in glass blowing and want to continue, I’d need to do fall / spring. But I want to take beginning furniture design as well so winter would be the perfect time.</p>

<p>— You must take VA10 or VA11 (studio foundations) before taking other classes in the arts. A lot (A LOT) of people bemoan this, but they shouldn’t. It’s a really good class and exposes you to a lot of mediums and ideas. And it’s just one class out of 32 anyways. You can also pass out of it if you have a portfolio showing a lot of 2-d experience, or get into the advanced (VA11) section. I personally wanted to take VA10 (as opposed to 11) because I have very little 2-d experience, and while I still suck at drawing, I’m a lot better now, and learned a ton about composition and color and mediums (charcoal v pastel v pencil etc for different kinds of expression), and more. My teacher was actually a RISD professor. Each VA10 class is different. Some do painting, some don’t. Some do a lot of sculpture, some do a little. All do some amount of drawing. My teacher was a color theory teacher so we did a ton with pastels and color, which was very challenging but very rewarding.</p>

<p>— The requirements for a VA degree are 7 studio courses (many of which can be taken at RISD), including drawing I, VA10 or 11, an intro HIAA (history of art and architecture) class, an advanced HIAA class, contemporary sources of art (a lame (at least it looks lame) lecture class about modern art) an elective in VA (at Brown or RISD) or HIAA, or and a senior project / thesis. </p>

<p>— You can only get honors if you are a double major and combine that field with art in some kind of expressive project</p>

<p>— There really aren’t any art “resources” outside of the VA department to go make art, so, like, for the general student body or a VA student not enrolled in a class. Lame. Big lame. However, they are building a Creative Arts Center. I don’t know what it will include. I am going to try to get a pottery studio and craft center started on this fine campus. </p>

<p>— There’s the steel yard where you can do pottery and glass and some other stuff, but I think getting there is cumbersome and I don’t think any people do it. But always an option, especially during the summer. </p>

<p>— Because there is no core curriculum here, you can take as many art classes as you want. Brown can be art school!! </p>

<p>That’s all she wrote. Questions very much welcome.</p>

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<p>This is all REALLY useful, thanks.</p>

<p>How much do you know about architecture at Brown (or, perhaps, pre-architecture)? I am considering it as a career, but I don't necessarily need to major in it in college, so I was wondering whether arch. classes are available at either Brown or RISD.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for this wonderful information. I now know that Brown is DEFINITELY the school for me! :)</p>

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<p>smithy, these are what I found right now:</p>

<p>Introduction to the History of Art and Architecture
Introduction to Indian Art (and architecture)
Modern Architecture
Contemporary Architecture
Topics in Islamic Art: Islamic Art and Architecture on the Indian Subcontinent
Film Architecture Seminar
Architecture of the Contemporary Art Museum</p>

<p>also you can takes classes through the Archaeology (Roman Art and Archaeology) and even urban studies (Urban America) to get credit.</p>

<p>you also have to take a class at RISD whether it be paper drafting or CAD is up to you</p>

<p>Not Brown's strongest program. Although people love one of the teachers in department in particular but and he is very good at speaking but when 1/4 of his class (of 450 people) fail the midterm that should throw up a sign.</p>

<p>RISD on the other hand has an entire applied architecture department. If you want to learn libby arts architecture come to Brown. RISD is better IMO.</p>

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<p>smithy,
My daughter is a senior concentrating in Architectural Studies. She is currently applying to graduate schools of architecture. She adores Brown. She knew from the time she applied to Brown that it has a weaker program in this field than some other undergrad BA programs (she definitely wanted a BA and not a BArch program). However, she has been able to create an adequate and significant architecture background. Also, there are more courses than wolfmanjack mentions, such as seminars including one she is taking now. The field is also interdiciplinary and so courses in other departments may relate such an engineering, visual arts, environmental science (she took sustainable design) and so forth. She also took two courses at RISD in architecture. She did an independent study. She also supplemented what she got at Brown by doing an architecture intensive one summer at Harvard Graduate School of Design, a semester abroad in a Pre-Arch program through Syracuse, and an internship in an international arch firm in Paris. If you are serious about Brown for arch (and many other reasons!) and want to talk to her, I likely could put you in touch when she is done the semester and grad school apps. She is an undergraduate group leader for the Architectural Studies Department and is a TA for Modern Architecture. She has organized events for those interested in arch at Brown and so I think she could be helpful. She has been asked to advise younger students contemplating this field at Brown. </p>

<p>With a name like "smithy", might you be also interested in Smith? She applied/admitted there and likewise, that school is a BA where you study arch in a liberal arts context which is what my daughter was seeking. Brown has RISD and you can find ways to do more with arch than is offered at Brown, as my D has done, while still doing a liberal arts program, which is what she wanted and then apply to professional grad schools for architecture if you choose to pursue this career.</p>

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<p>There may be some more courses offered but not too many. I'm not sure which seminar that is since it wasn't on Mocha anywhere I could find. I know of the Project Seminar but I'm not counting those. </p>

<p>That's great your daughter has been able to do that but wouldn't it be easier for someone not hellbent on Brown to just go somewhere with a better and more organized program? </p>

<p>Also, with the courses outside of the architecture dept you will only get concentration credit for a select few that the dept chooses. You can still take them though. And many of the programs (Harvard, abroad) she mentioned are expensive unless you get outside funding. Some other schools are better with study abroad funding than Brown.</p>

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<p>wolfman, </p>

<p>I don't know the names of all the seminars. She is in one now that has something to do with cities and Providence and she was in one another time that had to do with Paris Architecture (sorry to not have the names of the courses). She easily had satisfied the concentration requirements. She also had to take Physics for grad school. She went beyond what she had to take as she wanted to take Visual arts classes and wanted to take RISD classes that were in architecture since lots of what Brown offers is studying about architecture. Also, for some of the arch studies classes, you can do projects instead of papers and sometimes she did, in order to do more with architecture. </p>

<p>As far as costs.....study abroad is an approved program by Brown and was not that different than the cost of a semester on campus. Yes, Career Discover Program at Harvard costs money but my D earned that money herself to pay for it. </p>

<p>Perhaps some would choose another school for a stronger arch major but that was not my D's college criteria. She had several college criteria to pick a school. One of those was that it offered architecture which she was considering majoring in but was not wanting a five year BArch program. So, that meant a BA in a liberal arts school. Yes, she got into some schools with a stronger BA arch program (ones that have an arch grad school, so more of an arch program even for undergrads) such as Penn. She only cared that she could study the field if she wanted to and not how great the undergrad major was because she knew she'd be going to grad school for architecture if she decided to pursue this field. You can even go to grad school for arch with NO related undergrad major. She was going to have an arch studies major at Brown (was not yet commited before attending, but was leaning), and knew she could study abroad for a semester to do an arch intensive, do a summer program, and take RISD courses and be adequately prepared for grad school. She cared about many other factors in picking a college and so as long as it offered this field, it was not critical the undergrad major was strong. She weighed all her acceptances and Brown fit what she wanted in all respects and it was worth giving a bit on the undergrad major, as long as they DID offer the field and they do, to get some things at Brown she couldn't have elsewhere that appealed to her (which I won't bother to get into for the purposes of this discussion). She has gotten a background at Brown but supplemented it in various ways. No matter what she majored in, she was very likely to study abroad as she loves to travel and be in other cultures and so just picked an abroad program for this major, as opposed to just selecting a country to study in. She pieced together what she needed. She has had an indep. study with a professor in the Visual Arts department as well. Students from Brown have gone onto well known Arch grad schools. </p>

<p>She recently organized having many alum of Brown return who are now in these Arch grad schools or working in Arch firms and they spoke with the Brown undergrads. So, you can go to Brown and go on to become an architect. Also, by the way, as a Brown student, she has had access to advisors at RISD as well. While Brown is not a strong undergrad arch major, it is one that works fine for someone who wants to study arch in a liberal arts school and eventually go to arch grad school. That was fine for my kid but may not be for someone else picking their undergrad school more over the undergrad major. For her, it just had to offer it and it does, and she went beyond what they offered and has done fine. She also values liberal arts. At Brown, as you know, you can create the education you want in an individualized way, and she has. You ask if another school would be an easier match? Maybe, but Brown has been the BEST match she could ever have found for HER. It has met not only her expectations but way more. She has loved it there.</p>

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<p>I'm glad you typed all of that out for the prospective student. I, on the hand, already know of these things. </p>

<p>"So, you can go to Brown and go on to become an architect. "</p>

<p>Never said you couldn't. </p>

<p>"As far as costs.....study abroad is an approved program by Brown and was not that different than the cost of a semester on campus."</p>

<p>Which is rather pricey to say the least.</p>

<p>I know your daughter loves it here I can usually tell by the smile on her face!</p>

<p>and FYI one RISD drafting course is required</p>

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<p>wolf...yes, part of my post is in thinking of prospies when I write and there was one on this thread and so I explained it for the more uninformed. I wasn't refuting anything you wrote but just adding to it and clarifying and/or sharing one person's experience since it comes down to what matters to individuals. </p>

<p>I don't recall one drafting course being required when she started and wonder if that is a new requirement but it is irrelevant as she wanted to take the RISD classes. </p>

<p>It is true that a semester at Brown is pricey but when you mentioned study abroad being pricey, I simply meant it wasn't that much different than not studying abroad. There were some extras like flights, trips associated with the abroad program, etc. We paid tuition to Brown which paid the other school that ran the abroad program in architecture. </p>

<p>Do you know my daughter? I did not think you did but you mentioned a smile on her face....so.....(she is a happy and easygoing person and so the smile is not surprising). Are you an arch major or art major? (concentration, to get the lingo correct)</p>

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<p>"There were some extras like flights, trips associated with the abroad program, etc."</p>

<p>I know Dartmouth covers the difference in program fees compared to normal Dartmouth costs if you are receiving aid.</p>

<p>Architecture. I don't know your daughter but I sat a couple rows behind her in class. We've talked about her on here before...</p>

<p>The RISD classes may be new, I have no idea.</p>

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<p>Soozie and wolf--you've basically told me everything I wanted to know. </p>

<p>For me, the school is a lot more important than the strength of the program, as long as there are courses, etc. offered for someone wishing to go on to grad school eventually. </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>Just another little known fact...the teacher who does Indian Art is the same one you'll get at RISD</p>

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<p>From what I've heard about Brown's Arch program is that they get a very solid base of knowledge in theory, and often times do better in grad programs because of it. </p>

<p>Honestly, if I KNEW I wanted to be an architect (and that was my only consideration) I may choose a school other than Brown. But that's because I'm a very hands on person and would find making models much more interesting than studying theory. But it sounds like you have other considerations, too, and there are a lot of happy HIAA majors here. </p>

<p>Sooz -- concerning sustainable design -- Kurt Teichert is my rugby coach = the man!!</p>

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<p>oh, hey, wolfman, is the teacher good? i'm looking at maybe taking indian art this semester.</p>