<p>Just wondering if anyone knows what Reed's art or english departments are like. Are they strong compared to other LAC's?</p>
<p>I know the English department at Reed is one of the biggest departments here, and it seems to be a good, rigorous program in general with some really excellent professors. I can’t speak to its focuses, but looking at course offerings would probably give you some idea. The Creative Writing sub-department is really small but still really good, however, only a few people are accepted to do Creative Writing theses each year, and they are still considered English majors.</p>
<p>Art and art history are technically one department, though you choose to focus on either studio art or art history. You have to take a lot of courses in both either way, and if you do a studio thesis, you have to make a body of work AND write a scholarly thesis. There are 4 art history professors and 3-4 studio art professors (sculpture/installation/bookmaking, painting/drawing/printmaking, and digital media/video/photography; there’s also a ceramics studio), so it is a pretty small department and you will have multiple classes with the same teacher, which could be a good or bad thing. I am an art major with an emphasis on sculpture, and I love it. The courses are intellectually and conceptually challenging (there is a decent amount of reading and it’s set up as part studio work, part conference discussions-- it’s not just making art 24/7). But you still learn a lot of skills and the professors and staff will help you figure out how to make the crazy projects you dream up… however it is definitely NOT art school. The majority of classes are at least a 50-50 split between art and non-art majors, which leads to a lot of cross-pollination between departments. The art history dept is very theoretically-based, it’s more about the history of art history/art criticism/art theory than simply a historical overview of artistic movements. </p>
<p>I would say in general, Reed’s art and English departments are probably more theoretical than most other LACs, and possibly smaller-? You will get to know your professors well and will probably have multiple classes with the same people. And you will have to write a scholarly research thesis your senior year, even if you do a creative thesis. Also, both departments bring in some interesting visiting artists and authors each semester (This semester’s visiting artists were Do Ho Suh and Jaime Isenstein, and visiting authors were Skip Horack, Amina Gaultier, and 2 poets).</p>