visual arts at Vassar and Bowdoin

<p>Does any body have any comments on the visual arts courses at Vassar and Bowdoin? It's looking to me like Vassar has a strong art history department but a limited visual arts program. Is anybody out there considering either one of these schools or does anybody have any first hand knowledge of their programs? Would also be interested in any comment on visual arts at Carnegie Mellon...</p>

<p>couldn’t get to Bowdoin but did vassar.
charming, bit stuffy but I think it’s good, rather underrated by people around because it still believed to be girls’ school
was closed when I was there but has nice gallery.
met painting chair, charming charming dude. if you click, fabulous mentor, if not, sorry.
I love the way he looked thru my kid’s portfolio.
my kid was trying to do the usual " talk" he learned from Cooper and other classes for HS artsy-s but the prof shut him off, flipped thru works as he wanted and stopped and looked at the particular work I love but my kid wanted to ditch from his portfolio - long time. best part was that, the guy did not say anything to discourage nor encourage.
" I can not get you in if you don’t have the numbers. hope it works out"
he offered to drive us to train station which we did not needed.
how, could you presume that, LACs with push in old academia is BAD place for studying art?
please visit, if you can, and see it yourself. eat their food, go to library, meet music dance drama whatever other teachers you are even remotely interested in doing.
I am glad I listened to some art school rep pushed we go see Vassar, the guy knew this prof’s use of color and thought my kid would benefit from his instruction.
Toooo bad my kid has no said “numbers” </p>

<p>good luck for you! got numbers?</p>

<p>Thanks for the information Bears and Dogs. Funny about the numbers…yes, mine are good (good enough?? who knows?)but if your son is passionate about art then I am sure he will get into a good art school. Numbers don’t tell the whole story (or paint the whole picture). Where will he apply? I did visit Vassar in the summer and liked it very much. I did not, however, get to meet with anybody from the art department and the art facilities were not included in the tour.
Good luck to your son!</p>

<p>thing is, he is passionate in wrong way, and spotty way.
I sort of gave up and now let him do his thing 'till he’d figure out himself.
I do dream about those traditional campus life and parents day visit care package thing, then heard news of the NJ kid died jumping off bridge.
you know, you never know.
please
be safe, healthy, strong. life is this long marathon, don’t get caught up with one thing.</p>

<p>S and I visited Bowdoin looking at art as well. The art professor we tried to connect with was away on a trip so we could only spy. They had the most basic of facilities on the main campus but do have another building in town for upper level classes that we didn’t see. They have a museum on campus and a good research collection of slides (being turned digital). Sorry I don’t have more specifics on the art program. What attracted me to the school was looking at the work of their art faculty and students online. There seems to be something very alive there. </p>

<p>The place was the picture perfect ideal of an American college. Beautiful, classic campus, preppy/sporty leaning kids with a bit of diversity and a cute New England town in walking distance. I agree with Bears: “how, could you presume that, LACs with push in old academia is BAD place for studying art?” It just means that if you are really serious about it you will most likely want to go on and get your MFA afterwards.</p>