What Happens Here Matters
Studio Arts at Manhattanville
When Ann Bavar ’77 assigns biology majors in her 3-D design class the task of completing a self-portrait, they’re likely to react with skepticism. “But over the weeks,” she says, “they realize, my gosh, it’s good and it looks human, and wait, it even looks a little like me!”
Bavar — Professor and Chair of the Studio Art Department — sees such success as a realization of Manhattanville’s goal of developing the whole student. “It’s gratifying when you see students accomplish something they didn’t believe they could — and enjoy what they’re doing,” she says.
A Formula For Success
Cited by the 2008 Fiske Guide to Colleges for its strength in art and design, Manhattanville currently boasts about 60 art majors, with several non-majors choosing art courses as electives. “Taking an art class can’t help but broaden one’s perspective,” says Bavar. “Art carries over into everything else you do. Understanding art helps you think creatively.”
Art major Amy Darr ’08 understands that stance. Amy’s academic concentration is graphic design, but she balances that computer-intensive discipline with hands-on work in ceramics — sculpting in clay and creating bowls on the potter’s wheel. “The professors in the art department challenge us to go beyond our comfort zone,” she says. “They encourage us to gain a broad appreciation of art and to experiment with a range of different media.”
Manhattanville students choose from among courses in a variety of genres including sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, painting, and photography, supplementing lectures and classroom activities with frequent jaunts into New York City to take in gallery and museum exhibitions. Concentrations in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program range from preparation for teaching K-12, to digital media/graphic design, to the fine arts in preparation for graduate programs.”
Banner Photo: Professor Bavar with one of her sculptures
From Manhattanville Magazine