COURSE CURRICULUM

The Art Department at StFX offers a structured, four-level curriculum in both Art Studio and Art History, designed to progressively build students’ skills, knowledge, and confidence. At the 100 level, students gain foundational training: Art Studio courses cover drawing, design, and colour theory, while Art History surveys Western art from prehistory to modern times, establishing prerequisites for advanced study. At the 200 level, students expand their skills and explore diverse media, including theatre design, painting, printmaking, stained glass, textiles, and digital photography, while Art History courses focus on historical periods and stylistic movements such as Medieval, Baroque, Modern, and Contemporary art. The 300 level emphasizes advanced applications and challenges, with Art Studio courses in botanical illustration, advanced drawing, and intermediate filmmaking, and Art History courses in Italian and Northern Renaissance art, Canadian art, and thematic studies; cross-listed courses allow interdisciplinary exploration in areas such as religion, politics, and culture. At the 400 level, students engage in specialized, seminar-style courses, such as the Seminar in Italian Renaissance Art, and have opportunities to design individualized studies under faculty supervision, applying accumulated knowledge to research, creation, and presentation. Across all levels, the program integrates technical mastery, critical thinking, historical context, and creative exploration, preparing students for meaningful engagement with visual culture and professional artistic practice.