Click on the photos above to scroll through the students’ artwork.
Among the many courses offered during Guttman’s unique Fall 2 semester, comprising classes offered in January and February, are numerous opportunities for students to gain one of CUNY’s Flexible Common Core Requirements in Creative Expression.
Offered since the College opened its doors, “The Arts in New York City” introduces students to the incredible range of artistic forms, venues, media and movements that the city generates. To develop critical visual literacy skills, Professor Lori Ungemah’s ART 200 students Edgar Reyes Alonso and Aleeyah Quinones experimented with concepts like color theory and contrast. Practicing analysis, interpretation, and appreciation, students in Professors Anna Grevenitis’ and Stephanie Guyet’s classes studied creative works on display at The Met and El Museo del Barrio.
“Perspectives in Photography” is an introductory class in which students use cell phones and/or digital single-lens reflex cameras to create images in a variety of genres (portraiture, still-life, documentary, etc.). While learning about the lives and creative processes of a variety of artists, students learn and apply the basic concepts of lighting, composition, and editing. In Prof. Grevenitis’ ART 120, students Gilbert Urbina and Meiqi Shen both captured and curated their observations, using photos to document and critique. For the final critique in Professor Elisheva Gavra’s class, student Yaelis synthesized meaningful content and conceptual approaches explored throughout the semester.
A new offering, “Introduction to Studio Art,” exposes students to new ways of creating art using basic techniques with a variety of materials. Inspired by the artists introduced in the course, students create projects ranging from drawing, collage, found objects, performance, digital imaging, photography, sound and/or video. With their ART 101 projects, Professor Maya Mason’s students Peter Huerta and Marylly Cocoletzi deepened their understanding of the creative process and reflected on its importance to the creative and professional fields of interest to them.
“Students are asked to see their own lives as inspiration for art,” said Mason. “This underscores the idea that art is for everyone and can be made by anyone; they needn’t go out of their way to find inspiration, meaning and beauty in their lives.”
Header photo credit: Ariel Capellan – “Photo Diary”
