An inclusive ever changing discipline, Sculpture engages traditional and new genre practices. Our wood, metal, ceramic and bronze casting facilities are state of the art and support studies in performance, digital technology and social practice. We seek to produce artists who are socially engaged global citizens.
Please Note: All students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 to remain in good academic standing. All required studio arts classes must be completed with a grade of C or higher in order to advance within the degree. Any required studio arts grade of C- or below must be repeated.
Foundation Courses: 16-17 credits
VIS 1050/ComX: 2 credits or VIS 2150/Key Class: 1 credit VIS 1060/Foundation Drawing: 3 credits VIS 1070/Extended Media: 3 credits VIS 1080/Visual Language: 3 credits VIS 1260/3-D Processes: 3 credits VIS 1330/Lens and Time: 3 credits
Art History Courses: 12 credits
ARH 1020/History of Art Survey II: 3 credits ARH 1021/History of Art Survey II: Discussion, 1 credit ARH —/One course in the history of art before 1800 (lower-level) ARH —/Art history elective (modern/contemporary)
Sculpture Studio Courses: 18 credits
SCP 2110/Thinking in Three Dimensions: 3 credits SCP 2280/Digital Tools for Sculptors OR SCP 3310/Digital Dimensions: 3 credits 6 credits in “Making Sculpture” electives from the approved list: SCP 2150/Intro to Wood SCP 2080/Direct Metal SCP 2270/Ceramics SCP 3480/Multiples SCP 3070/Bronze 6 credits in Time Based Performance Sculpture electives from approved list below: SCP 3155/Performance NME 2420/Video OR NME 3630/Sound SCP 3356/Theater of Oppressed VIS 3500/Arts for Social Change
*Senior Project changed from 4 to 3 credits. Applicable to students entering the program Fall 2025.
Students are also expected to abide by the policies and procedures laid out in the A+D Student Handbook.
Minor requirements:
Effective for Students Fall 2026 and later:
Using professional shops and skill training, students prepare for careers in the field of fabrication. From store window displays and cabinetry shops to artist’s studios, skills and best practices acquired in this course of study prepares students to produce three-dimensional works for commercial or fine arts applications.
Requirements: (Minimum Grade of a C in all courses)
SCP1500/Intro to Sculpture or VIS1260/3D Processes, 3 credits
SCP2080/Direct Metal, 3 credits
SCP2150/Introduction to Wood, 3 credits
Two to Three courses below (6-9 credits):
NME 3170/Digital Design and Fabrication or SCP3310/Digital Dimensions
SCP2270/Ceramic Sculpture
SCP2280/Digital Tools
SCP3070/Bronze Casting
SCP3310/Digital Dimensions
SCP3480/Multiples
A minimum 3 credit Practicum (shop assistant, Learning Assistant in one of the above courses, or approved internship) is required. Credits could vary between 3-5 for this requirement. Note: The Minor Advisor will submit a waiver/substitution form on the student’s behalf after this requirement is successfully completed.
Total Number of Credits: 18-21
How to Apply
An application and review process are required for admission to the Fabrication and Material Processes Minor; acceptance is not automatic. To apply, students must submit the following to the School of Art+Design:
a written statement detailing your goals and objectives in pursuing the minor program
Students applying from outside the School of Art+Design must also submit a portfolio consisting of 12-20 examples of your work including:
One self-portrait in any medium (upload a PDF or Word document below)
Two drawings from direct observation (not from photos, not digital)
Organize all of your images with descriptions (title, medium, size, year created) into one PDF or Word document, and provide a link via a file-sharing service (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) below.
A portfolio is not required if you are currently a major in a program in the School of Art+Design, i.e. Graphic Design, Painting and Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Interdisciplinary, or BSVA.
Please allow 7-10 business days for a response to your application. If you have further questions, please contact the School of Art+Design at (914) 251-6752 or email ade@purchase.edu.
In this introduction to the discipline of video art, students expand their knowledge of nonlinear editing as it pertains to the exhibition of video. Conceptual approaches may include non-narrative structures, installation art, and performance art as they relate to the moving image. Note: Students must have access to and be able to use a DV camcorder, webcam, camera phone, or other video-recording device that can capture moving images of decent quality and upload them to a computer for editing.
Credits: 3
An introductory course in sculpture for students from other disciplines. Focus is placed on the development of 3-D design (form, space, object, composition) and on strengthening observational skills. A variety of materials and form-making processes are explored.
Credits: 3
Instruction in acetylene gas welding and all the tools required for direct metal fabrication of sculpture. The focus varies each semester (within the parameters of contemporary, nonfigurative sculpture) and includes the refining of technical form-making and welding skills.
Credits: 3
Emphasizes the conceptual aspects of sculpture while continuing the development of technical skills in various processes and materials. The course is structured around assignments that develop individual industry, research skills, creative expressiveness, and class participation.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: VIS1260
The specific visual and structural properties of wood are discussed with application to both functional and nonfunctional sculpture. Basic construction and forming techniques are introduced.
Credits: 3
Clay modeling from the human figure. Drawing and 2-D media are used for support and insight into issues of figuration. Armature construction and relief sculpture are explored.
Credits: 3
Focuses on clay as a sculptural medium with emphasis on process and the development of sculptural ideas. Various techniques are taught, including slab building, modeling, and some mold making for clay.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: SCP2110
Provides students with a digital toolset for creating interactive sculpture today. Students explore the role of 2-D drawing tools and 3-D modeling software in the creation of sculptures and installations. The focus is on the potential of using virtual and physical tools together in the production of art works.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: VIS1260
An introduction to video as a creative visual, auditory, and spatial medium. Students learn the fundamentals of video production with the goal of making original work in the genres of single-channel tape, performance, and installation. At the same time, students are introduced to key works in the history of time-based arts in a weekly thematic program of viewing, listening, reading, and critique.
Credits: 3
A survey of contemporary artists and movements, ideas, and texts pertinent to current sculptural practice. A combination of lectures, reading-based discussions, workshops, and museum/gallery visits familiarize students with contemporary art discourse. Emphasis is on the evolving and expanding field of sculpture, including installation, performance, time-based media, and other object-making, material-based practices.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: VIS1260
A continuation of Ceramic Sculpture, further explorations in building large sculptures and making glazes. Designed for students focusing on clay as a medium for sculpture.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: SCP2270
Students produce forms in clay or wax and cast them in bronze. The traditional methods of lost-wax casting are explored, and students participate in all aspects of bronze foundry work.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: SCP2110
An introduction to performance art as a creative, visual, experiential, and time-based medium. Through structured projects, students learn ways to create and document performance pieces. Projects may include live performances, video and photo documentation of private actions, interactive pieces, and sculpture/installation works. Through presentation and lectures, students are introduced to significant historical and contemporary works. All mediums and backgrounds welcome.
Credits: 3
In this project-based digital fabrication course, students investigate the idea of shelters and structures, both built and imaginary, as a source for 3-D work ranging from the miniature to the environmental, from the substantial to the ephemeral. This course will utilize laser-cutters, CNC router and 3D printers.
Credits: 3
Combines nontraditional photographic production with digital and hands-on fabrication techniques to investigate the fluid dynamic between image and form. Focusing on the politics, economics, and aesthetics of a data-driven culture, this course takes a critical project-based approach to bridging the virtual-physical divide. By exploring various imaging processes, students apply an additional layer of content in their sculpture.
Credits: 3
In this digital fabrication course, students explore the relationship between the three-dimensional world and digital technology. In this creative new-media environment, students are given a foundation for developing 3-D content and integrating it into their preferred field. Students generate digital objects, prepare them for real-world fabrication, and create virtual-reality simulations and photorealistic sculpture proposals. This course will utilize laser-cutters, CNC router and 3D printers.
Credits: 4
PREREQ: VIS1260 Or NME2100
Takes advanced students through the process leading to the fabrication and installation of a public art commission. Students answer a call for proposals; create a professional-level response, including a written statement, model, drawings, budget, and fabrication schedule; and present to a committee of experts for appraisal. This course is especially recommended to any student considering making a public art proposal for the Purchase College campus.
Credits: 3
Exploring techniques of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, this course uses the arsenal of Theatre of the Oppressed exercises as a process to further understand self, each other, and surrounding social systems. Individual project forms may vary (sculpture, writing, etc.). In addition, the class makes a forum theatre piece to be performed with the campus community.
Credits: 3
Students explore various techniques using glass as an artistic medium. Demonstrations, image presentations, and critiques augment the work done in class.
Credits: 3
An extensive study of a particular topic or technique in sculpture. Topics vary each semester.
Credits: 3
Various methods used to make sculptural multiples are explored. Mold-making techniques are taught in clay, glass, paper, and mixed media. Assignments focus on achieving technical expertise and understanding the use of the multiple in contemporary sculpture.
Credits: 3
PREREQ: VIS1260
An introduction to and overview of the fundamentals of animation as a conceptual and technical medium. Students learn the historical and conceptual background of animation and create a series of works within the medium. In addition to digital video and still camera skills, the class explores stop motion, 2-D, and 3-D animation in combination with traditional practices, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking.
Credits: 3
This first half of a two-semester course is intended to foster the discovery and sharpening of personal vision and the development of personal initiative and self-motivation. Students have the opportunity to work independently on self-generated projects, which are then presented for both group and individual critique. Required for sculpture majors.
Credits: 3
This second half of a two-semester course is intended to foster the discovery and sharpening of personal vision and the development of personal initiative and self-motivation. Students have the opportunity to work independently on self-generated projects, which are then presented for both group and individual critique. Required for sculpture majors.
Credits: 3
This intensive exploration of installation art consists of a series of temporary projects that explore site-specific work, which may include a variety of media. Taking into account the range of sensory experience, space and time take on a greater importance than in object-based art works.
Credits: 3
Sound is explored as material in the context of the visual arts, using DAT recorders, sampling, synthesis, processing, computers, sensor control, and MIDI systems. Projects may include making sonic instruments, sounding objects, and experimental video; ambient, interactive, performative, and multimedia installations; and surround-sound DVDs. Advanced technological means enable uncharted explorations in the time-based arts.
Credits: 3
Students explore and create sound events and installations from a sculptural and an architectural perspective. This includes listening, recording, playing back, and simulating sound in space. Tools include multichannel systems, the KDFX processor, Ableton Live, Max, MIDI, Open Sound Control (OSC), and handmade instruments/circuits. Collaborations and workshops enable advanced students to plan, construct, budget, and document sonic events in public spaces. Students should have some experience with sound mixing and recording.
Credits: 3
Students gain technical professional experience by helping provide a safe and well-functioning studio environment for their fellow students. Studio assistants are expected to have advanced standing in their media area and a thorough understanding of current professional practices. Duties include basic maintenance and demonstrations of equipment, independent or group tutorials and workshops, weekly meetings, and other responsibilities assigned by the sponsoring instructional technician. A maximum of 4 credits in SCP 3950 (or a combined maximum of 6 credits in VIS 3998 and SCP 3950) may be applied toward the BFA.
Credits: 2
Students explore alternative or expanded practices in metal. These may include both processes and materials that do not overlap with currently offered classes. Materials may include aluminum, iron, and titanium. Processes may include furnace building, mold making, and metal casting. Demonstration, image presentation, and critique augment the actual work done in class.
Credits: 3
A select group of advanced students focus on independent projects working within a specific video genre. Explorations may include video animation, installation, performance, documentary, or another specific video application. Lectures and presentations augment the students’ hands-on work.
Credits: 3
Focuses on commitment and professional practice. Students generate portfolios and documentation materials of their own work. Public speaking is emphasized as students learn to articulate and clarify their own work. Teaching methods include lectures, discussions, readings, and field trips. Required for all students undertaking a senior project in sculpture.
Credits: 3
Extends the goals of SCP 4800, preparing students for the “real world” after graduation. Students research venues for their work, write grant proposals, investigate job possibilities, etc. Contemporary issues in sculpture are addressed through readings and discussions. Required for all students undertaking a senior project in sculpture.
Since actual course offerings vary from semester to semester, students should consult the myHeliotropecourse schedule to determine whether a particular course is offered in a given semester.
Information Changes
In preparing the College Catalog, every effort is made to provide pertinent and accurate information. However, information contained in the catalog is subject to change, and Purchase College assumes no liability for catalog errors or omissions. Updates and new academic policies or programs will appear in the college’s information notices and will be noted in the online catalog.
It is the responsibility of each student to ascertain current information (particularly degree and major requirements) through frequent reference to current materials and consultation with the student’s faculty advisor, chair or director, and related offices (e.g., enrollment services, advising center).
Notwithstanding anything contained in the catalog, Purchase College expressly reserves the right, whenever it deems advisable, to change or modify its schedule of tuition and fees; withdraw, cancel, reschedule, or modify any course, program of study, degree, or any requirement or policy in connection with the foregoing; and to change or modify any academic or other policy.
