Searching for a state of the art major

"Art differs from academics in that it relies on primary experience--we learn through what we do," according to the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, Richard Lytle, ART '60. If learning by doing is the artist's creed, then Yale's undergraduate art majors are well-schooled in fighting to be noticed. While the Yale School of Art boasts the number-one graduate art program in the country, and Yale College claims top status among undergraduate institutions, art at the undergraduate level occupies an uncertain position in the University. Art majors must negotiate between the academic emphasis of the College and the professional focus of the art school, at the same time struggling for recognition from a department that focuses on graduate students. Although many art students enjoy the major's challenges, others feel overlooked.

In Yale's intense educational environment, the juxtaposition of studio art and academic courses can be a source of tension. Art classes place heavy demands on a student's time; typically, an art major works for 20-30 hours a week beyond class time. Maya Brym, ES '99, observed, "Art's an all-encompassing engagement.... I don't feel like I'm lacking anything, but it would be hard to be involved in extracurriculars." Art majors at Yale frequently find themselves engaged in a difficult balancing act, but most ultimately agree with Cathy Braasch, TD '99, that "it's worth it to be in a more diverse environment."

Majors must study more than their painting.

The studio experience removes students from the academic mainstream. While other courses convey information through lectures, tests, and papers or problem sets, art classes provide knowledge by heightening visual understanding. Lytle emphasized that "learning through the eye has been thought of as a fundamental way of learning.... You use the language that artists use to teach people to think."

The art major is clearly distinct from other fields of undergraduate study, but it also diverges from the graduate art program. The School of Art shares its building and faculty with the undergraduate art department, yet most graduate courses and facilities are not open to undergraduate artists. Recently, a group of art majors, headed by Zina Deretsky, CC '98, met with Lytle to express concerns about current limitations on access to facilities, faculty, and classes. Among their complaints: an indifferent staff, a paucity of course offerings in areas like graphic design, and a lack of information about visiting speakers and exhibitions.

Many art majors feel that the resources currently available to them are inadequate. The graduate computer lab is closed to undergraduates, and they do not have 24-hour key access to the photography darkrooms. Rita Jules, TC '99, who is concentrating in graphic design, noted that "the grad facilities are much better. You wish that you could use them too, and you often can't.... It's a problem when undergrads and grad students have classes together and the undergraduates don't have access to the same equipment." These limitations occasionally force students to find alternative facilities. Ta-mara Sussman, TC '99, regularly commuted to New York City last semester to use color photography processing equipment.

Even in the painting department, where technological resources are rarely an issue, space is a problem. Jennifer Harris, DC '99, who is concentrating in painting, said that "the current studios are far from ideal. Junior painters in Intermediate Painting have to use a semi-sub-divided communal studio space.... The lighting is not good, and space is tight." Graduate students, by contrast, typically have private studios. While the undergraduate art department will eventually be moving to a new building with improved facilities, the change is several years away.

Another discrepancy between the undergraduate and graduate programs is the limited offering of courses in areas of concentration such as film, graphic design and photography. While the more classical departments such as painting and sculpture are fairly well-roun-ded, Lytle acknowledges, "We should have more in the area of film and video." Many academic departments, such as history and math, allow undergraduates to take graduate courses, but very few School of Art courses are open to undergraduates. Peter Eleey, TC '00, expressed a frustration at being "heavily excluded from the graduate classes." Meanwhile, in some advanced "undergraduate" courses, graduate students account for half the enrollment. Most art classes have rigid size constraints, and graduate students have priority on any waiting list, often forcing undergraduates out of spots. David Moore, MC '98, who is concentrating in graphic design, feels that "the undergraduate program is just there to get more funding for the graduate program."

The art major involves plenty of hands-on experience.

Nevertheless, sharing classes with graduate students can be a productive experience. Lytle sees the proximity of undergraduates to graduates as "healthy for both." Especially for undergraduates, it "raises the level of work by improving the level of ambition," he said. Aitana De la Jara, DC '98, reinforced this view, observing that "the undergrad major feeds on the grad school...being able to talk to grads and see their studios, to see them working hard, really helps." Many undergraduate art majors choose to take advantage of the graduate culture around them, attending School of Art exhibits and events. Sussman maintains that "if you're ambitious you can insert yourself into the graduate life--just by going to talks and keeping an eye out for what's going on, auditing graduate classes...that's something I've profited from." Many majors, however, feel that the presence of the graduate school makes professors less accessible. Braasch commented, "I thought I would have more of a mentor relationship with professors...I feel like they're very distant." Jules agreed that "the art teachers...are often really successful in their own field, but it's really hard to get appropriate time. Often they're visiting people so they're not around much, not available to talk to." Many also feel that professors' attitudes regarding graduates and undergraduates differ. Harris perceives a "lack of real seriousness towards undergraduates from some of the professors. Some professors don't take undergraduates nearly as seriously as they take their grad students." Jules speculated on the nature of the problem: "You're trying to get an education in a place that's geared towards graduate students.... The professors might not be as interested in what you're trying to do because you're not at the forefront of your field." A significant number of art majors do intend to make art their profession. According to Lytle, a majority pursue art after college, although a few are double-majors or even pre-meds. Jules affirms, "I think most people want to be professional artists, whether they start doing it right after graduation or not. They [the art department] take you seriously enough that they assume you want to continue."

The art-for-art's-sake philosophy of the department, however, often leaves majors feeling unprepared for the professional art world. Sussman sees the need for "more information about what to do and how to do it in the art world after school finishes." Similarly, Moore relates that the graphic design program consists of "a lot of theory but very little practical application," but adds that, "the Yale program doesn't pretend to be a professional school."

The undergraduate art experience at Yale encompasses the intellectual and the physical, the academic perspective and the professional hands-on experience, drawing from both the College and the School of Art but aligned precisely with neither program. To benefit from both of these worlds, a student needs strong initiative. As Suss-man said, "You can get a great education, but you have to pursue it--it's not spoon-fed to you."

Paintings by Jennifer Harris.

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