Fine Arts

Benefits

The Fine Arts Department views the arts as a great humanizing force. Universal languages that communicate without words, the arts reveal essential truths about the human experience throughout the ages. The goal of the Fine Arts Department is to provide all students with access to an understanding of the nature and values of the arts. Through practical and theoretical viewpoints, students are introduced to the importance of fine arts for the cultivated individual, whatever professional field he or she chooses to pursue.

The Fine Arts Department seeks to inspire life-long enthusiasm and appreciation of the arts. Providing students opportunities to experience the aesthetic creations of others as well as to develop personal creativity, the Fine Arts Department contributes significantly to the cultivation of humane individuals whose lives are enriched by the skills, knowledge and broad cultural perspectiveacquired through study of art, music, theatre and film.

Features

Art — Students study studio art and art history. Art concentrators in education study studio art, art history, and theories and methods of teaching art. Students in the multicultural studies major study art produced by different cultures for a better understanding of the peoples of the world. Inherent in art history course content are values important for the cultivated person. Art is an integral part of life. Students explore the interaction of artists, their art, and society. Experiencing the aesthetic creations and the cultural traditions of the peoples of the world is essential to the strong liberal arts commitment at NLU.

Music — Students explore music through practical and theoretical viewpoints. Although each course in the music curriculum integrates components of both, applied music courses emphasize building confidence via hands-on investigation of instrumental music and practical music skills. Music theory and appreciation courses, on the other hand, emphasize critical thinking and listening skills. An important component of the music curriculum is an exploration of aural and written traditions of cultures around the world.

Theatre Arts — Students, in consultation with theatre faculty, may custom tailor their studies from NLU's array of theatre courses emphasizing active communication through articulation of ideas and performance. Future teachers, in particular, will find a Theatre Concentration useful in developing creative problem solving and curriculum integration skills. Education-orientation theatre courses include Creative Drama, Children's Theatre and Puppetry.

Description

The Fine Arts Department provides a fundamental component for all degree programs by providing general education requirements and upper-level electives in the Chicago area and in out-of-state locations through FOCUS courses. Fine Arts courses satisfy Fine Arts and Humanities requirements for the completion of baccalaureate degrees in all programs, as well as upper-level coursework for graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the National College of Education. With faculty expertise and networking, Fine Arts courses uniquely incorporate the resources of Chicago's world class museums and performing organizations to enrich classroom learning.

The Art curriculum at National-Louis University features studio art, art history and art appreciation. Students may choose to major (or minor) in art in the Liberal Arts program, or go into Elementary Education with a concentration in art. Graduates can qualify as teachers in the elementary classroom, or for art-related careers in day care or recreational facilities. A combination of majors in Art and Psychology prepares students for future work in art therapy. Students whose interest is art history may pursue career opportunities in teaching, art galleries and museums. Moreover, the art curricula provide students with the comprehensive background needed for further study in graduate programs.

The Music curriculum at National-Louis University offers students the exceptional opportunity to develop music performance skills — without any previous musical experience. Music at NLU also explores the fascinating connections between the musical resources of Chicago and the personal experiences of its diverse student population.

The Theatre Arts curriculum at National-Louis University is built on a foundation of Dramatic Theory, Analysis and History, and extends into all aspects of theatre as a collaborative art form. Students may choose to major or minor in Theatre in the Liberal Arts program, or go into Elementary Education with a concentration in Theatre.

Contact

Ellie Olin, Music
   eolin@nl.edu

Robert Keser, Film
  rkeser@nl.edu

Tina Weil, Art
312-261-3322
   tweil@nl.edu

Rene Roy, Theatre Arts
   rroy@nl.edu

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