Degree Programme in Fine Art: 12kuvat

Description

The value basis for the degree programme in Fine Art is a pluralist, multicultural society. The programme lies on the foundation of communality, well-being, internationality, cultural identity, gender equality and social participation as well as sustainable development.

The students will be ready to work as visual artists and experts in the field of contemporary art, where artistic skills are combined with international outlook, sociological and social awareness and the ability to control the production processes of one’s own work.

A contemporary artist requires a wide knowledge of the traditions of fine art as well as the current trends, and they need to be able to apply them in their independent artistic and productive work. In addition, visual artists need skills in culture and internationality, business, computer, networking and interaction, self-direction and the ability to apply art.

The studies emphasis the development of individual artistic expression, creative thinking and visual literacy, as well as active participation in culture production and finding the art forms which lie on the borders of the various fields of culture.

The annual themes of the programme for four levels of skills:

LEVEL 1: After the first year, the students can work in tasks which require the basic artistic skills.
LEVEL 2: After the second year, the students are able to implement a small-scale exhibition or a similar project.
LEVEL 3: The third year students utilise both their professional skills and their international networks in producing an artistic project.
LEVEL 4: After the fourth year the students prove, through Bachelor’s thesis and portfolio, their readiness to work as visual artists and as experts in the field of contemporary art.

The Bachelors of Culture and Arts work as independent artists, various expert tasks in the field of culture, dealer tasks which require artistic curator and exhibition production skills and applied tasks in the fields close to fine arts, such as in education, illustrations, social media and graphic design.

The scope of Bachelor of Culture and Art degree is 240 credits. The degree consists of the following:
- Basic and professional studies in common to all students, 175 cr
- Practical training 30 cr
- Elective studies, 15 cr
- Bachelor’s thesis 20 cr

During the basic studies of the first year and the autumn semester of the second year the students familiarise themselves with the practices and traditions of the art world, phenomena of contemporary art as well as various presentation techniques and public presentations using them. In the centre of visual skills is conceptual expression. The development of a visual artist’s identity is supported through mastering artistic processes, independent thinking and critical inspection of creating new. Social activeness, environmentally ethic working and internationality are closely connected to the social development of an artist.

In the Finnish and English professional studies, which take place during the spring semester of the 2nd year and the whole of third year, the students deepen their critical thinking in the development of their visual skills and constructing an artist’s identity through active presentation work in order to find their own core skills. Social activeness, mastering artistic processes and the critical stretching of cultural borders all fall under the core skills learnt during professional studies. The students focus on the field of visual arts they have selected. These include e.g. conceptual expression such as photography, moving picture, animation, sound art, environmental art, social art, performance art as well as painting and drawing. The selection of professional studies is based on the individual study plan drawn up in the degree programme of fine art. Elective professional studies are offered in collaboration with other degree programmes.

On the fourth year the students carry out the Bachelor’s thesis work, which consists of an art exhibition.

During their studies, the students also carry out practical training, which begin in the summer after the first year of studies. The practical training usually lasts for approximately five months (30cr) and it takes place in various workplaces and tasks in the field of culture, such as e.g. artists’ assistant, gallery worker, exhibition guides, organisations of the field or art education. Practical training is always guided and a contract is drawn up between TAMK and the workplace. This contract lists also the working hours and learning goals.

In addition to language studies, the Bachelor’s degree of Culture and Art also contains elective courses, which may be any university level courses.

The education is based in discussions and constructive interaction as well as developing those skills, which define and develop an artist’s identity. The studies emphasise individual creativity, development of critical and visual thinking and active participation in producing visual culture and finding applied forms of art from the borders of the cultural fields.

Most education is carried out through class-room based courses, workshops, seminars and projects. Project work emphasises responsibility and the goals of sustainable development, such as ecological stress minimisation and occupational safety.

In addition to project work, the studies consist of lectures, on-line studies, written tasks, practical training and independent information acquisition. The degree may also contain studies from other degree programmes at TAMK or from other universities. After the joint studies, the students focus in small groups more closely into their own study paths, which are selected during the second year of studies.

A great number of fine art students carry out international studies during their third year in the numerous exchange schools in Europe, America or Asia. International exchange or practical training supports the development of the students’ artistic knowledge and ability, networking, cultural export and exchange.

The degree programme is based on producing competences defined nationally and in the degree programme. The curriculum follows the European and national qualifications framework (EQF and NQF). The curriculum has been designed in collaboration with artistic communities, companies and professional advisory boards as well as the students.

STUDY PATH OF A VISUAL ARTIST

After the joint basic studies of the first year and the autumn semester of the second year the degree programme in fine art does not have predetermined study paths. Instead, the curriculum enables the creation of an individual study plan and the combination of various skills. In other words, after the basic studies the students may choose from the Finnish and English courses a selection which best builds their identity as visual artists. There are also alternative professional studies available, which are implemented in collaboration with other degree programmes.

The study path is as follows:
1. Joint basic studies in fine art (during the first 1,5 academic years)
2. Finnish professional studies (from the 2nd year spring onwards)
3. Professional Studies in English (from the 2nd year spring onwards)
4. Alternative professional studies, selected mainly from the curriculums of other degree programmes (from the 2nd year spring onwards)