Arts and Creative Industries (ACI) 2023-2024 Edition

ACI 220. Introduction to Arts and Creative Industries. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores creativity and the arts as an essential part of the human experience. Students are introduced to the scholarship of creativity, engage in creative practice, and examine the field of creative industries. With a focus on creativity through visual art, performing arts or creative writing, this course has both a hands-on approach to creative production and a concentration on the industries that support this production. Depending on the section, experiential aspects may include drawing, painting and design (visual arts), improvisation/theater, storytelling and music (performing arts), and poetry, fiction and non-fiction (creative writing). Students will contemplate creativity as an intrinsic part of their personal and professional lives and a driving force in a variety of creative industries.

Spring 2024ACI 220CW13724TTh12:30pm - 1:45pm(E. Paul)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW23730TTh2:00pm - 3:15pm(J. Dean)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW33735MW5:00pm - 6:15pm(E. Paul)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW43736MW6:30pm - 7:45pm(E. Paul)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW53726TTh11:00am - 12:15pm(M. Landreth)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW63734TTh9:30am - 10:45am(M. Landreth)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW73722MW5:00pm - 6:15pm(S. Cassidy)
Spring 2024ACI 220CW83740MW6:30pm - 7:45pm(M. Manda)
Spring 2024ACI 220HN3720T6:30pm - 9:10pm(V. Carrigan)
Spring 2024ACI 220PA13725TTh11:00am - 12:15pm(J. Zaretti)
Spring 2024ACI 220PA23727TTh9:30am - 10:45am(J. Zaretti)
Spring 2024ACI 220PA33737TTh9:30am - 10:45am(B. Byers)
Spring 2024ACI 220PA43738TTh11:00am - 12:15pm(B. Byers)
Spring 2024ACI 220PA53739TTh12:30pm - 1:45pm(B. Byers)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA23721T3:30pm - 6:10pm(V. Carrigan)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA33723MWF11:00am - 11:50am(T. Maroney)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA43728MWF1:00pm - 1:50pm(T. Maroney)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA53729MWF10:00am - 10:50am(V. Rami)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA63731MWF9:00am - 9:50am(V. Rami)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA73732Th6:30pm - 9:10pmTBD
Spring 2024ACI 220VA83733MWF12:00pm - 12:50pm(T. Maroney)
Spring 2024ACI 220VA93741Th3:30pm - 6:10pm(V. Rami)

ACI 221. Arts and Creative Industries Incubator Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.

Students intern at one of Bryant University’s arts clubs and organizations (the Bryant Players, Bryant Singers, Arts and Creativity Club, etc.) while supervised by a faculty member. Students must work at least five hours per week with the club, conducting projects above and beyond what is required of regular club members. Projects could include installation of exhibitions, event planning, production, promotion, etc.) Administrator interviews and site visits to museums, concert halls and arts events will be used as examples of program implementation and opportunities for innovative program creation. Students will also attend class sessions devoted to the skills needed to work in an arts organization.
Prerequisites: ACI 220
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 301. Vocal Ensemble Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

This course focuses on performing vocal music in different ensemble traditions, including Western and non-Western vocal genres. Students study vocal technique, reading music and learning by ear. Topics will include melody, harmony, improvisation, vocal effects, arrangements, presentation, audience connection, and vocal recordings. The students in this course will perform as an ensemble in a public performance on campus.
Prerequisites: ACI 220 and Sophomore standing
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 302. Performance Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

This course focuses on individual and group performance through practice work in storytelling, theater, improvisation, music, and performance art. Students will study the craft of storytelling, theater monologues and group scenes, and improvisation exercises, and may investigate dance, music, and performance art. Students will participate in a public performance at the end of the semester. No prior experience necessary.
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 303. Design in Contemporary Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines the rhetorical and formal principals of graphic design, with an emphasis on conceptual development and problem-solving. Assignments and lectures encourage students to investigate formal design aesthetics and the nuances of effective visual communication, while developing an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of design and the role of the designer in society. Creative assignments are part of the coursework.
Session Cycle: Fall and Spring.

ACI 304. Music Composition Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

Students will develop their ability to digitally and acoustically compose music that can be used in a variety of formats, such as concerts, film and video games. Students will also have the opportunity to practice more advanced techniques in composition using notation, as well as learn about strategies used in songwriting, orchestration and arranging. No prior experience necessary.
Session Cycle: Varies.

Spring 2024ACI 304A3719M2:00pm - 4:40pm(B. Byers)

ACI 321. Drawing Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

Drawing is the foundation of visual art and design. This course introduces students to the creative and expressive use of various graphic media such as charcoal, pencil, crayon, chalk, pen and ink and/or brush and wash. The history and practice of specific techniques such as form modeling, spatial illusions and principles of linear perspective will be explored in addition to basic aesthetic and technical drawing skills that enable students to represent three-dimensional objects in an environment.
Session Cycle: Varies.

Spring 2024ACI 321A3874M3:30pm - 6:10pm(T. Maroney)

ACI 322. Art and Design Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

Studio courses offer students hand-on opportunities to explore many creative mediums in the visual arts. Through sustained studio practice, critique and portfolio reviews, students will build skills and proficiency in the medium of focus (collage, painting or advanced design for example) or genre of art (such as socially engaged or environmental art) emphasized in the instructor's specific iteration of the course. Students will have the opportunity to engage with local and regional contemporary art exhibits and artists.
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 323. Digital Arts Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to digital art studio practice with a focus on digital imaging and cross-media experimentation. Creative projects include creating digital images, sound files and sound and video. Contemporary new media, digital culture and key works by digital artists are explored. Students will explore fundamental concepts and methods of digital media through conceptual and technical manipulation of sound and images. This is a studio course emphasizing creative and critical thinking as well as digital literacy.
Session Cycle: Every Fall Semester.

ACI 324. Digital Photography Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

This course serves as an introduction to creative photographic methods and ideas, integrating technical skills with individual creative goals. Using digital cameras and complimentary tools, students will address the essential technical, conceptual, and artistic problems that have been associated with photography since its birth, as well as some of the new issues that have arisen with the advent of digital imaging.
Session Cycle: Every Spring Semester.

Winter Session 2024ACI 324A2022MTWThFS1:00pm - 4:00pm(A. Tsubota)

ACI 325. Book Arts Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

Book Arts Studio is a combined focus course with attention to the history, theory and criticism of paper, books and collage, as well as studio practice in making paper and collage, and binding books.
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 326. Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to the industry-standard software package for professional graphic designers, artists, and illustrators. Students will learn basic skills in Adobe Creative Cloud software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Digital image manipulation, digital illustration, and page layout will be covered.
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 340. Arts and Entertainment: Issues in Arts Administration. 3 Credit Hours.

This class looks at the institutions, administrators and issues involved in the creative industries. This class will examine arts institutions in cultural context, including community engagement in the arts, cultural policy and public arts; arts administrators and their leadership, roles and responsibilities; and key topics in arts administration, such as arts education and ethics. The course draws on readings and literature from various disciplines and fields in the social sciences, arts administration, and the arts as well as the popular media. Topics will be approached through discussion, case studies, and exercises that connect the readings with practical experience.
Prerequisites: ACI 220
Session Cycle: Every Spring.

ACI 391. Arts and Creative Industries Internship. 3 Credit Hours.

Students intern at local arts organizations or non-profits (music studios, theaters, galleries, publishing houses, etc.) while supervised by a faculty member. Students must work at least 8 hours per week on the internship, meet periodically with their class, complete readings assigned by the instructor, and prepare a substantive report on the course experience. This course is limited to juniors and seniors and requires the approval of the supervising faculty member.
Prerequisites: ACI 220 and ACI 221
Session Cycle: Varies.

ACI 401. Painting Studio. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to the basic elements of acrylic painting. Students will develop skill and confidence in working from both observation and abstraction, and will explore a variety of techniques including glazing, layering, blending, scumbling, and impasto. Students will cultivate a working knowledge of color theory and explore composition and conceptual content through their work. A diverse array of painters, both historical and contemporary, will be introduced each week. We will also delve into the work of artists who use the painting medium as an agent for social change. As the semester progresses, students will expand upon basic painting skills to develop their own personal aesthetic and style, culminating in a portfolio presented in both physical and digital format.
Prerequisites: ACI 220 or LCS 321 or LCS 322
Session Cycle: Varies.

Spring 2024ACI 401A3714M6:30pm - 9:10pm(V. Carrigan)