The School regularly offers 100- and 200-level classes, some of which are open to non-majors. We asked students in several of the autumn quarter classes to write briefly about what they learned. Here are their responses.
Art
ART 140 paired with ART 101
Rui Chen
I am not an art major student at all. The only reason I had 3 art classes is because I missed registration. But, as soon as I joined the classes, I knew that this may not be a bad idea. I’m an international freshman at UW, which means I’m new to everything in Seattle. Through the art lessons, I learned about this city with its unique culture. We discussed a lot during classes and helped others to finish their projects. Also, the courses are not so hard, so I could manage my time to adjust in a new environment.
ART 190 Paired with ART 101
Nina Chen
This was a wonderful class. I learned to respect shape, form, and texture of objects. Because of this, I gained a new relationship with everyday items. It was satisfying to be able to sit for long periods of time and produce decent work. I was able to practice restraint and test my willpower. This class is for those who want to challenge themselves and gain a better understanding of what it means to be an artist.
ART 253 Paired with ART 101
Maria Zamora
My first quarter at UW was a great experience because I took these classes. ART 101 introduced me to new techniques and materials, encouraged me to visit galleries and artworks around campus, and taught me about opportunities during and after a visual arts degree. ART 253 was a completely new experience since I had never worked with throwing clay on a wheel. I became a much more organized and committed student. I needed to plan ahead to have enough time to bring a project from my imagination into something physical through a new technique and make the due date. I'm proud of my progress and the projects I created.
Art History
ART H 233
Alicia Crowley
Growing up, Seattle’s iconic totem poles and ubiquitous Edward Curtis photographs were familiar sights. Prior to taking this class, I knew little of the region’s history and had never questioned the presentations and implications of the public displays of native art. Over the course of this Northwest Coast survey and sampling of contemporary native artists, I learned to question the lens through which native art is filtered and to understand the culture as a living part of the fabric of today’s world rather than an antique that belongs only to the past. I now see Northwest Coast Native art through an entirely new, contemporized and informed viewpoint.
Design
DESIGN 150
Oliver Dube
One of the most significant things I learned from this class is the techniques and ideation that go into design. I've been designing stuff for a very long time and used to apply these techniques and sometime not, but being able to find the right words and rules helped a lot in exploring the possibilities of graphic designing. I also learned a lot about the program and projects my upperclassmen are a part of right now.
DESIGN 207
Patrick Roller
If I’ve learned anything from the class, it’s that everything is simpler than you think. Complex designs in a perspective drawing can be broken down into larger, basic parts. Anything can be made out of a group of cubes and cylinders. It’s like when a sculptor looks at that big block of marble and can imagine a full figure within. It really changed how I see things in everyday life. In objects big and small, it made me realize how everything was designed by someone, and they probably started with a cube.
DESIGN 210
Ruby Peven
This class taught me that to be a successful designer you must experiment; you must get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to view a problem from different angles. As a designer, it is easy to get married to an idea and to go down a specific route without being open to alternatives. Successful solutions come from the courage to explore and question and redefine.