No doubt you have heard about the significant funding cuts facing higher education in Washington State. We do not yet know the specifics of how this will affect the University of Washington and the School of Art, but we do know the outcome will be the greatest budget cut the University has ever experienced. ...We will have to do more with less, meaning we will have to increase the size of our classes without additional TAs and faculty, and we will have to embrace and focus on the best of what we have to offer.

Curt Labitzke first visited Italy in 2002. Little did he know what a major part of his life that country would become. By December 2010, Labitzke, associate professor in the Art Division, will have led or co-led five quarter-long Studio Art Programs in Rome and three month-long Exploration Seminars in Tuscany. While many faculty hesitate to manage a study abroad program due to the work involved, Labitzke describes it as "truly my favorite teaching assignment and certainly the most rewarding of all my responsibilities as a faculty member."

Welcome to the School of Art’s first electronic newsletter! The University took the initiative to go green a number of years ago and the School of Art is following suit to reduce its paper consumption and save during this economically challenging environment. One of the most significant highlights from the last academic year was the ten-year review of the School of Art's academic programs. The review committee--three faculty from the UW and three from peer institutions--noted that the school has made significant positive changes to position itself as a major unit within a large research university.