The Graduate program in printmaking is designed to further the student's aesthetic thinking, skills, and career goals. Individual and group participation is required in personal tutorials with the faculty and weekly graduate workshops and critiques covering matters of particular concern to printmakers. Bi-weekly critiques with painting and drawing majors are also held to develop a broader view of the arts.

Although the emphasis of the program is on intaglio and lithography, students may pursue work in relief printing, screen printing, photoprint processes, vitreography (prints from glass plates), book arts, mixed mediums and other experimental processes. No style or aesthetic approach is stressed over another. The content and the quality of the student's work become the final measure of achievement. Professionalism is enhanced by participation in the recently developed International Visiting Artist Print Projects - "Alagarto Press", assisting and editioning prints for visiting artists. Students have worked with American artists Hiram D. Williams, Lee Chesney Sr, Kenneth Kerslake, Brooke Cameron, Philip Smith and Martin Kruck, Icelandic artist Valgerdur Hauksdottir, German artist Daniel Hees, and Scottish artists Roy Wood and Sharron Penicaud. There is a newly founded student run organization called the Alagarto Printers Guild that fund-raises and participates with other student run organizations to assist in financing student travels to national conferences, workshops and to continue to support the visiting artist projects. These collaborative endeavors add to their educational background and better prepare the student with problem solving skills needed to succeed in teaching and studio practice.

All printmaking students are encouraged to take courses with other professors in the School of Art and Art History as well as general academic courses that will further their education. The program accepts a maximum of five graduate students.

Facilities

The main print studios occupy approximately 2137 square feet (two large rooms) on the third floor of the main art building along with a 255 square foot letterpress shop under the direction of Visiting Assistant Professor April Flanders. While most students work in the main studios, we have a separate cooperative graduate student office/studio facilities that is 1378 square feet, located on campus not far from the art department. This space has worktables, paper storage and an etching press.

Facilities are available for work in intaglio on zinc and copper plate, stone and metal plate lithography, relief printing, silkscreen printing and photo print processes. Equipment includes two large Brand etching presses, a small Kimber etching press, two Takach-Garfield lithographic presses. A vented acid cabinet area, a well equipped darkroom with process camera, photoprint processing equipment, and a fully equipped silkscreen facility. The letterpress shop contains numerous typesetting fonts, a Vandercook letterpress, cabinets and paper storage areas.

Faculty

Robert Mueller

Expertise in lithography, intaglio and collaborative printmaking, Professor Mueller has exhibited in many important exhibitions and won a number of grants and awards, including a Fulbright Scholar award for Iceland in the summer of 1997. Exhibitions include 25th Bradley National Print and Drawing Exhibition: Print Masters: an Exhibition of Printmaking Excellence - Bennet Galleries, TN, and numerous other national and international exhibitions. Mueller's work is included in the collections of the Littleton's Studios, NC, University of Cracow, Poland, Oregon Art Institute, and Universal Graphic Museum, Egypt, Harn Museum University of Florida and numerous private collections.

Fall Application Deadline: February 1

Prospective students are encouraged to apply for admission as early as possible. The Graduate Assistantship/Fellowship application deadline is also February 1. Assistantships are generally offered only at the beginning of the fall term and students applying for spring are not eligible for fellowships.

Late Applications

Late applications are accepted; however, students will be considered for admission and assistantships according to available space in the program.

Contact

Students interested in contacting a Printmaking faculty member or scheduling a visit to the Printmaking area should contact: Robert Mueller.

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