Jon-Phillip Sheridan
Assistant professor and chair
The Department of Photography and Film aims to facilitate a comprehensive artistic, technical and intellectual understanding and use of the mediums of photography and film; to provide a rigorous education in the arts, specifically in photographic and moving image media, and a broad education in other academic subjects; to foster a climate that inspires creativity, intellectual curiosity, freedom of expression and critical-thinking. The department fosters a pluralistic approach that allows both faculty and students to expand the traditional boundaries of the respective media and engage in multidisciplinary practice.
The department offers undergraduate concentrations in photography and filmmaking resulting in a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Film, as well as a graduate program that leads to a Master of Fine Arts in Fine Arts with a concentration in photography and film.
To promote student development and research of contemporary art practice and theory, the Department of Photography and Film presents a diverse and active visiting artist program. Through lectures, critiques and research courses, students are exposed to the valuable insights of respected international artists, scholars and critics. In addition, the visiting artists teach topics courses exploring the current artistic and conceptual foundations found in their own work. Graduate students are encouraged to establish an individual critical dialogue with the visiting artists and faculty and attain a strong critical and historical basis for their work.
The facilities include several critique and screening rooms; a large black-and-white darkroom; a large state-of-the-art digital photography and film editing lab; a shooting studio; a student checkout center with a wide range of still photography and film cameras, professional lights and sound recording equipment; a professionally staffed graphics lab located in the same building that provides student with digital services on several high-tech imaging devices; and individual graduate M.F.A. studios.