Art department discussing photo concentration

Truman State University’s art department might add photography as an option under the studio art major.

Currently, photography is offered as a minor, but these changes would allow students to get a studio art major concentration.

Art department Chair Aaron Fine says the idea is still in the brainstorming stage and little actual progress has been made at this time. Fine says the idea to make photography available as a concentration has been around for a while. He says the photography minor has drawn interest and been successful. Fine says photography professor Priya Kambli is on sabbatical for the 2016-17 academic year and will spend some of that time working on the proposed major concentration change.

Fine says photography will not be a new major, but an additional specialization within the studio art major. Fine says currently, studio art concentrations include ceramics, fibers, painting, printmaking, sculpture, three-dimensional studio and design.

Fine says after Kambli works on a proposal, studio art faculty will then work together on the proposition. He says the proposal will then go through the entire art faculty before moving to the Undergraduate Council and Faculty Senate for approval. Fine says the earliest the specialization might be available is fall 2018.

“[Photography]’s a really exciting area in contemporary art we hope to be able to offer,” Fine says.

James O’Donnell, dean of the School of Arts and Letters, says he thinks the major, if added, could provide students with great opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills in photography.

“[The new concentration] would be an excellent opportunity should it come to pass,” O’Donnell says.

O’Donnell says one potential challenge to adding the concentration would be offering an increased number of photography classes with the existing faculty.