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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AS 480"
COURSE NAME: "Senior Capstone Exhibition I"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2026
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
James Gardner
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TH 12:30 PM 3:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisites: AS 460 or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Senior Capstone Exhibition I course for Art and Design majors will support students to plan, research, develop, and present an original body of work which will be exhibited either physically or digitally. Taken concurrently with Senior Capstone Exhibition 2, this course emphasizes the development and production of a cohesive body of work which conveys students’ individual creative practice through group and individual tutorials with peers and faculty. Students will refine their research, analysis, explanation, persuasion, and presentation skills as they are supported to develop a sustained body of enquiry, building on the outputs generated within the Research Methods and Practices course.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Senior Capstone Exhibition I is a studio-intensive course in which students independently develop a sustained body of work forming the basis of their final public exhibition. Weekly critiques, both group and individual, form the primary structure of learning and evaluation. Students are expected to demonstrate significant self-motivation, maintain a consistent independent studio practice, and arrive each week prepared to present new work, research, or documentation. The course emphasizes the articulation of research, visual decision-making, and iterative refinement toward a professionally presented body of work. Assessment is based on the artist statement, a public artist talk, and the work developed toward exhibition across Capstone I and II.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Initiate and develop a sustained body of creative work that demonstrates original, critical, and imaginative use of concepts, processes, and materials, leading toward a public-facing exhibition.
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Identify and articulate the position of their personal artistic practice within wider contemporary contexts through critiques, presentations, and written work.
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Demonstrate project management, scheduling, and organizational competencies by planning and executing a self-directed creative trajectory toward exhibition-ready work.
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Apply critical and analytical thinking to artistic inquiry through critique, reflection, and conceptual development.
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Collect, synthesize, and evaluate research to inform creative decisions and translate research into material form.
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Communicate clearly and professionally through an artist statement, artist talk, process documentation, and visual presentation of
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Artist Statement | 1,000 to 2,000 word statement articulating research, concept, context, methodology, and creative practice. | 15% |
| Artist Talk | A 20-30 minute public presentation | 15 |
| Final Exhibition Body of Work | A cohesive body of work demonstrating research-driven creative practice and professional execution. | 70 % |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality shows excellent mastery of the course content along with exceptional levels of technical skill, artistic awareness, originality, resourcefulness, commitment, quantity of work and improvement. There has been excellent collaboration and leadership in group projects, and there have been no attendance problems.
BA highly competent level of performance with work that directly addresses the content of the course, with a good quantity of work produced.
CAn acceptable level of performance: the work shows awareness of the course content, but is very limited in quantity, quality, commitment and skill.
DThe student lacks a coherent grasp of the course material and has failed to produce much work.
FNegligent in attendance, academic honesty, engagement with the course content, or production of work.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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All class meetings focus on critique and independent work. Students are expected to bring visual material, research, or documentation to every class for discussion.
Week 1 – Introduction & Portfolio Sharing
Course overview, expectations, and goals. Students present their portfolios in a 10–15 minute format for introductory critique and discussion.
Week 2 – Connecting Research to Making
Weekly critique. Students discuss how their research informs their early project direction.
Deliverable: 1-page written research focus.
Week 3 – Development Week
Weekly critique.
Week 4 – Development Week
Weekly critique.
Deliverable: First draft of Artist Statement due.
Week 5 – Development Week
Weekly critique.
Week 6 – Development Week
Weekly critique.
Week 7 – Midterm Presentations
Formal midterm presentation and critique.
Week 8 – Revision & Adjustment
Weekly critique focused on revising work based on midterm feedback.
Week 9 – Development Week
Weekly critique. Students share visual updates and reflect on progress.
Week 10 – Artist Statement Workshop
Weekly critique and writing workshop. Students bring draft statements for group discussion.
Week 11 – Artist Talk Workshop
Weekly critique with focus on preparing artist talks.
Week 12 – Near-Final Critique
Weekly critique.
Deliverable: Final Artist Statement due.
Week 13 – Documentation
Weekly critique and documentation review.
Deliverable: Documentation folder submitted.
Week 14 – Professional Documentation & Exhibition Preparation
Weekly critique focused on professional documentation and exhibition preparation.
Week 15 – Final Presentation & Artist Talk
Final presentation of work and artist talk.
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