The Basics Program sets first-year students on the path to becoming visual artists. Through an emphasis on developing perceptual and technical skills, augmented by knowledge of formal concepts, this exciting and challenging program prepares students for any major they choose to pursue at Moore.
Central to the philosophy of the Basics program is an emphasis on drawing and design as fundamental to visual and critical thinking as well as problem solving skills. Focusing on these primary tenets, the program provides students with the necessary foundation and education to hone their skills in order to pursue advanced studies.
In addition to drawing and design, students receive a thorough grounding in color principles and computer applications, along with learning to use a variety of machine and hand tools.
In the First-Year Seminar, students engage in a process of investigating the various disciplines within art and design. The goal is to discover possible avenues for future study based on their strengths, interests and inclinations.
By working with a faculty of committed and accomplished artists and designers who have many years of experience in both foundation instruction and advanced levels of learning, students gain confidence through practice, experience, guidance, and support.
Instructors introduce students to the art world of Philadelphia and beyond, including trips to the national museums and galleries of New York City and Washington, D.C.
Moe A. Brooker
Chair, Basics
Professor, Fine Arts:2D and Basics
Education: MFA, BFA, Tyler School of Art, Temple University; Certificate in Painting, Pennsylvania Accademy of the Fine Arts
Most significant shows, awards, and/or artistic accomplishements: Conrad Nelson Fellow for 2004, Millersville University, Lancaster; 2003 Van Der Zee Lifetime Achievement Award, Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia, PA; UNESCO Commission to produce two images for two cards; Commissioned by Absolut Vodka to do an “Absolut Brooker” Ad.
Quote to live by: “Painting is a wonderful adventure. The 'making' is full of starts and stops as you move toward completion of a work. Though the concreteness of the final product is rewarding, the process, the yield of each option selected, is more powerfully satisfying.”
What makes Moore special: It is a community that nurtures the students. It is a place that says to each student, “yes, you can.”