Student work does not mimic the faculty, and there is no 'SIUE look'. The faculty are capable of dealing formally with these entities as well as with social, philosophical, and historical aspects of painting. Students are encouraged to find their niche. This is accentuated by the diversity of the program in that students are required to complete a good deal of work outside the painting area. It has not been uncommon for students entering in painting to move to another area, or for others to move into painting.
Open investigation is encouraged.
Discourse among students is optimized by open studios which are readily available to the scrutiny of all our faculty and other graduate students. In this atmosphere, we maintain a spirit of exchange of ideas and goals which cannot be achieved in a closed studio setting. This also is much the case in the other five graduate studio areas. Though there is competition among students, exchange is emphasized rather than confrontation. Many are working as freelance serious artists, conducting workshops, and taking artist assignments throughout the country.