Studios Closed, Courses Online

Dear Art Practice:

Due to Coronavirus, the Department of Art Practice unfortunately closed all studios and workspacesuntil further notice. We have no way of guaranteeing that the spaces are safe for all.

However, all Art Practice courses will continue online. All faculty are working hard to adjust assignments and projects and create a meaningful online experience for you. Please keep us posted on how that works for you.

Considering the disruptive impact of the virus, all students in Art Practice courses will get a pass/no pass grade by default and can elect to receive a letter grade. The pass/no pass will be exempt from the pass/no pass maximum.

Due to the shelter in place order, students may not retrieve materials and works in progress from Kroeber Hall. The buildings are locked. Our staff will make every effort to keep materials and works in progress safe until further notice. Office hours will remain operational online. Here is the link to our virtual front office: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/973854602 Here someone will answer questions from 9-12:30 Monday to Friday.

We are not refunding any fees at this time, but that may change soon. In the meantime, if you need additional support to adjust the cost of attendance, you can apply for emergency support here: https://financialaid.berkeley.edu/cost-attendance-adjustment-request

Students who seek work or study spaces on campus will receive notifications about safe workspaces as soon as possible. The Central Campus administration is still working to establish these spaces.

We understand that these changes are challenging in many ways, and we all are working together to figure out how to adapt to an unprecedented pandemic. If you feel confused, disappointed or angry, you are not alone.

Please follow up with your instructors about ways to cope with this new situation academically, creatively, and also personally. We have much to learn from the radical change we are facing individually and as a learning community. This is a great time to tend to what we treasure most: our health, our closest fellow human beings, our common good and our hopes for a better future. Art is a part of that. Art can give us hope, a way to express ourselves, and purpose.

So please carry on as best you can, be disciplined about hygiene, be creative, help out and be kind.

Greg Niemeyer

Professor and Chair,
Art Practice