There is a reason good artists are often considered radical- we have to be critical thinkers, capable of understanding the foundations of things rather than just their superficial structures in order to create (or at least justify our creations if we have things a bit backward) and understand where our next project is coming from . We get there by understanding ourselves and our experiences, delving into seemingly unrelated but interesting topics, learning basic techniques, applying those techniques, and finally requesting feedback. The feedback gives us additional information which we can use to think critically, find other ways to communicate that enhance the point we want to make, and then make the work accessible to more people. For most artists the process isn’t entirely conscious though improvement comes faster when it is. Art also requires information across disciplines. The nature of art in that it requires critical inquiry, a social environment, and the ability to handle intangible and often random ideas, which is also necessary to those in fields such as science and math. My goal in creating this program is to address critical thinking concerns and create an environment where students are encouraged to think beyond tradition, to make mistakes and get comfortable doing so while also working toward a goal and creating a finished product. I also want to prepare student for life as a working artist as most stop creating when they graduate. This overview of the program and it reasons for being, is designed primarily for educators to see how an online BFA in drawing is possible, and in some senses even preferable to traditional in-person classes. This paper covers the pedagogical concerns and much of what is needed to institute the change in environment.

This project uses the tintype process to create contemporary portraits. The tintype is a nineteenth century photographic process that creates a direct positive on a sheet of metal. The images were created using the same process from the 1800s, as well as a more contemporary method. The natural imperfections caused by both processes were used to help examine the intimacy and emotion present in the portraits.

Gray Area is a solo exhibition of photography in conclusion to Haylee Schiavo's studies at Arizona State University. Twenty-six images were displayed at the Step Gallery in Phoenix, and Schiavo continues to photograph for this project. The show combines her interests in two disciplines, Photography as well as Family and Human Development. She photographed a woman who self identifies as being an abuse survivor. The images display the specificity of this woman's story, but also represent the harsh realities of abuse that is highly prevalent in today's society. Her work may be found online at hayleeschiavo.com.

This project focuses on the experiences of families that are affected by young motherhood. United by this defining event, each of these families involved in the project come from diverse backgrounds and have faced obstacles unique to their own history. Since late 2013, they shared with me the struggles and rewards that followed a decision made early in the mother's life. Through an exhibition of photography, audio, video, and text, I aimed to communicate these stories to expand the dialogue surrounding teen pregnancy

Abstract Fragmented: A BFA Thesis in Photography Joshua C. Hendrix I propose that one detailed, coherent thought is a conglomeration of smaller, incomplete shards of ideas. The ways that these ideas take shape is completely dependent on our current perceptions and the circumstances preceding and surrounding the formulation of the idea. This theory can also be applied to our interpretations of artwork, particularly art that is abstract or abstracted. While abstract photography is sometimes dismissed because photographs are supposed to capture the real world, I would argue that our individual perceptions and perspectives influence our responses to even realistic photographs. For this reason, I believe that abstract photography certainly does have unique value. My photographs are presented in five groups of four, and like thought fragments, though individually significant, they are much stronger when perceived in a group as a composite whole.