ARTT100 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Sima Pirmoradi ARTT100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/23/2024	Sima is super chill if you know what you're doing. Class was easy for artists who've been in art studio classrooms before, but I'd overhear her feedback to newer people and it would rub me the wrong way. "It's not very good to me" and things like that. But she gave me good advice on my artwork and the final was making a book that we'd then present to the rest of the class which was actually really fun. All in all, take her if you have some experience with art. If you don't have any experience, then you should still take her, just make sure you talk to her if you have any questions and don't stray away from the projects.
Victoria Ellison ARTT100 Expecting an A chadvader29 05/13/2024	Took this professor in her first ever semester her at UMD, she previously taught at George Mason. She was filling in for the professor I actually took with a TA that had worked for the previous professor. I understand that teaching someone else's curriculum and assignments can not possibly be easy, but the way she handled it was genuinely deplorable. For one, her canvas was entirely discombobulated for the entire semester. I can understand taking a week or two to sort things out, but no, the entire semester there were assignments due a year ago, and all of our actual assignments were tucked away into a few files in the modules tab. Finding assignments and directions for this class was overly arduous throughout the entirety of the semester. This professor had to repeat where to find these assignment descriptions probably a few dozen times through the first half of the course, and even would acknowledge that it could be confusing, but decided to still do nothing about it. Thankfully, the descriptions for the assignments in this course weren't all that helpful in the long run, since these descriptions, the professor's directions, and the TA's directions all differed. She would often explain an assignment differently day to day or even person to person. She had to tell the class how an assignment worked numerous times for each one, but refused to acknowledge that her directions were clearly confusing and often contradictory. Fully understanding the requirements and directions for any one assignment in this class was truly an exercise in futility. She went as far as changing the requirement for the final project a week before it was due over a series of 3 emails, one of which, I did not even receive. For the final project, we were on a tight schedule because she had pushed back the last assignment. The final project was to make 30 5x5 inch pieces in varying mediums that all adhered to a single theme. 30 would be posted on the board along with 5 extras just to choose from at the end. Through the time we spent on this assignment, she acknowledged many, many times that it was a lot of work, perhaps an unfair amount for a 3 credit course (especially towards the end of the semester when we would have a lot of work from our other classes as well). Despite this, she did not lessen the workload, no, she changed the requirements from 30 on the boards to 36 on the boards. I had been using pieces I made that I specifically ended up not liking as my extra 5, so hearing that they would be on the final piece made me throw them away, along with also needed an extra piece overall. Of course, because I did not receive every email, and I did not know that this requirement was even changed, all I saw was some due date changes. On the final class period when I explained my situation, she told me not to worry about it, only to change her mind 4 days later, leaving me even less time to make it up than if she just told me to do it from the beginning; a truly maddening circumstance that left me seething. I happened to be sick during the back half of the assignment, which obviously did not help, but was not the main issue. The whole situation truly encapsulates the overall problem with the professor, miscommunication and an unending wavering attitude, where her mind changes on a whim. After all of that, she proceeded to give me a B on pretty much every assignment for the final (which included the final project and each exercise, which was just a progress check on having the correct number of pieces done by the due date). Maybe I deserved a B on all of it, I personally don't think so, and I think it is to spite me, which, honestly, to be fair, I can understand. I have been a real pain in her neck all semester, because I am willing to call her on her bs. Finally, her as a person. She is usually pretty kind and genuinely wants to help her students succeed, for the most part. Although, when she expresses her opinions on people's art, me and some other students I talk to can find it pretty off putting. She commonly acts like her opinion on the piece is the only correct one. Also, I found it odd that essentially the entire class was a workshop, with absolutely no demonstrations from the professor, as if this 100 level beginner class expected every student to figure out paint on their own. I have some art experience, so this was not really a hindrance to me, but I did find it odd that I never saw the professor make any art in the entire course, unlike my time in ARTT110. (Yes, I took the classes backwards, me dumb) Overall, she may not even teach her again, I am unsure. But if you take her, just be weary and make sure you fully understand the assignment and be careful, I went as far as showing her the printed directions and her own emails to show that what she was saying was contradicting previous directions. She isn't even rude most of the time, she can be pretty pleasant as a person, but her class was pure chaos in my honest opinion. Steer clear unless you haven't a choice; I think this professor and I may have permanent beef.
Peter Cullen ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/03/2023	Less like a class—more like a pastime. Cullen is extremely lax, and his instructions for assignments are very easy to follow. He assigns at least two projects every week: a group of guided assignments to understand the style of drawing you're trying to learn, and an open assignment to express your creativity in respect to that style. As someone whose artistic talent is very limited, I enjoyed drawing in Cullen's class, and every time I finished an assignment, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I faced a little difficulty once we started incorporating color into our projects, but I think that's more due to my lack in ability rather than a fault of Cullen's. Great professor, better person.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/22/2022	Pros: Organized and punctual. Cons: She doesn't work well with college aged students. She doesn't have creative flexibility. She is not easy to talk to about issues you may be having with the work.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/18/2022	Wendy Jacobs is AbrasiveDemanding* Inflexible* AngryExpects students to have understanding for her mistakes, yet is totally unempathetic when it comes to the issues students are facing themselvesMakes ignorant comments regarding students * Reprimands students as punishment in front of all her other students in order to keep them on their toes and doing exactly what she says * Tightly wound and anxious demeanor most of the timeHer energy/aura makes students feel uneasy and uncomfortable Lacks creativity* Burnt Out Is the total opposite of "Je ne sais quoi"-lacks the creative and inspiring spirit most professors in the art department at UMD has Uninspiring UnsupportiveJarring personality*If you value your mental health and your creative spirit and wish to foster your artistic skills in a comfortable safe environment-DO NOT take this professor. If there is another Professor teaching the same class, take that one. You can thank me later.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A jacoblil_ 12/13/2022	Show up, be present, give effort, and know this course has a decent amount of work. Jacobs is a great professor and gives great feedback on a project you're working on. Especially the final project, which will consume a lot of time. I really liked Jacobs, she shows interest in her student's work and can give great feedback.
Jeremy Kunkel ARTT100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/10/2022	Kunkel is a fairly easy grader and gives food feedback in a way that feels constructive. The 2.5-hour long class feels like it's longer than it is but some days you can leave early and do the rest at home. The lectures are a lot especially if you already know the elements of art and he tends to just talk about the same thing over and over. Other than that, strongly recommend him.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/09/2022	She's nice enough but is very particular. For the final project, she expects you to make 34 5x5 full pieces in just a couple of weeks. She assigns 5 pieces every time the class meets and sometimes 7 pieces. With all other school work, this is unreasonable. She's not that nice but not that mean.
Jeremy Kunkel ARTT100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/05/2022	I only took this class because it was required for my major. I am not the best drawer, but have some experience and Kunkel is a fairly easy/understanding grader. He understands that not everyone is on the same level of skill and grades by effort. I never stayed for the full 2.5-hour class, and do the rest of my work at home and everything was fine. He is a very nice man with good intentions of helping his students grow and learn, but he can tend to talk... A LOT when giving demos/presentations.
Peter Cullen ARTT100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/23/2022	Professor Cullen was an okay teacher. In each class, he would start with thorns and roses and try to give some words of encouragement. He cared for the well-being of his students. I felt that this class was boring for someone who wants to do more than follow specific directions; it got repetitive after a while. Each week there is an open assignment and a guided assignment. The guided assignment included a video tutorial that we had to follow and complete. The open assignment was based on the topic that we learn that week. This class is VERY beginner. During class, he would walk around and give very minimal critiques. On elms assignments and in class, his critiques were not very good or helpful they were usually small remarks such as “looks good..” His final is an artist critique about an open assignment that we complete a week or two before. The final was on the second to last day of finals and I felt that it was unnecessary to have it be in person… (and it only lasted 30 minutes). I would take this class if you want an easy A or want a simple beginner art class. But if you have a lot of skill in art, I would not recommend.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/09/2022	Will help you if you are interested in the course material. And provides good advice to get you out of an artist block. However she is very particular about absences and being on time and will chew you out for being late. Accomodations occur half and half and if she doesn’t like you you’re basically done. Overall, would recommend you take ARTT100 with someone else, but it’s not the end of the world if you are with Wendy Jacobs
Peter Cullen ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2021	He's a nice professor, but I found he didn't do the best with the online format. He gave little feedback on projects. It was fun, but not the best art class I've taken at UMD.
Peter Cullen ARTT100 Anonymous 03/30/2021	extremely nice professor, accommodating to online format, chill. Don't need to be great at art to take ARTT100.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a B Anonymous 03/24/2016	Wendy Jacob's is one of the worst professor's i have ever encountered.She has a nasty rude attitude is very condescending to her students and ridged. The projects give little room for creativity, she assigns pointless homework assignments and exercises. She is a stickler for being on time and absences yet she is often late or doesnt show up at all. During studio work she hovers around rudely critiquing people in a unnecessary harsh tone causing discouragement rather then encouraging students. compared to the other art professors i have taken at umd wendy jacob's is truly an awful professor and mean person and should be avoided at all costs.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A- icoronado 12/18/2014	I sat at an 89.1 for the last few weeks of the semester. The damn assignments took more of my time than any other classes, including my own major. In the middle of finals, ELMS lets me know I got a 75% in participation, dropping me to an 86 (granted, that's not bad, but I enjoy art as a subject, and this isn't even my major). She's a harsh grader. She also loves to hear herself talk, which is unfortunate since she bans the use of earphones in class. People told me not to take her, but testudo had the professor of the section I was in as TBA. I was trapped. She repeats herself endlessly, as if a collection of college students were incapable of reading instructions on their own or understanding after just one listen. Attendance is her favorite thing. Don't take her class. Also, class seemed disorganized - so many things on the supply list that weren't necessary. Don't by the newsprint pad, or the erasers, or the colored pencils, or the actual pencils. You aren't required for any assignments to use them, they are suggestions. Save your fucking money. TL;DR: She kinda sucks, expects too fucking much out of you, and seems to be allergic to logic.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 cliu1237 12/01/2014	I cannot believe how Wendy become a teacher. She teached knowledge so confused to the whole class. And she cannot explain them well. The worst thing is her worst attitude to students.Treating student like a machine not real people. Tons of HW need to do, but few grades she would give to students. I am so disappoitment that umd has a teacher like Wendy. Hope she will be fired soon, so then no student would be torment in her class.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/16/2012	Wendy warns you ahead of time that she's kind of a hardass. Regardless, her attitude problem was much worse than I expected. She can be nice when she wants to be but overall, I felt like she treated the class as a whole like we were in kindergarten (no, we were not ACTING like kindergartners). Overall, alright class to take as an elective, but don't expect an easy A. She's a tough grader and doesn't respond well to arguments regarding grades. She will also take off points for every time you leave early/come in late.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a B wombat 12/15/2011	I don't see the problem people have with Ms. Jacobs. She's not a bad professor, although not stellar either. First off, the class attendance policy is a bit of a mixed bag. You can miss three studio sessions, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. It's great for healthy people who are never actually ill and just get "sick" strategically. However, I can see how it might be tough for people who are either of weaker stock or just have very busy / unpredictable schedules. The class can be a lot of work if you procrastinate, so don't do it. The toughest bits are probably the sketchbook exercises and the final project. For both, you need to find the right balance between quality and finishing in a timely fashion. The critiques are quite easy. Just point out something cool, or something not-so-cool, about a person's work, and then explain how it either enhances or detracts from the piece. The important thing is to actually speak up, or your attendance grade will plummet. Just standing there with your hand holding your chin and nodding like a world-renowned art critic is not going to be enough. Remember that it's all very subjective (plus it's an intro course) so don't be afraid to BS your critique, a lot of people will be BSing right alongside you. Just make it sound convincing. Also, some of the grading seemed arbitrary, especially on the assignments. Ms. Jacobs would take off points for things that seemed to have no connection to the rubric or even anything, for that matter. On the bright side, she really had the capacity to inspire you. Talking to her at length before projects really helped if I was in an artistic rut. Plus she was friendly. The people below who described her as mean, unapproachable and whatnot probably did something to get on her bad side.
James Thorpe ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/01/2011	I would not say this class is an "easy" A, but I mean, as far as work load, yeah, it's pretty easy...I felt Thorpe graded a little hard, I mean out of 8 projects I received 4 B's and 4 A's, so pretty fair distribution...As far as Thorpe, the guy is awesome...I didn't find him hard to approach at all, and he was generally a very nice person...He makes class fun and he really takes to time to know and respect his students...Take Thorpe, you will not regret it
Leslie Berns ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/18/2011	Professor Berns is one of the coolest professors at MD. I had her for Art Theory and Studio Art. She's really flexible and is a really nice person overall. In Theory, it's clear that she knows exactly what she's talking about (she went to Yale) but she has some trouble explaining it. For Studio, it was only a 100-level class so she graded on how much effort you put into it, not on how talented you are. Definitely take a class with her if you can.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Anonymous 12/11/2010	Ms. Jacobs has been really patient with me, i am not an art major and can't draw very well. she took a lot of time explaining assignments, expectations and how to execute certain techniques i wanted to use. She is a great professor. There are expectations and you are expected to be on time and not miss class, but she is very approachable. I would recommend her!
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/10/2010	I took this as an elective to get into ARTT353 and thought it may be fun and exciting. I've never taken an art course and I thought ARTT100 would be an interesting experience that would teach me useful fundamentals that I could apply to future courses. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly say that I got much out of this class. The important concepts taught through the course weren't conveyed well. Our brief lecture was done in a short Microsoft Word document that went over broad concepts that we needed to execute in our projects. It was really peculiar viewing arts in a word document. Maybe a powerpoint would have been better. The room also didn’t help make the brief lectures any better. It was often difficult to hear and there was no screen to project on. Students had to view the lectures in their own time because the font was small and projected art work unclear. There seemed to be a large feeling of ambiguity of how to apply the concepts to our assignments. To be fair so projects were more clear than other (the montage assignment and pattern assignment were very clear). However, the majority of assignments required a lot of questions and often at the critiques a large minority of the class would miss the boat on how to execute the idea. I felt this was especially true for the line assignment, road assignment, text assignment, and black square assignment. The projects often seemed to have an emphasis on quantity. A few of the projects could have been better if we simply had to do fewer pieces and had better explanation. I often felt rushed and stressed like I was in a 300 or 400 level class. One of the things that made the course even more challenging was Ms. Jacobs’s attitude. She seemed rude to a couple students on more than one occasion. Ms. Jacobs addressed students who were late in a highly critical and borderline rude manner. Instead of talking to students in private she spoke loud and openly about their lateness problem or anything else she thought was wrong, which I felt was unprofessional. She also seems to have trouble with students asking for due date clarification. I’ve been around a few students who were confused about basic things and would not talk to Ms. Jacobs for help. Her tone on the first day of class may have caused this feeling. There was a huge focus on what NOT to do rather than how engaging the class would be. The whole experience was intimidating and just not pleasant. I did draw inspiration from my classmates that I shared an experience of mutual discontent and desire for something better. Mr. Karis, our TA, was quiet, but approachable and helpful. Students stated that at the critique his project was the first one they enjoyed (and this was the 6th project). I like how he gave an exercise that directly related to project so we really got the idea. I felt the exercise after a lecture was really helpful and when Ms. Jacobs had an exercise before the montage projects it was also really helpful. This method was much better than simply drawing thumbnails because you could get direct feedback. The thumbnails also took up a ton of time and ended up being a chore with little result. We didn’t get feedback on the thumbnails and unless you asked directly and were clear about the goal of the project, your thumbnails may not have been helpful. The few in class exercises really brought ideas together because you knew right away if your execution and thought process was accomplishing what it should A few words to sum up this course would be discouraging, uninspiring, intimidating, frustrating, and draining. Going to Ms. Jacobs’s class was never something I looked forward to. This course is kind of heartbreaking because I really have enjoyed my UMD course at some level, but I cannot say the same for this class.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a C Anonymous 09/30/2010	Terrible class. Avoid it like the plauge. The projects are boring. You will not learn anything from these projects. Take another professor.
Leslie Berns ARTT100 mayabcd 03/25/2010	She is amazing. I really do love her. Berns understands that Art isn't the only thing we're doing, and she is so flexible with due dates and assignments. Very easy to talk to, and she gives good feedback and insight. Some of the concepts are strange, but she clarifies if you ask her to do so. Make sure you put some effort into the projects and assignments. She praises effort, not necessarily good work. Just relax and enjoy, because you'll probably not have another class as great as this one.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/09/2010	TERRRRRRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. Assignments that she's giving out to us is just STUPID, and there are lot of writings that you have to do, and she criticize too much about EVERYTHING. Way too hard for ARTT100 level
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Anonymous 02/15/2010	This class is very frustrating. She is kind of unorganized and doesn't like it when you ask her questions. Projects are a joke in that it's just busy work. Terrible terrible. Pick another professor
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2009	I took ARTT100 as a fun course to round out my schedule, and actually learned a lot in it. Professor Jacobs was also very nice, I missed the final date and she let me bring in my project the next day with little or no penalization, and responded very quickly to my email concerning it. The work load is a little intense, but she is understanding when everyone tells her they will need more time. I would recommend her.
Wendy Jacobs ARTT100 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/03/2009	Let me start off by saying that this is an Art100 class and the projects are not too bad and neither is the work load. But when it comes to choosing a professor stay away from Jacobs. She is unhelpful and criticizes work in a cruel matter. Her projects are not fun and she never seems to bring a good attitude to her class.
Leslie Berns ARTT100 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/25/2008	She doesn't really follow the syllabus so it is a very easygoing class where you complete projects as assigned. even if you get Bs on some projects don't be afraid, effort is important, attend class (attendance points) and you should come out with an A. be careful with craftmanship because it counts! Try, go to class, have fun, speak up!!!! and you will be golden.
Dawn Gavin ARTT100 Expecting a C+ Kedorus 12/30/2007	Dawn was an awesome professor and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in art. You can tell she’s really passionate about art (especially painting) and wants to instill that same passion into her students. Be warned though that she requires a lot of work and skill for a good grade, and if you don’t have much previous artistic experience, you might want to go with an easier professor.

Sima Pirmoradi
ARTT100

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/23/2024

Sima is super chill if you know what you're doing. Class was easy for artists who've been in art studio classrooms before, but I'd overhear her feedback to newer people and it would rub me the wrong way. "It's not very good to me" and things like that. But she gave me good advice on my artwork and the final was making a book that we'd then present to the rest of the class which was actually really fun. All in all, take her if you have some experience with art. If you don't have any experience, then you should still take her, just make sure you talk to her if you have any questions and don't stray away from the projects.

Victoria Ellison
ARTT100

Expecting an A
chadvader29
05/13/2024

Took this professor in her first ever semester her at UMD, she previously taught at George Mason. She was filling in for the professor I actually took with a TA that had worked for the previous professor. I understand that teaching someone else's curriculum and assignments can not possibly be easy, but the way she handled it was genuinely deplorable. For one, her canvas was entirely discombobulated for the entire semester. I can understand taking a week or two to sort things out, but no, the entire semester there were assignments due a year ago, and all of our actual assignments were tucked away into a few files in the modules tab. Finding assignments and directions for this class was overly arduous throughout the entirety of the semester. This professor had to repeat where to find these assignment descriptions probably a few dozen times through the first half of the course, and even would acknowledge that it could be confusing, but decided to still do nothing about it. Thankfully, the descriptions for the assignments in this course weren't all that helpful in the long run, since these descriptions, the professor's directions, and the TA's directions all differed. She would often explain an assignment differently day to day or even person to person. She had to tell the class how an assignment worked numerous times for each one, but refused to acknowledge that her directions were clearly confusing and often contradictory. Fully understanding the requirements and directions for any one assignment in this class was truly an exercise in futility. She went as far as changing the requirement for the final project a week before it was due over a series of 3 emails, one of which, I did not even receive. For the final project, we were on a tight schedule because she had pushed back the last assignment. The final project was to make 30 5x5 inch pieces in varying mediums that all adhered to a single theme. 30 would be posted on the board along with 5 extras just to choose from at the end. Through the time we spent on this assignment, she acknowledged many, many times that it was a lot of work, perhaps an unfair amount for a 3 credit course (especially towards the end of the semester when we would have a lot of work from our other classes as well). Despite this, she did not lessen the workload, no, she changed the requirements from 30 on the boards to 36 on the boards. I had been using pieces I made that I specifically ended up not liking as my extra 5, so hearing that they would be on the final piece made me throw them away, along with also needed an extra piece overall. Of course, because I did not receive every email, and I did not know that this requirement was even changed, all I saw was some due date changes. On the final class period when I explained my situation, she told me not to worry about it, only to change her mind 4 days later, leaving me even less time to make it up than if she just told me to do it from the beginning; a truly maddening circumstance that left me seething. I happened to be sick during the back half of the assignment, which obviously did not help, but was not the main issue. The whole situation truly encapsulates the overall problem with the professor, miscommunication and an unending wavering attitude, where her mind changes on a whim. After all of that, she proceeded to give me a B on pretty much every assignment for the final (which included the final project and each exercise, which was just a progress check on having the correct number of pieces done by the due date). Maybe I deserved a B on all of it, I personally don't think so, and I think it is to spite me, which, honestly, to be fair, I can understand. I have been a real pain in her neck all semester, because I am willing to call her on her bs. Finally, her as a person. She is usually pretty kind and genuinely wants to help her students succeed, for the most part. Although, when she expresses her opinions on people's art, me and some other students I talk to can find it pretty off putting. She commonly acts like her opinion on the piece is the only correct one. Also, I found it odd that essentially the entire class was a workshop, with absolutely no demonstrations from the professor, as if this 100 level beginner class expected every student to figure out paint on their own. I have some art experience, so this was not really a hindrance to me, but I did find it odd that I never saw the professor make any art in the entire course, unlike my time in ARTT110. (Yes, I took the classes backwards, me dumb) Overall, she may not even teach her again, I am unsure. But if you take her, just be weary and make sure you fully understand the assignment and be careful, I went as far as showing her the printed directions and her own emails to show that what she was saying was contradicting previous directions. She isn't even rude most of the time, she can be pretty pleasant as a person, but her class was pure chaos in my honest opinion. Steer clear unless you haven't a choice; I think this professor and I may have permanent beef.

Peter Cullen
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/03/2023

Less like a class—more like a pastime. Cullen is extremely lax, and his instructions for assignments are very easy to follow. He assigns at least two projects every week: a group of guided assignments to understand the style of drawing you're trying to learn, and an open assignment to express your creativity in respect to that style. As someone whose artistic talent is very limited, I enjoyed drawing in Cullen's class, and every time I finished an assignment, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I faced a little difficulty once we started incorporating color into our projects, but I think that's more due to my lack in ability rather than a fault of Cullen's. Great professor, better person.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/22/2022

Pros: Organized and punctual. Cons: She doesn't work well with college aged students. She doesn't have creative flexibility. She is not easy to talk to about issues you may be having with the work.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/18/2022

Wendy Jacobs is *Abrasive*Demanding* Inflexible* Angry*Expects students to have understanding for her mistakes, yet is totally unempathetic when it comes to the issues students are facing themselves*Makes ignorant comments regarding students * Reprimands students as punishment in front of all her other students in order to keep them on their toes and doing exactly what she says * Tightly wound and anxious demeanor most of the time*Her energy/aura makes students feel uneasy and uncomfortable *Lacks creativity* Burnt Out *Is the total opposite of "Je ne sais quoi"-lacks the creative and inspiring spirit most professors in the art department at UMD has *Uninspiring *Unsupportive*Jarring personality*If you value your mental health and your creative spirit and wish to foster your artistic skills in a comfortable safe environment-DO NOT take this professor. If there is another Professor teaching the same class, take that one. You can thank me later.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A
jacoblil_
12/13/2022

Show up, be present, give effort, and know this course has a decent amount of work. Jacobs is a great professor and gives great feedback on a project you're working on. Especially the final project, which will consume a lot of time. I really liked Jacobs, she shows interest in her student's work and can give great feedback.

Jeremy Kunkel
ARTT100

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/10/2022

Kunkel is a fairly easy grader and gives food feedback in a way that feels constructive. The 2.5-hour long class feels like it's longer than it is but some days you can leave early and do the rest at home. The lectures are a lot especially if you already know the elements of art and he tends to just talk about the same thing over and over. Other than that, strongly recommend him.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/09/2022

She's nice enough but is very particular. For the final project, she expects you to make 34 5x5 full pieces in just a couple of weeks. She assigns 5 pieces every time the class meets and sometimes 7 pieces. With all other school work, this is unreasonable. She's not that nice but not that mean.

Jeremy Kunkel
ARTT100

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/05/2022

I only took this class because it was required for my major. I am not the best drawer, but have some experience and Kunkel is a fairly easy/understanding grader. He understands that not everyone is on the same level of skill and grades by effort. I never stayed for the full 2.5-hour class, and do the rest of my work at home and everything was fine. He is a very nice man with good intentions of helping his students grow and learn, but he can tend to talk... A LOT when giving demos/presentations.

Peter Cullen
ARTT100

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/23/2022

Professor Cullen was an okay teacher. In each class, he would start with thorns and roses and try to give some words of encouragement. He cared for the well-being of his students. I felt that this class was boring for someone who wants to do more than follow specific directions; it got repetitive after a while. Each week there is an open assignment and a guided assignment. The guided assignment included a video tutorial that we had to follow and complete. The open assignment was based on the topic that we learn that week. This class is VERY beginner. During class, he would walk around and give very minimal critiques. On elms assignments and in class, his critiques were not very good or helpful they were usually small remarks such as “looks good..” His final is an artist critique about an open assignment that we complete a week or two before. The final was on the second to last day of finals and I felt that it was unnecessary to have it be in person… (and it only lasted 30 minutes). I would take this class if you want an easy A or want a simple beginner art class. But if you have a lot of skill in art, I would not recommend.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/09/2022

Will help you if you are interested in the course material. And provides good advice to get you out of an artist block. However she is very particular about absences and being on time and will chew you out for being late. Accomodations occur half and half and if she doesn’t like you you’re basically done. Overall, would recommend you take ARTT100 with someone else, but it’s not the end of the world if you are with Wendy Jacobs

Peter Cullen
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2021

He's a nice professor, but I found he didn't do the best with the online format. He gave little feedback on projects. It was fun, but not the best art class I've taken at UMD.

Peter Cullen
ARTT100

Anonymous
03/30/2021

extremely nice professor, accommodating to online format, chill. Don't need to be great at art to take ARTT100.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a B
Anonymous
03/24/2016

Wendy Jacob's is one of the worst professor's i have ever encountered.She has a nasty rude attitude is very condescending to her students and ridged. The projects give little room for creativity, she assigns pointless homework assignments and exercises. She is a stickler for being on time and absences yet she is often late or doesnt show up at all. During studio work she hovers around rudely critiquing people in a unnecessary harsh tone causing discouragement rather then encouraging students. compared to the other art professors i have taken at umd wendy jacob's is truly an awful professor and mean person and should be avoided at all costs.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A-
icoronado
12/18/2014

I sat at an 89.1 for the last few weeks of the semester. The damn assignments took more of my time than any other classes, including my own major. In the middle of finals, ELMS lets me know I got a 75% in participation, dropping me to an 86 (granted, that's not bad, but I enjoy art as a subject, and this isn't even my major). She's a harsh grader. She also loves to hear herself talk, which is unfortunate since she bans the use of earphones in class. People told me not to take her, but testudo had the professor of the section I was in as TBA. I was trapped. She repeats herself endlessly, as if a collection of college students were incapable of reading instructions on their own or understanding after just one listen. Attendance is her favorite thing. Don't take her class. Also, class seemed disorganized - so many things on the supply list that weren't necessary. Don't by the newsprint pad, or the erasers, or the colored pencils, or the actual pencils. You aren't required for any assignments to use them, they are suggestions. Save your fucking money. TL;DR: She kinda sucks, expects too fucking much out of you, and seems to be allergic to logic.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

cliu1237
12/01/2014

I cannot believe how Wendy become a teacher. She teached knowledge so confused to the whole class. And she cannot explain them well. The worst thing is her worst attitude to students.Treating student like a machine not real people. Tons of HW need to do, but few grades she would give to students. I am so disappoitment that umd has a teacher like Wendy. Hope she will be fired soon, so then no student would be torment in her class.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/16/2012

Wendy warns you ahead of time that she's kind of a hardass. Regardless, her attitude problem was much worse than I expected. She can be nice when she wants to be but overall, I felt like she treated the class as a whole like we were in kindergarten (no, we were not ACTING like kindergartners). Overall, alright class to take as an elective, but don't expect an easy A. She's a tough grader and doesn't respond well to arguments regarding grades. She will also take off points for every time you leave early/come in late.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a B
wombat
12/15/2011

I don't see the problem people have with Ms. Jacobs. She's not a bad professor, although not stellar either. First off, the class attendance policy is a bit of a mixed bag. You can miss three studio sessions, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. It's great for healthy people who are never actually ill and just get "sick" strategically. However, I can see how it might be tough for people who are either of weaker stock or just have very busy / unpredictable schedules. The class can be a lot of work if you procrastinate, so don't do it. The toughest bits are probably the sketchbook exercises and the final project. For both, you need to find the right balance between quality and finishing in a timely fashion. The critiques are quite easy. Just point out something cool, or something not-so-cool, about a person's work, and then explain how it either enhances or detracts from the piece. The important thing is to actually speak up, or your attendance grade will plummet. Just standing there with your hand holding your chin and nodding like a world-renowned art critic is not going to be enough. Remember that it's all very subjective (plus it's an intro course) so don't be afraid to BS your critique, a lot of people will be BSing right alongside you. Just make it sound convincing. Also, some of the grading seemed arbitrary, especially on the assignments. Ms. Jacobs would take off points for things that seemed to have no connection to the rubric or even anything, for that matter. On the bright side, she really had the capacity to inspire you. Talking to her at length before projects really helped if I was in an artistic rut. Plus she was friendly. The people below who described her as mean, unapproachable and whatnot probably did something to get on her bad side.

James Thorpe
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/01/2011

I would not say this class is an "easy" A, but I mean, as far as work load, yeah, it's pretty easy...I felt Thorpe graded a little hard, I mean out of 8 projects I received 4 B's and 4 A's, so pretty fair distribution...As far as Thorpe, the guy is awesome...I didn't find him hard to approach at all, and he was generally a very nice person...He makes class fun and he really takes to time to know and respect his students...Take Thorpe, you will not regret it

Leslie Berns
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/18/2011

Professor Berns is one of the coolest professors at MD. I had her for Art Theory and Studio Art. She's really flexible and is a really nice person overall. In Theory, it's clear that she knows exactly what she's talking about (she went to Yale) but she has some trouble explaining it. For Studio, it was only a 100-level class so she graded on how much effort you put into it, not on how talented you are. Definitely take a class with her if you can.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Anonymous
12/11/2010

Ms. Jacobs has been really patient with me, i am not an art major and can't draw very well. she took a lot of time explaining assignments, expectations and how to execute certain techniques i wanted to use. She is a great professor. There are expectations and you are expected to be on time and not miss class, but she is very approachable. I would recommend her!

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a C
Anonymous
12/10/2010

I took this as an elective to get into ARTT353 and thought it may be fun and exciting. I've never taken an art course and I thought ARTT100 would be an interesting experience that would teach me useful fundamentals that I could apply to future courses. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly say that I got much out of this class. The important concepts taught through the course weren't conveyed well. Our brief lecture was done in a short Microsoft Word document that went over broad concepts that we needed to execute in our projects. It was really peculiar viewing arts in a word document. Maybe a powerpoint would have been better. The room also didn’t help make the brief lectures any better. It was often difficult to hear and there was no screen to project on. Students had to view the lectures in their own time because the font was small and projected art work unclear. There seemed to be a large feeling of ambiguity of how to apply the concepts to our assignments. To be fair so projects were more clear than other (the montage assignment and pattern assignment were very clear). However, the majority of assignments required a lot of questions and often at the critiques a large minority of the class would miss the boat on how to execute the idea. I felt this was especially true for the line assignment, road assignment, text assignment, and black square assignment. The projects often seemed to have an emphasis on quantity. A few of the projects could have been better if we simply had to do fewer pieces and had better explanation. I often felt rushed and stressed like I was in a 300 or 400 level class. One of the things that made the course even more challenging was Ms. Jacobs’s attitude. She seemed rude to a couple students on more than one occasion. Ms. Jacobs addressed students who were late in a highly critical and borderline rude manner. Instead of talking to students in private she spoke loud and openly about their lateness problem or anything else she thought was wrong, which I felt was unprofessional. She also seems to have trouble with students asking for due date clarification. I’ve been around a few students who were confused about basic things and would not talk to Ms. Jacobs for help. Her tone on the first day of class may have caused this feeling. There was a huge focus on what NOT to do rather than how engaging the class would be. The whole experience was intimidating and just not pleasant. I did draw inspiration from my classmates that I shared an experience of mutual discontent and desire for something better. Mr. Karis, our TA, was quiet, but approachable and helpful. Students stated that at the critique his project was the first one they enjoyed (and this was the 6th project). I like how he gave an exercise that directly related to project so we really got the idea. I felt the exercise after a lecture was really helpful and when Ms. Jacobs had an exercise before the montage projects it was also really helpful. This method was much better than simply drawing thumbnails because you could get direct feedback. The thumbnails also took up a ton of time and ended up being a chore with little result. We didn’t get feedback on the thumbnails and unless you asked directly and were clear about the goal of the project, your thumbnails may not have been helpful. The few in class exercises really brought ideas together because you knew right away if your execution and thought process was accomplishing what it should A few words to sum up this course would be discouraging, uninspiring, intimidating, frustrating, and draining. Going to Ms. Jacobs’s class was never something I looked forward to. This course is kind of heartbreaking because I really have enjoyed my UMD course at some level, but I cannot say the same for this class.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a C
Anonymous
09/30/2010

Terrible class. Avoid it like the plauge. The projects are boring. You will not learn anything from these projects. Take another professor.

Leslie Berns
ARTT100

mayabcd
03/25/2010

She is amazing. I really do love her. Berns understands that Art isn't the only thing we're doing, and she is so flexible with due dates and assignments. Very easy to talk to, and she gives good feedback and insight. Some of the concepts are strange, but she clarifies if you ask her to do so. Make sure you put some effort into the projects and assignments. She praises effort, not necessarily good work. Just relax and enjoy, because you'll probably not have another class as great as this one.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/09/2010

TERRRRRRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. Assignments that she's giving out to us is just STUPID, and there are lot of writings that you have to do, and she criticize too much about EVERYTHING. Way too hard for ARTT100 level

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Anonymous
02/15/2010

This class is very frustrating. She is kind of unorganized and doesn't like it when you ask her questions. Projects are a joke in that it's just busy work. Terrible terrible. Pick another professor

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2009

I took ARTT100 as a fun course to round out my schedule, and actually learned a lot in it. Professor Jacobs was also very nice, I missed the final date and she let me bring in my project the next day with little or no penalization, and responded very quickly to my email concerning it. The work load is a little intense, but she is understanding when everyone tells her they will need more time. I would recommend her.

Wendy Jacobs
ARTT100

Expecting a B
Anonymous
11/03/2009

Let me start off by saying that this is an Art100 class and the projects are not too bad and neither is the work load. But when it comes to choosing a professor stay away from Jacobs. She is unhelpful and criticizes work in a cruel matter. Her projects are not fun and she never seems to bring a good attitude to her class.

Leslie Berns
ARTT100

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/25/2008

She doesn't really follow the syllabus so it is a very easygoing class where you complete projects as assigned. even if you get Bs on some projects don't be afraid, effort is important, attend class (attendance points) and you should come out with an A. be careful with craftmanship because it counts! Try, go to class, have fun, speak up!!!! and you will be golden.

Dawn Gavin
ARTT100

Expecting a C+
Kedorus
12/30/2007

Dawn was an awesome professor and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in art. You can tell she’s really passionate about art (especially painting) and wants to instill that same passion into her students. Be warned though that she requires a lot of work and skill for a good grade, and if you don’t have much previous artistic experience, you might want to go with an easier professor.

Reviews for ARTT100