Focused on making, the Department of Visual Arts is one of the many knowledge communities at the University of Chicago, one of the world's great research institutions. We aim to stimulate and challenge both graduate and undergraduate students, encouraging the development of independent and rigorous thought as expressed in the visual arts. We propose that the production of art is a mode of inquiry. Our faculty, diverse in their pursuits but all grounded in making, are engaged in critical discourses national and international in scope. Our students benefit from this dialogue and are encouraged to pursue areas of overlap with the many other disciplines represented at the University — including history, art history, science, philosophy, aesthetics, theater, music, and creative writing.