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faculty
Serra Fels
Assistant Professor
Art
Contact
508-999-8556
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College of Visual & Performing Arts 051
Education
| Columbia University | MFA in Sculpture/New Genre |
| Stanford University | BA in Social Psychology |
Teaching
- Foundations
- Graduate Program
- Sculpture
Courses
A forum to present contemporary themes in art and design. This course will focus on conceptual and formal themes in order to explore influences that define contemporary art and design. Students will develop a keener comprehension of issues in contemporary art, explore majors with in CVPA, and be introduced to the intellectual community of CVPA and the University. Students will practice writing, critical thinking, collaborative learning and social/civic activities. This course is designed for first semester art majors. Course is designed for first-year art and design students.
A forum to present contemporary themes in art and design. This course will focus on conceptual and formal themes in order to explore influences that define contemporary art and design. Students will develop a keener comprehension of issues in contemporary art, explore majors with in CVPA, and be introduced to the intellectual community of CVPA and the University. Students will practice writing, critical thinking, collaborative learning and social/civic activities. This course is designed for first semester art majors. Course is designed for first-year art and design students.
A forum to present contemporary themes in art and design. This course will focus on conceptual and formal themes in order to explore influences that define contemporary art and design. Students will develop a keener comprehension of issues in contemporary art, explore majors with in CVPA, and be introduced to the intellectual community of CVPA and the University. Students will practice writing, critical thinking, collaborative learning and social/civic activities. This course is designed for first semester art majors. Course is designed for first-year art and design students.
A forum to present contemporary themes in art and design. This course will focus on conceptual and formal themes in order to explore influences that define contemporary art and design. Students will develop a keener comprehension of issues in contemporary art, explore majors with in CVPA, and be introduced to the intellectual community of CVPA and the University. Students will practice writing, critical thinking, collaborative learning and social/civic activities. This course is designed for first semester art majors. Course is designed for first-year art and design students.
Fundamental principles of the third dimension in art and design through the manipulation of materials. This course advances hand skills, accurate analysis of process, and a basic proficiency in a variety of methods. Students work with a range of materials to develop understanding of their character and appropriateness for particular solutions. Course designed for first-year art and design students.
Fundamental digital media concepts and techniques in studio art and design practice. Emphasis is placed on the use of digital tools in all creative areas. Hands-on projects demonstrate and reinforce integration of computers in the creation of two, three, and four-dimensional work. Students will develop a visual and verbal language for developing, analyzing, and presenting work. Course is designed for first-year art students. Laptop required.
Fundamental digital media concepts and techniques in studio art and design practice. Emphasis is placed on the use of digital tools in all creative areas. Hands-on projects demonstrate and reinforce integration of computers in the creation of two, three, and four-dimensional work. Students will develop a visual and verbal language for developing, analyzing, and presenting work. Course is designed for first-year art students. Laptop required.
Research
Research interests
- Installation and Sculpture
- Queer world-building
- Material and process-based meaning-making
- Community and relational learning in studio education
- Contemporary foundations pedagogy
Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels creates site-responsive sculptural installations that embed into existing architecture and built environments. Using ordinary construction materials like lath, drywall, plaster, and flooring, the sculptures transform overlooked architectural conditions into sites of explorative disruption, shifting how viewers physically and psychologically experience their surroundings. Fels’ sculptures often sit somewhere between folklore, science fiction, and queer magical realism, exploring how environments shape behavior, perception, and our sense of what is real.
Originally trained as a social psychologist at Stanford University, Fels later studied metalsmithing at the Appalachian Center for Craft before receiving her MFA in Sculpture/New Genre from Columbia University. Her installations have been exhibited internationally at venues including Palais de Tokyo, Pioneer Works, Smack Mellon, BRIC, and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. She has received support and recognition from organizations including the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Peter S. Reed Foundation, and New York Foundation for the Arts.
Alongside her studio practice, Fels teaches foundations, sculpture, and interdisciplinary studio courses that emphasize experimentation, material meaning, and curiosity as a tool for creative thinking. Fels' teaching encourages students to treat making as a form of investigation: testing structures, pushing unfamiliar processes, and paying close attention to how materials, spaces, and social environments shape experience.