Art & Design Department

About the Program

The painting and drawing studio curriculum emphasizes the development of perceptual and analytical skills through the study of nature and the human figure. Our aim is to provide students with an opportunity to study the powers of expression possessed by shape, form, color, and composition. At the foundation level, we emphasize direct observation and examination of shapes and volumes in space. Students then develop the ability to construct and compose using those shapes and volumes in space. This solid foundation is complemented by the study of Art History and Contemporary Art to prepare students for advanced individual creative expression in painting and drawing. In advanced course work emphasis is placed on the development of students’ intellectual capacity and ability to conceive, initiate, and complete original work according to their own vision.

Freshman and transfer student eligibility for the B.F.A. Painting major will be determined on the basis of an interview with the student and a portfolio examination review. These students are often first accepted as B.A. majors for whom there is no portfolio review. During their final semester in the program, each B.F.A. student will be required to mount a solo exhibition of his or her work. It will be planned and installed by the student with the advice of the student’s Senior Studio Painting instructor, but no grade will be assigned. This experience helps prepare students for the varied aspects of mounting a professional exhibition.

It is with great pleasure that we witness students gaining creative powers and confidence which will enrich the rest of their lives.

Painting, B.F.A. Roadmap (PDF)

Selected student works - Drawing and Painting
Selected drawings and paintings from the 2015 Fine Arts Student Exhibition