Department of Art & Visual Studies

Danny Jauregui, Chair

Kate Palmer Albers

Jenny Herrick

David Sloan

Art majors are interested in the impact of visual communication on society, and are engaged with contemporary art and culture, media and design, and social justice. Our classes, across tracks, develop the skills to both make and understand the centrality of visual experience in our lives today, and to succeed professionally in the creative economy. Art majors choose a track:

The Graphic Design Track (with optional concentrations in Animation and Game Art)

develops skills in typography, color-theory, drawing and design history. Students create logos, infographics, advertising campaigns, websites, books, etc. Production-based courses are balanced with courses that critically analyze the personal, cultural, and political influences of visual media.

The Art History and Visual Culture Track develops students’ skills in close looking and communication across image types and platforms-from fine art to media to popular culture. Students study the histories and theories of art and images in relation to power, ethics, and representation.

The Studio Art Track (with concentrations in Painting, Sculpture, Drawing and Digital Art) emphasizes the concepts, materials, and methods in hands-on studio courses, including painting, drawing, digital photography, sculpture, installation and printmaking. Courses in art history and theory augment studio courses to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of how their work relates to both the past and the present.

The Visual Culture/Visual Media Track develops written and verbal skills around contemporary visual culture with hands-on courses in design, photography, game art or animation. Students study the histories and theories of images in relation to power, ethics, and representation and learn the foundational creative production skills that are increasingly valuable across career pathways.

The Balanced Curriculum Track combines courses in both Studio Art and Art History & Visual Culture. Students learn the foundational principles of drawing, painting and sculpture and they learn to analyze and interpret works of art, both historical and contemporary.

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Department of Art & Visual Studies

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