Studio Concentrations

The Book Arts curriculum addresses the traditional and expanded practices of creating artist books by hand. Individual artistic expression is emphasized through development of craft skills based in historical principles, practice, and technique. The curriculum includes three core classes. The introductory Book Structures course is an initiation into the fundamental techniques, processes, theory, and materials used in producing handmade books. The intermediate level Letterpress course teaches students how movable type and other relief surfaces can be used to realize self-directed projects. The Advanced Printed Book course further contextualizes the history of artist books and publications through the creation of unique artist books. 

The Drawing focus offers six media-specific and conceptually focused classes in specific media and material content as well as concept-driven courses such as “Field Connections,” “Experimental Drawing,” “Art Journaling.” The Drawing faculty encourages a range of visual expression and media experimentation grounded in technical training. Through material research, experimentation, and critique, students master basic drawing skills and address drawing’s relationship to contemporary issues and ideas. 

The Art+Technology focus area provides students with opportunities to learn and apply skills in coding, interactivity, digital media, games, and machine learning. In courses such
as Art & Electronic Media, Creative Coding, Interactivity, and Networked Art, students learn about the relationships between contemporary art, culture, and electronic media. Topics such as digital images and sound, gaming, digital fabrication, and interdisciplinary art practices are explored in this focus area.

With access to a high-power computer lab, a host of digital fabrication tools, and a collection of digital audiovisual equipment, students completing this focus area will be prepared to make artwork that engages with the high-tech world in which we live.

The Moving Image focus area encourages students to explore the ways in animation, video, coded forms, and hybrid media on the screen allow for deeper questioning and conceptual investigation. The interdisciplinary focus of the area allows students the space to find a voice while learning about media history, recent critical theory, and the role of the moving image in contemporary art. 

The Painting focus offers courses taught by a stylistically diverse faculty that exposes students to a full range of aesthetic and intellectual inquiry. In the gateway course students will explore the nature of painting as a material exploration while learning basic techniques. Advanced courses are more concept-driven while still emphasizing material research, experimentation, and critique as tools for arriving at meaning and addressing painting’s relationship to contemporary issues and ideas. 

The Photography focus area offers a comprehensive curriculum examining traditional and digital skills toward a better understanding of photography as a tool for art and storytelling. The focus area equips students with a range of image-making skills opening up deeper cross-disciplinary investigations into the role of the camera, analog processes, and digital tools in crafting our collective relationship to the contemporary image.  

The Sculpture focus area offers courses in which students are encouraged and guided to explore their work through form, materials, and space. Our curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of sculptural practices, empowering students to craft impactful and thought-provoking explorations rooted in research. This ensures that students feel confident and supported in their learning journey, knowing that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to build a sustainable art practice.

Our facilities comprise fully equipped wood and metal shops, as well state-of-the-art digital fabrication equipment including laser and waterjet cutters, 3D printers, and CNC machines. This integration of technology enables students to push boundaries and delve into new creative realms, equipping them with contemporary artmaking skills and fabrication techniques.