Focus Areas

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 Electronic Art focus area provides students with an opportunity to apply computer programming skills in a variety of creative contexts, including visuals, sound, moving images, games, and interactivity. It also explores the historical and contemporary use of robotics and physical computing in contemporary art.

Courses such as Creative Coding, Electronic Objects, and Web Design examine the contemporary relationships between art and electronic media and the shift from an industrial to an information-driven economy. They also include specific historical trajectories, from the invention of photography to film, gaming, 3D printing, architecture, and interdisciplinary art practices.

With a dedicated computer lab and digital fabrication facilities at their disposal, students will learn the tools and techniques required to embrace electronic media’s place in contemporary art and culture, enabling them to grow exponentially beyond their time here at FSU.

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 area offers a rich variety of courses including Sculpture I & II, Installation, Digital Fabrication, Fiber, and Soft Sculpture where undergraduates and graduate students are encouraged and guided to explore their work. Our curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of sculptural practices, empowering students to craft impactful and thought-provoking explorations rooted in thorough 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 move beyond their time here at FSU.

Our facilities comprise fully equipped wood and metal shops, as well as a dedicated digital lab where students can explore digital fabrication techniques featuring state-of-the-art equipment such as laser and waterjet cutters, 3D printers, handheld and fixed 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.