Studio Art

Explore your love of art

Enjoy the freedom to develop as an artist—while covered in paint or behind the camera—with our studio art major.

Painting & drawing

Our studio art experience is tailored to you.

Master fundamental skills and become well-versed in historical and contemporary art. Or dive deep into a favorite medium or technique.

We give you extensive freedom to investigate and experiment with creating art, developing your distinctive personal style and building a comprehensive body of work.

Photography

In a world where every business has a digital media presence, photography experience is resume gold.

This popular minor perfectly complements our nationally recognized graphic design major or any of our 100-plus programs.

We don't just teach the newest digital techniques. We're one of few schools that still teach traditional black-and-white film photography—an old-school process requiring patience and discipline that will help you appreciate the fundamentals that carry over to digital media.

You'll get extensive training in traditional and digital darkrooms with access to our fully equipped processing laboratory, modern darkroom with 20 enlargers, Macintosh computers, large-format color printers, specialized camera equipment and professional studio lighting.

Take your skills outside the classroom

Our Lore Degenstein Gallery offers valuable professional experience to student employees. Help hang an exhibition of high-dollar works or lend a hand planning and hosting a well-attended exhibition opening.

As a senior, you'll professionally mount—to museum standards—a public exhibition of your best work.

We're often on the road, taking free field trips to visit major museums and well-known art galleries in Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia

Make a career of art

Graduates choose careers in a gallery or museum, or as professional artists, illustrators, photographers, teachers, artists-in-residence, art buyers or corporate consultants. They also enroll in Master of Fine Arts programs.

Our interdisciplinary minors, like arts administration and museum studies, help you gain a better understanding of important topics in today’s world.

Publications

North Dakota Horizons Spring 2016, The road that got us there—photos by Sarah Chaffee
Essay, Spring 2016—KC Schweizer cover photo; Sarah Chaffee contributed photos
River Craft, 2015-2016—KC Schweizer cover photo; Sarah Chaffee, Jess Deibert contributed photos
Flagship 2016—Kelsy Hails cover photo; KC Schweizer contributed photos
The Quill—Laura Augustinos, Chelsea Barner, Sarah Chaffee, Michael Farina, Chad Hummel, Kacy Reece, Elizabeth Regan, Marie Schiumo, KC Schweizer and Jordyn Slocum contributed photos.

Awards

Photographers Forum: Best of College + High School Photography 2016 Finalist: Yaling Yu
Converge Gallery: Juried Selfie show 06/03-07/16/2016 Matt Cultera

Requirements for the Major in Studio Art. The Bachelor of Arts in studio art requires 46 semester hours of art department courses with grades of C- or better.

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
20 General Requirements
4 ARTH-101 Introduction to Art History I: Prehistoric to Late Middle Ages
4 ARTH-102 Introduction to Art History II: Renaissance to Modern
4 ARTS-111 Foundations of Art I
4 ARTH-300 Topics in Art or ARTH-315 History of Photography
4 ARTS-402 Senior Portfolio
6 Art Electives
6 Choose 6 semester hours from art department courses. Additional independent study and internship credits are applicable.
Painting and Drawing Concentration: 20 hours
4 ARTS-112 Foundations of Art II
4 ARTS-113 Drawing
4 ARTS-221 Painting
4 ARTS-314 Topics in Studio Art
4 ARTS-400 Independent Study (combination of two- or four-semester-hour sections)
Photography Concentration: 20 hours
4 ARTS-241 Black and White Photography
4 ARTS-243 Digital Photography
4 ARTS-244 Advanced Photography
4 ARTS-341 Topics in Photography
4 ARTS-400 Independent Study (combination of two- or four-semester-hour sections)

Minor in Studio Art. The studio art minor requires 20 semester hours in art department courses with grades of C- or above. Required courses are ARTH-101 Introduction to Art History I or ARTH-102 Introduction to Art History II; ARTS-111 Foundations of Art I; ARTS-113 Drawing; and eight additional semester hours of art department electives.