Painting & Drawing
Painting and drawing practices are fundamentally connected to the critique of and expansion of culture. Rooted in one’s unique and individual voice, contemporary painting and drawing are inherently connected to broader communities as catalysts for social and cultural change. Our area recognizes the significance of historical and traditional knowledge while stressing imperatives that are responsive of a plurality of ideas, changing technologies, and political formations of the time ans space within which we are living and making
Compose your experience
The School of Art offers graduate and undergraduate programs in both areas of painting and drawing as well as a minor and elective courses for non-art majors. We take great pride in considering the space between, and overlaps within practices of “Painting” and “Drawing” as such. Our classrooms and studios provide space for experimentation and innovation. We equip students with the critical and practical skills that prepare them to become shapers of culture, whether as practicing artists, educators, or creative professionals. Our alumni have gone on to become contemporary artists, curators, gallerists, artist assistants, designers, professors and educators, just to name a few. We are committed to professional preparation and mentorship within our program and beyond graduation.
Programs in Painting and Drawing
Master of Fine Arts
The Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art with a concentration in painting and drawing offers students a rigorous, three-year interdisciplinary course of study. Our faculty are contemporary artist devoted to mentorship that promotes and supports critical investigations, as well as research that is conceptual, and historical through structured coursework and self-directed studio practices. Graduate students have the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses or assist senior faculty in classrooms, labs, and workshops. Explore the options below to learn more about our graduate program.
Email faculty representative Joshua Bienko
Degree Requirements
Offered Courses
- ART 503 Theory/Practice/Art Fundamentals
- ART 504 First-Semester Graduate Seminar
- ART 507 Professional Practice: Teaching Internship
- ART 511 Graduate Painting + Drawing I
- ART 512 Graduate Painting + Drawing II
- ART 595 Visiting Artist Seminar
Option: Art History Minor
A graduate minor in art history may be arranged during the student’s first semester of study with the consent of the student’s area instructors and the art history faculty. After a review of previous undergraduate coursework, students must complete a minimum of 12 approved credit hours in art history. A reading knowledge of French, German, or Italian is a prerequisite, unless waived by the art history faculty. Graduate Council policy stipulates that a member from the minor unit must serve on the thesis committee.
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts
The School of Art offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art to undergraduate students interested in painting and drawing. The Bachelor of Arts curriculum includes a higher percentage of general education courses for students pursuing a broader liberal arts education, whereas the Bachelor of Fine Arts curriculum includes more studio courses for students considering careers or graduate study in the visual arts. Our faculty work in a variety of media and modes of visual expression. Undergraduate painting and drawing students experience a uniquely designed curriculum aimed specifically at cultivating more complex ideas, skills, and approaches. Explore the options below to learn more about our undergraduate programs.
Degree Requirements
Offered Courses
- ARTA 212 Drawing II
- ARTA 213 Painting I – Introduction
- ARTA 214 Painting II
- ARTA 215 Watercolor I
- ARTA 216 Watercolor II
- ARTA 219 Special Topics in Drawing/Painting
- ARTA 311 Drawing III
- ARTA 313 Painting III
- ARTA 411 Drawing IV
- ARTA 413 Painting IV
- ARTA 419 Special Topics in Drawing and Painting
Minor
The School of Art offers a studio art minor for students interested in painting and drawing while pursuing other fields of study. Explore the options below to learn more about our minor program.
Degree Requirements
Offered Courses
- ARTA 212 Drawing II
- ARTA 213 Painting I – Introduction
- ARTA 214 Painting II
- ARTA 215 Watercolor I
- ARTA 216 Watercolor II
- ARTA 219 Special Topics in Drawing and Painting
- ARTA 311 Drawing III
- ARTA 313 Painting III
- ARTA 411 Drawing IV
- ARTA 413 Painting IV
- ARTA 419 Special Topics in Drawing and Painting
Non-Major Electives
The School of Art offers courses in painting and drawing for non-art majors. Explore the option below to learn more about our non-major electives.
Offered Courses
- ARTN 211 Non-Major Intro to Drawing
- ARTN 213 Non-Major Intro to Painting
Faculty
Joshua Bienko
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor
Area of Study: Painting and Drawing
