The studio arts major offers options in ceramics, expanded forms, furniture design, glass, metals and jewelry design, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. The close alignment of curricular content and scheduling among these eight options fosters a sense of community through shared experiences and facilitated interaction. Through this integration, students acquire the conceptual and technical skills required to succeed as creative professionals.
The curriculum engages students in comprehensive inquiry that expands and supports their subject matter, ideation through sketches and models, articulation of a rationale for the application of media and process, and finally the refinement of work through editing and critique. Students are also exposed to a wide scope of visual arts and study their cultural relevance through visiting artists, trips to museums, and attendance at professional conferences. During the senior year, students exhibit their final body of work in a gallery. Guidance and experiential projects focusing on the presentation of work, self-promotion, business practice, and issues of professional engagement within the field help students thrive as creative professionals after graduation.
Upon completion of the program, students may choose to continue their education at the graduate level or begin careers by setting up independent studios and exhibiting their work. They also find employment in the fields of art therapy, art criticism, art restoration, gallery and museum management, set and display design, and marketing and advertising; in auction houses for their knowledge of contemporary and historical art and material culture; or as educators. Faculty members are active artists who exhibit widely and are committed to diverse approaches to art-making. They serve as inspiring role models for studio arts majors and offer them support and networking opportunities as they emerge as professionals.
Options
Students choose an option in one of the following areas:
Ceramics–The ceramics option provides a dynamic environment where intellectual discourse and craftsmanship thrive. Students focus on intellectual development, technical skill, and practical knowledge. The curriculum supports a range of fundamental topics within ceramics, such as sculpture, pottery, mold-making, glazing, firing, and material science, and personal aesthetic development with individual critiques and group discussions. Students selecting this option are equipped with the professional and practical skills necessary to operate a studio business.
Expanded forms–Artists have always challenged the definition of art. These challenges have pushed art into new realms of expression and the public into new ways of seeing. The expanded forms option, like the wider art world, extends beyond the traditional forms of painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Artists have expanded the possibilities for expression. Object making goes hand-in-hand with performance, installation, computer art, and multi-media displays. Students are encouraged to explore the full spectrum of experimental and non-traditional artistic expression.
Furniture design–The furniture design option engages students in the pursuit of their creative interests while providing a comprehensive technical background in contemporary woodworking. The option focuses on technical expertise, freeing students to investigate a full range of creative expression and professional interests. A carefully sequenced curriculum begins with a firm foundation in the use and maintenance of hand tools, proceeding on to more advanced tools and topics in construction and design.
Glass–Through a rigorous and diversified curriculum, the glass option cultivates artists who are as versatile in their making as they are in their thinking. Studio instruction in glassblowing, flame-working, hot and kiln casting, cold-working, kiln-forming, glass imaging processes, and three-dimensional digital technologies help inform each student's creative potential with glass. An emphasis on research, idea development, material exploration, execution, and presentation equips students with the skills needed to succeed as professionals. Students in the glass option are also eligible to apply to a Glass Studio Residency Program.
Metals and jewelry design–The metals and jewelry design option focuses on design, aesthetics, as well as material and process mastery. Self-discovery is at the heart of student assignments, projects, and group discussions. This option develops students' creative potential through a broad introduction to materials and production techniques before moving on to advanced techniques in various metals.
Painting–Students selecting the painting option engage in contemporary visual art practice through a personal exploration of painting techniques. The comprehensive curriculum covers traditional methodologies as well as contemporary visual art practices. Rigorous studio practice and critical discourse encourage the development of a strong personal language that allow for effective individual expression.
Printmaking–The printmaking option focuses on concepts and techniques. Organized to offer a flexible experience, this option targets the development of problem-solving and skill-building within the context of printmaking. The curriculum addresses a wide variety of media, tools, and both traditional and technological techniques, as well as theoretical concepts to facilitate skill development and experimentation processes.
Sculpture–The sculpture option engages students in the exploration of three-dimensional art-making. Traditional sculptural processes are introduced, such as bronze casting, stone carving, steel fabrication, and mold-making, within a curriculum that focuses on both formal and conceptual development. Working with a broad variety of materials, ideas, and practices, students are prepared to engage in the dialogue of contemporary sculpture. Over the course of the major, students develop the technical, visual, and intellectual skills required to develop a sophisticated body of work.
Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop
The School of Art's annual Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop is a two-week visual arts class designed to prepare the portfolios of rising high school juniors and seniors for admission to college art programs.
Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree
Today's careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT's Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.
+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor's degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.
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