Discover and develop your passion for art with a major or minor in Studio Art. Here, you will study painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and imaging (photography, video and new media). The major begins with rigorous introductory courses and quickly moves on to more focused intermediate and advanced offerings. Studio Art courses at all levels are designed to help you explore a broad range of concepts, methods and materials while developing individual ideas and a personal voice. Consistent throughout the Studio Art experience is attention to craft, development of a refined understanding of formal relationships, exercise of a rigorous practice of art making, and exposure to a broad range of historical and contemporary examples.
As part of a liberal arts education, Studio Art is one of the few places where you can creatively engage in the development of a visual language. You will be prepared for further study in graduate programs as well as a wide range of careers.
Students often enrich their interests in studio arts with both similar and dissimilar majors and minors, including Economics, Architectural Studies, Writing and Rhetoric, Media and Society and many more.
Studio Art students looking to engage more in their work can study and complete Honors and research projects in their chosen topic with the guidance of a faculty member.
Past examples include:
Experience awe-inspiring art creations by students, faculty and guest artists at The Davis Gallery inside Houghton House, learn about activist art through the Art & Architecture Lecture Series or attend a paint night at the Intercultural Affairs Center.
At Hobart and William Smith, learning goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. You’ll gain high-impact practical experience that deepens learning and opens doors.
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Learn 3D printing in Germany or develop your photography skills in Hong Kong.
Wherever you go, you’ll apply classroom knowledge, develop cultural understanding and build global connections that expand your personal capacity and sense of purpose.
Learn fundamentals, techniques and critical analysis of fine art.
Work through a carefully structured series of problems designed to reveal empirically the nature of color interaction and relatedness and the fundamentals of good visual composition.
Explore metal as a creative sculptural medium.
Introduce yourself to the fundamental processes of woodcut printmaking.
Investigate the histories of practices of museums from a decolonial perspective while building the skills necessary to work in the industry through the Critical Museum Studies minor. You'll get to follow tracks like history museums and art museums and galleries that will allow you to focus on the issues and practices most relevant to the type of cultural space that most interests you. Students in all tracks gain experience with installation techniques, designing, cataloging, collections management, and writing exhibit labels. You'll leave prepared to work in and think critically about a variety of fields.
During her time as a Studio Art major, Brittany was encouraged to think abstractly, to view things from different perspectives and to give and receive criticism in the most constructive way. These skills, along with following her dream of working in the creative arts, propelled her on the path to graduate school.
