The Art and Design Department offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design-Visual Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation, Film, Photography and Motion Design. Within the BFA in Art, students can choose from the following concentrations: Art Education (K-12), Art History, and Studio Art.
We are committed to offering instruction that provides opportunities for students to acquire skills and achieve an understanding of the fundamentals of art production. A new state of the art facility was completed in 2002. Small class sizes offer students individualized faculty attention. Art and Design Department faculty also provide individualized attention to students in the form of advising and planning course work leading to graduation.
While there is no formal portfolio review required for admission, at the end of the sophomore year, Graphic Design and Studio Art majors complete a formal portfolio review and entrance exam. Students must pass both in order to continue into upper-division courses. See the Student Resources link for details on how to participate in both reviews.
Art and Design department scholarships are competitive and limited to declared, committed art majors. Students must show artistic potential, personal commitment, seriousness of purpose, and a positive/cooperative attitude. Scholarship applications are due early in the Spring semester for the following academic year. Students can apply via the "Student Finance" tab in MAVzone.
Department Contact
Ashtonn Means, Administrative Assistant
P 970.248.1833
Art and Design Department Student Learning Outcomes
1. Interpret and apply formal elements and principles of design (Critical Thinking).
2. Demonstrate proper use of tools, materials, techniques, use and care for equipment through quality craftsmanship, and analysis of scale, proportion, and measuring. (Applied Learning and Quantitative Literacy).
3. Generate individual response through concept and relevant sources of information to create personal content. (Communication Fluency and Information Literacy)
4. Communicate clearly regarding the critical analysis of art and design both historical and contemporary (Critical Thinking; Communication Fluency).
5. Reflect on and respond to ethical, social, civil, and/or environment challenges as they relate to art, design, and new media. (Personal and Social Responsibility)
6. Determine the best medium, methods and artistic strategies for evaluating information critically and developing a message by finding relevant sources of information, and applying the information effectively to visual culture. (Information Literacy)
Studio Art Student Learning Outcomes
7. Create and sustain a body of work through self-directed research, experimentation, risk-taking, and reflective analysis (Applied Learning).
8. Justify analysis of artwork based on materials and concept. (Critical Thinking).
K-12 Art Education Student Learning Outcomes
7. Demonstrate the various approaches to teaching art in a K-12 environment (Applied Learning).
8. Justify analysis of artwork based on concept and materials. (Critical Thinking).
Art History Student Learning Outcomes
7. Demonstrate an array of critical approaches to the study of historic art and visual culture in written or oral presentations (Specialized Knowledge).
8. Execute research projects involving visual analysis, reading research, critical thinking, writing, and standard methods of documentation (Critical Thinking).
Graphic Design Student Learning Outcomes
7. Design and publish a professional portfolio that meets current industry standards (Applied Learning).
8. Demonstrate technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on the application of the design process (Specialized Knowledge).
Animation, Film, Photography and Motion Design Student Learning Outcomes
7. Design and publish a professional portfolio and demo reel that meet current industry standards (Applied Learning).
8. Demonstrate technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on application of the creative design process for photography and time-based media (Specialized Knowledge).
Updated October 2020
Register for a locker in the Fine Art Building
The Fine Art Building has lockers available on the 1st and 2nd floor for students to check out for a semester. The lockers are free to students. Students need to provide their own lock. Check out the locker sign-up process located on green signs by each locker area.
If you have any questions please contact Ashtonn in FA 200 or via email at [email protected]