Art + Design
College of Arts and Sciences (p. 66)
The Faculty of Arts and Letters
Fine and Performing Arts Center, Room 233
570-422-3759
www.esu.edu/art
About the Program
The Art + Design Department offers two programs: the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Art and Design and the Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design. These programs prepare you for success in three areas of concentration: Design, Fine Arts and Art History.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Art and Design is a 60 credit professional program that allows you the flexibility to incorporate courses in other disciplines into your major. As the skills required in graphic design, product design illustration, new/multimedia fine art, art administration and art history increasingly overlap, integrating courses across the concentrations and in other disciplines like digital media, communications, sciences, management and other humanities will give you a wide breadth of creative, technical and professional competencies that will improve your career prospects. This program prepares you for entry-level positions or entrance into Master of Fine Arts graduate program. A portfolio is required for entry into the program but is waived for 2015-2016 academic year.
The Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design is a 42 credit general program that develops skills in the areas of Design, Fine Art and Art History. Selected courses in these areas provide you with a foundation for careers or further study in these fields.
Concentrations
The Design concentration develops creativity, innovation and skills in the fields of graphic design and object/product design. A combination of hands on techniques and up to date industry standard digital design software prepare you for careers in visual communication and product design. Hands on studio projects and integrated design history and theory as well as courses in studio art and art history develop your aesthetic and cultural literacy, highly valued by professionals in the field. A required internship gives you real-world experiences and potential employment opportunities. The BFA program provides increased flexibility to integrate courses across the concentrations as well as from other disciplines as part of your major credit requirements.
The Fine Art concentration allows you to create your own individualized program in studio art by taking courses in a variety of artistic disciplines. If you plan a career as a studio or fine craft artist, in art therapy, teaching, or any field that values creativity, you may choose this concentration. A senior capstone project allows you to create a consummate record of your achievement that can be used for exhibition opportunities or entrance to graduate school. The BFA program provides increased flexibility to integrate courses across the concentrations as well as from other disciplines as part of your major credit requirements to prepare you for entering a Master of Fine Arts.
Required art history courses strengthen both the studio and design components by developing your aesthetic literacy, a highly valued qualification in all creative careers.
The Art History concentration develops your knowledge of major periods in art and architecture of the past to the present and an acquaintance with the art of non-Western cultures. Art history majors may develop careers in museums, galleries, restoration, journalism, education or arts administration. A senior capstone project requires you to complete a written thesis and/or curatorial experience. The BFA program provides increased flexibility to integrate courses across the concentrations as well as from other disciplines as part of your major credit requirements to prepare you for some entry level positions or entering a graduate program.
Highly qualified faculty and small class sizes provide individualized instruction that fosters creative and artistic growth.
New Mind Design, the student design agency is a student run, faculty mentored business where you will meet with real world clients to provide an array of design services, such as digital, graphic, display and product design, rendering and prototyping. The Student Art Association is a student run organization that provides art and creative activities and service to the university and the community.
Choose Art + Design at ESU
- Qualified, experienced faculty
- Small class size
- Exhibition opportunities in the Madelon Powers Art Gallery
- Specialized art studios and computer lab
- 3D printing and fabrication lab
- Student design agency
Career Opportunities
- Graphic, Web Designer
- Fine Artist
- Package Designer
- Illustrator
- Art therapist
- Display designer
- Art residencies/teaching
- Product Designer
- Cartoonist
- Fine craftsman
- Concept artist
- Arts administrator
- Art conservationist
- Graduate school
More information is available from the department.
Facilities
Our facilities include well equipped specialized art studios, Mac and PC laptop labs, a state of the art 3D fabrication lab with several kinds of 3D printers, CNC and traditional shop equipment, computer lab and “smart classrooms” for lectures. The Madelon Powers Art Gallery features a series of professional and student exhibitions. Trips to design companies, galleries, museums and conferences are scheduled every semester and artists and designers are often invited to speak and/or offer workshops.