Art + Design
College of Arts and Sciences
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 + Design and the Bachelor of Arts in Art + 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 concentrations of Fine and New Media Art, Graphic Design and Product Design. As the skills required in graphic, web and product design, illustration, new/multimedia art, arts administration and arts management 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.
The Bachelor of Arts in Art + 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 in Art + Design
The Graphic and Product Design concentrations 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 and the Fine and New Media Art concentrations allows you to create your own individualized program in studio art by taking courses in a variety of artistic disciplines, whether your interest is in a traditional studio art or in the area of new media art which combines multiple disciplines in digital, installation, performance based art. 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 (BA program only) 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. Art History majors are valued in areas as diverse as cultural consultancies to real estate to law for their strong research and writing skills. A senior capstone project requires you to complete a written thesis and/or curatorial experience.
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 "Stratasys SuperLab"
- 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
The Art + Design Department is proud to have been designated one of 3 "SuperLabs" on the East coast for our acquisition of a Stratasys J750 3D printer. This multi material, multi color printer will allow our students and lab collaborators to create the next generation of 3D printed prototypes in areas as diverse as art, design, architecture, geographic mapping, medical and scientific research. Our 3D lab also includes several other kinds of 3D printers, CNC and traditional shop equipment. Other facilities include well equipped specialized art studios, Mac and PC laptop labs, 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.