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Studio Art - B.F.A.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art program provides intensive training in art-making, critical thinking and visual problem-solving. With a strong emphasis on hands-on experience, this program prepares you for a career as a professional artist or further graduate studies in fine arts.

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Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art is a pre-professional degree that prepares students to function in a variety of artistic roles. Specifically, the goals of the program are to develop technical skills, competence in the use of media, artistic sensibility and responsiveness to aesthetic form. Students are educated in the major achievements and achievers in the history of art and extensively study contemporary art forms and their underlying theories. They also learn to assess the quality of works of art and the intellectual value of contemporary theory and criticism.

Studio concentrations include: 

Students work with traditional and non-traditional materials while learning contemporary art concepts. Our state-of-the-art facilities are located under one roof, including a new school-wide digital fabrication studio called the ARTech Studio is accessible to all majors. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and employ a contemporary approach to art making, helping them define what it means to be an artist and a maker in the 21st century. The School of Art offers B.F.A. and B.A. degrees in Studio Art.

Program Information for Studio Art - B.F.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art is a pre-professional program that develops students' conceptual prowess, technical competency and independent problem-solving to meet the challenges of a career or advanced study in the visual arts. Through studio critiques, the study of sophisticated art and design concepts, mastery of skills and technologies and critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues, students learn to analyze and evaluate visual art and apply this knowledge to their own creative practice. Graduating students demonstrate their competence by producing a cohesive body of work presented in their senior thesis exhibition to a panel of faculty reviewers.

The Studio Art major comprises the following concentrations:

  • The Ceramics concentration offers students the opportunity to hone their command of ceramic material to create both artistic and functional forms. Students find new ways of practicing an ancient craft, drawing on both traditional and contemporary thought and practice. In addition, they investigate practices from around the world for a global context in understanding the medium.
  • The Drawing concentration cultivates foundational through advanced observational, conceptual and experimental processes to enable students to explore ideas across media and disciplines. All majors in the School of Art are able to complete a sequence of drawing courses to strengthen their drawing as a tool for visual thinking and recording. The concentration encourages advanced students to work with a wide range of approaches and to pursue drawing in diverse contexts.
  • The Glass concentration challenges students to explore glass as a creative medium, both technically and conceptually, within the broader context of contemporary art. In addition to the fundamentals of glassblowing, students learn glass casting, slumping, fusing, flameworking, enameling, cold-working and assembly. Both interdisciplinary and mixed media approaches are actively encouraged.
  • The Jewelry, Metals and Enameling concentration equally embraces its rich history and the contemporary theory, materials and technology present in the discipline. Students are exposed to fabrication, smithing, enameling, rapid prototyping, alternative materials and industrial processes to encourage the creation of thoughtful art objects. Students are encouraged to meld the rich traditions and applications of the field into the development of their own artistic signatures.
  • The Painting concentration is rooted in observation and technique while stimulating abstract, conceptual or material-driven ideas about painting and contemporary art practices. The curriculum supports a variety of specific approaches to painting — including collage, figural, landscape and abstraction — while simultaneously promoting an interdisciplinary approach and emphasizing engagement with contemporary practices. Advanced painting students work in consultation with faculty advisors to pursue individual directions and interests.
  • The Print Media and Photography concentration introduces students to all traditional print forms as a foundation for conceptual approaches. Students are able to learn print techniques such as intaglio, lithography, relief, silkscreen and large-format digital printing. In addition, students can explore traditional and experimental photography and develop print matrices. Students learn how to develop printed and photographic works of art through layering, problem solving and thoughtful material applications.
  • The Sculpture and Expanded Media concentration encourages proficiency in foundational methods of making-modeling, carving and assembly. The concentration is a springboard for students to learn how to communicate ideas through sculptural works. Although sculpture classes are rooted in the history of object-making, new forms of sculptural practice (installation, time-based practice, sound and kinetic works) are all part of a comprehensive three-dimensional program.
  • The Textiles concentration is distinguished by a transdisciplinary approach that fosters conceptual vision, technical facility and formal and material sensitivity. Coursework includes weaving, digital fabrication, off-loom construction, dye and print. The curriculum emphasizes the position of textiles within a contemporary art landscape and is supported by evolving theoretical discourse. Making and meaning are engaged as interdependent elements of studio production. Consideration of the distinctive properties and processes of textiles – repetition, geometry, line, color, pliability and embodiment – engenders a rigorous vocabulary to support formal and conceptual inquiry. Students explore thinking and working with age-old hand processes while incorporating digitally-interfaced approaches to making. Individual and collective studio practice is contextualized through the study of histories, political meanings and social themes that are deeply interwoven into the discipline of textiles. 

A concentration does not need to be declared upon admission, but students should declare a concentration no later than completion of ART 30001.

Students in the program are encouraged to take advantage of travel opportunities to New York, Chicago, London, Paris and China. In addition, students can participate in study abroad full semester or summer experiences at Kent State's Florence, Italy location.

Admissions for Studio Art - B.F.A.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Transfer applicants to the program who meet the general transfer admission requirements should schedule a meeting with the academic advisor in the School of Art and submit a portfolio to a studio art faculty member to review for proper course placement. The faculty member may specify additional requirements considered reasonable and necessary. Transfer credits are evaluated consistent with the state-wide Transfer Articulation Guides (TAG), although each student will be evaluated individually in terms of his or her ability to perform in the program. Transfer students should make every effort to complete admission requirements before the deadlines and to schedule a portfolio review with before registration.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate skills within their chosen medium/media, associated materials and processes.
  2. Defend work showing a high degree of design, visual literacy and formal analysis.
  3. Discuss their work within larger contemporary and historical contexts.
  4. Articulate and critically examine artistic practices, including their own, in both written and oral form.
  5. Defend self-directed research.
  6. Situate their practice in relationship to the public and engage in professional practices as an emerging artist.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ART 100222D COMPOSITION 3
ART 100233D COMPOSITION 3
ART 10024DIGITAL MEDIA 3
ART 30001COMMON REVIEW 11
ART 40008PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN VISUAL ARTS (WIC) 23
ARTH 22006ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) 3
ARTH 22007ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) 3
ARTH 32066ART AND THEORY SINCE 1940 3
ARTS 14000DRAWING I 3
ARTS 45099SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITION (ELR) 33
Art History (ARTH) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)3
Studio Art (ARTS) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 412
Foundations Electives, choose from the following:12
ARTS 14001
DRAWING II
ARTS 24002
DRAWING AS A STUDIO PRACTICE
ARTS 24010
INTRODUCTION TO FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
ARTS 24040
INTRODUCTION TO PRINT MEDIA
ARTS 24051
INTRODUCTION TO SCULPTURAL PRACTICE
ARTS 24061
INTRODUCTION TO PAINTING
ARTS 25310
FOUNDATIONS IN WEAVING
ARTS 25400
CERAMICS I
ARTS 25600
INTRODUCTION TO GLASS WORKING
ARTS 25700
INTRODUCTION TO JEWELRY METALS
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
6
3
3
6
6-7
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)7
Concentrations
Choose from the following:27
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

Students may register for selected Studio Art upper-division courses (ARTS 30000 or 40000 level) prior to successfully completing ART 30001. At the completion of seven specific courses (ART 10022, ART 10023, ART 10024, ARTH 22007, ARTS 14000 and two foundation electives), students register for ART 30001 and submit a portfolio of representative studio work selected from these courses to a studio art faculty committee for review. An examination of knowledge of art history is included. Incoming transfer students are expected to provide examples of foundational coursework equivalent to School of Art requirements for ART 30001. The review is a formative assessment of the student's foundations work including a digital portfolio, installation of sampling of works and proficiency in written and oral critical thinking.

2

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

3

Students are required to plan and execute independently a senior thesis exhibition in the area of their declared concentration. The exhibition is presented for review to a committee of at least three School of Art faculty. In addition to presenting the project or exhibition, students must submit a written proposal and written summation (or artist's statement). Students must submit photographic documentation along with the requisite written components at the completion of the committee defense. Students should work closely with a studio art faculty advisor on all aspects of the senior project.

4

A maximum 3 credit hours of ARTS 45090 may be applied toward studio art electives. Students may apply this course toward fulfilling general electives, with no maximum credit hours required.

Ceramics Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 24051INTRODUCTION TO SCULPTURAL PRACTICE 13
ARTS 25400CERAMICS I 13
ARTS 35400FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES TO CLAY 3
ARTS 35401SCULPTURAL APPROACHES IN CLAY 3
ARTS 45400ADVANCED CERAMICS 3
Studio Art (ARTS) Elective3
Ceramics Electives, choose from the following:9
ARTS 35400
FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES TO CLAY
ARTS 35401
SCULPTURAL APPROACHES IN CLAY
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 2
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 2
ARTS 45400
ADVANCED CERAMICS
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 24051 and/or ARTS 25400 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course(s) to meet required credit hours.

2

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Drawing Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 14001DRAWING II 13
ARTS 24002DRAWING AS A STUDIO PRACTICE 13
ARTS 24040INTRODUCTION TO PRINT MEDIA 13
ARTS 24061INTRODUCTION TO PAINTING 13
ARTS 34002FIGURE DRAWING 3
ARTS 34003DRAWING: STRUCTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION 3
ARTS 44002ADVANCED DRAWING FOR ALL DISCIPLINES 3
Drawing Electives, choose from the following:6
ARTS 34002
FIGURE DRAWING
ARTS 34003
DRAWING: STRUCTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION
ARTS 44002
ADVANCED DRAWING FOR ALL DISCIPLINES
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 2
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 2
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 14001, ARTS 24002, ARTS 24040 and/or ARTS 24061 as part of the major foundation electives are to choose from the following to meet required credit hours: ARTS 24010, ARTS 25310 and ARTS 34061. If all four courses were completed to fulfill the major foundation electives, the student may choose any one Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course to meet required credit hours.

2

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Glass Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 24051INTRODUCTION TO SCULPTURAL PRACTICE 13
ARTS 25600INTRODUCTION TO GLASS WORKING 13
ARTS 35603GLASS BLOWING 3
ARTS 35604SCULPTURAL AND KILN-FORMED GLASS 3
ARTS 45600ADVANCED GLASS WORKING 3
Concentration Elective, choose from the following:3
ARTS 35401
SCULPTURAL APPROACHES IN CLAY
ARTS 35700
JEWELRY CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES
ARTS 35701
METALSMITHING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES
ARTS 35704
ENAMELING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES 2
Glass Electives, choose from the following:9
ARTS 35602
FLAMEWORKED GLASS
ARTS 35603
GLASS BLOWING
ARTS 35604
SCULPTURAL AND KILN-FORMED GLASS
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 3
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 3
ARTS 45600
ADVANCED GLASS WORKING
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 24051 and/or ARTS 25600 as part of the major foundation electives are to choose from the following to meet required credit hours: ARTS 24002, ARTS 24061, ARTS 25600, ARTS 35316.

2

Maximum 6 credit hours of ARTS 35704 may be applied toward the major.

3

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Jewelry, Metals and Enameling Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 25700INTRODUCTION TO JEWELRY METALS 13
ARTS 35700JEWELRY CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES 3
ARTS 35701METALSMITHING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES 3
ARTS 35704ENAMELING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES 23
Studio Art (ARTS) Elective3
Jewelry, Metals and Enameling Electives, choose from the following:12
ARTS 35704
ENAMELING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES 2
ARTS 44096
INDIVIDUAL STUDY: STUDIO ART
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 3
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 3
ARTS 45700
JEWELRY DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
ARTS 45705
CAD FOR JEWELRY
ARTS 45707
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES IN METALSMITHING
ARTS 45708
BODY ORNAMENTATION 4
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 25700 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course to meet required credit hours.

2

Maximum 6 credit hours of ARTS 35704 may be applied toward the major.

3

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

4

Maximum 6 credit hours of ARTS 45708 may be applied toward the major.

Painting Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 14001DRAWING II 13
ARTS 24002DRAWING AS A STUDIO PRACTICE 13
ARTS 24061INTRODUCTION TO PAINTING 13
ARTS 34003DRAWING: STRUCTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION 3
ARTS 34061INTERMEDIATE PAINTING 3
ARTS 34062PAINTING STRATEGIES: PROCESS AND CONTENT 3
or ARTS 34063 PAINTING STRATEGIES: IMAGE AND CONTENT
ARTS 44060ADVANCED PAINTING: PRACTICE AND THEORY 6
Painting Elective, choose from the following:3
ARTS 34062
PAINTING STRATEGIES: PROCESS AND CONTENT
ARTS 34063
PAINTING STRATEGIES: IMAGE AND CONTENT
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 2
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 2
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 14001ARTS 24002 and/or ARTS 24061 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course(s) to meet required credit hours.

2

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Print Media and Photography Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 14001DRAWING II 13
ARTS 24002DRAWING AS A STUDIO PRACTICE 13
or VCD 18002 PHOTOGRAPHY II
ARTS 24010INTRODUCTION TO FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 13
ARTS 24040INTRODUCTION TO PRINT MEDIA 13
ARTS 44010ADVANCED FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 3
or ARTS 44043 ADVANCED PRINT MEDIA
Print Media and Photography Electives, choose from the following:12
ARTS 34043
INTAGLIO
ARTS 34044
SCREENPRINT
ARTS 34045
LITHOGRAPHY
ARTS 44011
DIGITAL FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
ARTS 44045
ART OF THE BOOK
ARTS 44046
PAPERMAKING
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 2
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 2
VCD 43051
TYPE HIGH PRESS
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 14001ARTS 24002, ARTS 24010 and/or ARTS 24040 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course(s) to meet required credit hours.

2

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Sculpture and Expanded Media Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 14001DRAWING II 13
ARTS 24051INTRODUCTION TO SCULPTURAL PRACTICE 13
ARTS 25400CERAMICS I 13
or ARTS 34050 LIFE MODELING
ARTS 34051SCULPTURAL OBJECT 3
ARTS 34052TIME ARTS 3
or ARTS 34053 SITE AND INSTALLATION
ARTS 44051ADVANCED SCULPTURAL PRACTICE 3
Sculpture Electives, choose from the following:9
ARTS 34050
LIFE MODELING
or ARTS 34052
TIME ARTS
or ARTS 34053
SITE AND INSTALLATION
ARTS 44051
ADVANCED SCULPTURAL PRACTICE
ARTS 44096
INDIVIDUAL STUDY: STUDIO ART
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 2
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 2
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 14001ARTS 24051 and/or ARTS 25400 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course(s) to meet required credit hours.

2

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Textiles Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ARTS 25310FOUNDATIONS IN WEAVING 13
ARTS 35311PRINT FOR TEXTILES AND ALTERNATIVE SURFACES 3
or ARTS 35312 DIGITAL TEXTILES
or ARTS 35316 DYE AND COLOR
ARTS 45300JACQUARD: DIGITAL WEAVING 2,3,46
or ARTS 45314 PRACTICES IN WEAVING: TAPESTRY
or ARTS 45351 PRACTICES IN WEAVING: LOOM-THINKING
Studio Art (ARTS) Electives6
Textile Electives, choose from the following:9
ARTS 35302
FELTMAKING
ARTS 35310
OFF-LOOM
ARTS 35311
PRINT FOR TEXTILES AND ALTERNATIVE SURFACES
ARTS 35312
DIGITAL TEXTILES
ARTS 35313
BACKSTRAP WEAVING
ARTS 35316
DYE AND COLOR
ARTS 45080
KENT BLOSSOM ART 5
ARTS 45095
SPECIAL TOPICS: STUDIO ART 5
ARTS 45300
JACQUARD: DIGITAL WEAVING 2
ARTS 45301
TEXTILES: ADVANCED STUDIO
ARTS 45307
TEXTILES: WEAVING AND COLOR
ARTS 45308
TEXTILE ARTS AND GENDER
ARTS 45314
PRACTICES IN WEAVING: TAPESTRY 3
ARTS 45351
PRACTICES IN WEAVING: LOOM-THINKING 4
Minimum Total Credit Hours:27
1

Students who completed ARTS 25310 as part of the major foundation electives may choose any Studio Art (ARTS) 10000-, 20000-, 30000- or 40000-level course to meet required credit hours.

2

Maximum 6 credit hours of ARTS 45300 may be applied toward the major.

3

Maximum 9 credit hours of ARTS 45314 may be applied toward the major.

4

Maximum 9 credit hours of ARTS 45351 may be applied toward the major.

5

ARTS 45080 and ARTS 45095 may be used to fulfill concentration electives with approval from a faculty or academic advisor.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.500 2.000
  • ARTH 12001 is designed for non-art majors, and will not fulfill major requirements for art majors.
Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
ART 10022 2D COMPOSITION 3
ART 10024 DIGITAL MEDIA 3
ARTH 22007 ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) 3
ARTS 14000 DRAWING I 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
ART 10023 3D COMPOSITION 3
Foundations Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
ARTH 22006 ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) 3
Foundations Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
ART 30001 COMMON REVIEW 1
ARTH 32066 ART AND THEORY SINCE 1940 3
Concentration Requirements or Electives 9
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Five
Art History (ARTH) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
Concentration Requirements or Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
ART 40008 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN VISUAL ARTS (WIC) 3
Studio Art (ARTS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
Concentration Requirements or Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
Studio Art (ARTS) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 6
Concentration Requirements or Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
ARTS 45099 SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITION (ELR) 3
Studio Art (ARTS) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
General Electives 7
 Credit Hours13
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus
Accreditation for Studio Art - B.F.A.

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Foundations

The Foundations Program in the School of Art at Kent State is a series of courses that reveal the underlying visual rules and artistic strategies that run throughout all of our School's majors.

Foundations projects are often faster paced, unpredictable, and are not specific to a particular material or process. Foundations projects frequently challenge students to transform cheap, free, or found materials into extraordinary new compositions and push students to work in new ways. Courses included in the Foundations Program are Drawing I, Drawing II, 2D Composition, 3D Composition, and Digital Media.

No matter what level of experience our students bring with them, by working with varying materials, sizes, time limits, and environments, each student's comfort zone rapidly expands to encompass new creative territory. Experimentation, collaboration, and online resources create a shared experience that introduces students to each other and to the breadth of experiences ahead in the School of Art. 

The four core Foundations Program courses are distinct but interconnected. Each explores the same concepts and structures from the perspective of different tools and processes. Students also learn how to create their own website, archive, portfolio, and blog which help students apply for scholarships, artist residencies, and exhibitions, among other opportunities. Students have the opportunity to show the artwork created in these courses at the Foundations Show at the Center for the Visual Arts every semester. The Jack and Dora Tippens Scholarship in Foundations is announced at the spring Foundations Show in the CVA Gallery where two students are awarded $500. 

 

Drawing professor and student

Drawing I and Drawing II

Drawing is a powerful component of any artistic practice as the best way to quickly visualize any idea. Drawing I and Drawing II give every student powerful tools to capture what they see accurately through observation, and to understand better why the interaction between our eyes, brains, and hands makes this skill so challenging to beginners and so valuable to those that master it.

 

Foundations 2D composition student working on a project

2D Composition

This course is a basic introduction to flat pictorial composition. Students will explore the basic principles of design and the application of line, shape, value, texture, and color to the two-dimensional surface. Students will learn to work with traditional materials as well as new technology. In addition to developing technical proficiency with a variety of materials and tools, emphasis will be placed on visual literacy and critical thinking skills throughout this course. The major components of 2D are ORDER, COLOR, ACTION, and CONCEPT. The rules explored in each of these sections apply equally to abstraction and to representational illusions of three-dimensional space.

 

Foundation Show 2017

3D Composition

This course introduces the basic principles of composition in three dimensions. Exercises and assignments are designed to heighten sensitivity to the visual environment and to provide a challenging introduction to a variety of media and methods for generating form. In addition to developing technical proficiency with a variety of materials, emphasis will be placed on visual literacy and critical thinking skills. 3D Composition brings the same ideas introduced in 2D into physical space. 3D also has four main components: FABRICATION, CASTING AND CARVING, ORDER, and REPRESENTATION. Before students get into the intro level studio courses, which delve deeply into how artists work in different materials, 3D Composition uses simple techniques to investigate how to communicate ideas through sculptural works.

 

Foundations student with digital media work

Digital Media

Digital Media applies existing and emerging digital tools, techniques, and strategies to the basic principles of composition and design introduced in 2D and 3D Composition. Strategies include creating and manipulating visual information, generating time-based and narrative imagery, translating digital information into studio production, and exploring various methods of presentation.  Students learn to use Adobe programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro and also use digital fabrication tools in the ARTech Studio

Admission to the School of Art does not require a portfolio submission.  If you have a scores of 4 or 5 on the Studio Art Advanced Placement (AP) exam through The College Board, you can receive credit for ARTS 14000 Drawing I, ART 10022 2D Composition or ARTS 10023 3D Composition. Students with a score of 3 on the Studio Art AP exam can receive art elective credit.  

The School of Art offers a limited number of scholarships for incoming art majors; the Scholastic Art Award is made through the competitive high school competition held each January on the 5XÉçÇø at Stark campus. In addition, the School of Art awards scholarships for enrolled students from the general scholarship fund each year. Dates for submission of materials for competition are announced each spring and awards made to enrolled students at any undergraduate level. For additional scholarships and awards available through the School of Art, visit the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center.

Art majors who also enroll in the Honors College (qualifying by meeting certain grade and ACT/SAT criteria) may apply for the Creative Artist Awards.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Studio Art - B.F.A.

Those who complete the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art degree at 5XÉçÇø can benefit from specialized career opportunities in the art industry.

Artists and related workers, all other

-0.2%

little or no change

13,100

number of jobs

$65,800

potential earnings

Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators

1.0%

slower than the average

28,300

number of jobs

$52,340

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.