Studio Art

Degree: B.A., Studio Art
Department of Art and Art History

The Studio Art major, leading to a bachelor of arts degree in Studio Art, fosters artistic and scholarly connections through creative inquiry and analytical problem solving. Exploration fuels the creative mind and our studio “incubators” provide technical expertise while embracing risk-taking and conceptual development. Students learn and work in well-equipped studios that focus on a variety of disciplines, including Digital Media, Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Faculty members who are actively exhibiting artists, researchers and dedicated teachers lead each discipline, and our flexible curriculum supports a more interdisciplinary approach to thinking about and making art.

UMW’s location between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia provides students with ample resources to experience top quality artwork in person, and to undertake optional internships and apprenticeships in the field. Visiting artist lectures and field trips support our commitment to visual and cultural literacy and our faculty members work closely with students to better understand the impact of art and technology in the professional world. The UMW Galleries bring exciting exhibitions and events to campus while advancing the educational goals of the University through the collection, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art. The course of study culminates in a student-organized senior exhibition (or exit portfolio) that highlights the work of our majors while adding to the cultural life of the university and the greater Fredericksburg community.

A degree in Studio Art at UMW prepares students to become active artists, creative thinkers, and engaged citizens. Our graduates are successful professional artists, teachers, university professors, gallery owners and graphic designers. Many earn MFA degrees at competitive institutions. Others go on to apply what they have learned to careers in film, art therapy, furniture design, and arts management to name a few. The studio art major provides a foundation of creative problem solving, idea generation, studio technique and critical discourse that prepares students for success in whatever field they pursue.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will acquire technical mastery of the relevant materials and tools, and the terminology, theories, and practices relevant to the student’s field of study.

2. Students will develop and demonstrate the ability to generate, support, and utilize individual thoughts and ideas.

3. Students will demonstrate the ability to do research in art and art history, and the competence and knowledge to analyze and think critically about relevant source material.

4. Students will develop and employ the ability to speak about art and art history with clarity and logic, and be able to form and support critical judgments.

5. Students will develop and employ the ability to write about art and art history with clarity and logic, and be able to form and support critical judgments.

6. Students will understand the nature and the history of the studio art discipline as it extends beyond the studio and its role/dependence on interdisciplinary research.

Major Requirements

Studio Art majors are required to participate in the major assessment and senior exhibition/senior portfolio.

General Education Requirements

The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.

Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.

Electives

Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.

Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits

Plan of Study

This suggested plan of study should serve as a guide to assist students when planning their course selections. It is not a substitute for a student's Degree Evaluation or the Program Requirements listed for this major in the catalog. Academic planning is the student's responsibility, and course selections should be finalized only after speaking with an advisor. Students should familiarize themselves with the catalog in effect at the time they matriculated at the University of Mary Washington. Students should also familiarize themselves with general education requirements which can be fulfilled through general electives as well as major/minor course requirements. Course requirements and sequencing may vary with AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge or previous coursework, transfer courses, or other conditions. To be considered full-time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in 12 or more credits for the semester.

Studio Art Faculty

Jason M. Robinson, Chair and Career Advisor

Associate Professors

Jason M. Robinson

Assistant Professors

Coorain W. Devin
L. Ashe Laughlin
Sidney A. Mullis