Studio Art & Design

As a B.F.A Studio Art and Design major, you will study what you want to learn and prepare for a future doing what you want to do. Studio areas of concentration include:

• Graphic Design
• Interaction Design
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Sculpture 

A B.F.A. Studio Art and Design degree gives you the tools to succeed in today's dynamic global art and design communities. You’ll learn traditional techniques as well as new technologies. Our faculty members interact continuously with professional artists and designers to help you prepare for industry realities and to provide you with the skills to meet the changing demands and expectations of employers. You will spend significant time in intensive, collaborative studios honing your talents, developing new skills and practicing for life beyond the classroom.

The university's excellent study abroad programs will give you a chance to explore art internationally. Quality internships and involvement with university galleries also give you valuable firsthand experience. With a degree in studio art, you will graduate with a strong portfolio of personal work, a valuable asset when you take your first steps into the real world.

Prepare for Success

To be successful in the Studio Art and Design program, you must be creative, passionate, expressive and curious. You should have a natural artistic talent with the desire to transform that talent into a viable career. The field requires excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. You must be confident in your abilities, with the flexibility to accept and adapt to criticism. You should be able to work independently, as well as part of a team.

Your First Year

Your first two years in the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art and Design program are all about the basics, including general university requirements and the art core foundation. You will apply for the professional program (minimum 2.75 GPA) and dig into the upper-division courses and intensive studio work during your junior and senior years. You may take the following courses during your freshman year:

• World Art and Culture
• Visual Communication
• Drawing I-II
• Design Process
• Art History

You will also choose a studio emphasis in one of the following areas:

• Graphic Design
• Interactive Design
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Printmaking
• Photography/Digital Imaging

What You Can Do

With a Studio Art and Design degree from the University of Idaho, you may become a:

• Graphic designer
• Studio artist
• Photographer
• Advertising artist/designer
• Illustrator
• Technical illustrator
• Web designer
• Handcrafter
• Stylist
• Cartoonist
• Billboard artist/sign painter
• Art director
• Greeting card artist
• Police/courtroom artist
• Mural artist
• Printmaker

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Studio Art and Design is also excellent preparation for entry into graduate programs such as the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art offered at the University of Idaho.

Opportunities

From principals in large architectural firms to interactive designers working globally from their home by the river to painters living in New York, thousands of University of Idaho alumni credit their experiences in the Program of Art and Design as pivotal to their success. You can join them.

With a B.F.A. Studio Art and Design, you’ll be positioned for a wide range of exciting and lucrative professional opportunities in art and design. Potential employers include:

• Corporations
• Advertising agencies
• Graphic design firms
• Apparel manufacturers
• Interior design firms
• Schools
• Newspaper publishers
• Publishing houses

Many firms and businesses have recognized the skills and studio experiences of our graduates as valuable in non-art related careers, such as law, medicine and banking.

Idaho Graduates at Work

Current Research

Our faculty members are internationally and nationally recognized for their expertise, with work featured at group and solo exhibitions throughout the world. Faculty research interests and activities include:

• International student and faculty exchange in information design (federally funded)
• Michelangelo and Neoplatonism, design culture, visual culture, phenomenology and media aesthetics
• Massive concrete laminated and mold-formed depictions of ruins from the “Villa Bitricci”
• Procedures followed in various professions from autopsy, dissection, taxidermy and geological data collection to the creation of domestic objects
• Interface between new and traditional media
• Mixed media painting and collage
• Free culture, online design communities and new media narrative
• Panoramic landscapes created by the Glacial Lake Missoula Floods and design of 3D presentation techniques
• Application and nurturing of design thinking in an interdisciplinary project

Hands-On Experience

Below are just some of the many ways students in studio art gain practical experience to prepare for the world beyond the University of Idaho:

• Hands-on Studios: Studio work is the core of the Department of Art and Design. You’ll develop your personal creativity and skills with guidance from our expert faculty, and collaborate with peers from all art and design disciplines to create and plan real-life projects.
• International Study: You’ll have opportunities to immerse yourself in another culture to learn about art and design on a global scale.
• Community Projects: Contribute to the community while you build your portfolio. Past student projects include:
• Rendezvous in the Park: Students design and present proposals for the annual summer music festival. The winning design concept is published and used on a poster, t-shirt, advertising and button to promote the event.
• Energy Materialized: Student teams helped interior design students exhibit their award-winning work at a high-end furniture show in New York by designing and producing graphics for the booth, Web site and printed materials.
• Student Research: Examples of current undergraduate research projects in art and design include Web and print design for Darfur Relief, and the production of a traveling art exhibition for a leading woman scientist at the University of Idaho.
• Technical Laboratories and Workshops: Tools and materials in our advanced technical labs and workshops will give you the resources (and expertise from the laboratory manager) that you need in order to create.  
  

Online & Outreach

• Prichard Art Gallery: An outreach facility of the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture. Located in downtown Moscow, the gallery exhibits the work of regional artisans and art and design students.
• High School Art Exhibition: Annual event hosted by the University of Idaho Department of Art and Design. Students from every high school in Idaho participate in this event. A committee of jurors selects the best-in-show winners for awards and prizes.