Art and Design
Overview
A Bachelor of Fine Arts prepares students to be lifelong practitioners of the studio arts who can demonstrate professional competencies, conceptual, technical and visual; in one specialized area within the department’s studio offerings.
Students can take coursework in:
Art and design students at SIUE study in recently built and renovated facilities offering state-of-the-art technology, and are challenged to view themselves as professionals on the first day they step into a classroom.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts is considered the professional degree in visual arts. It is the entry-level degree by which students enter the professional field of graphic design, and is considered the necessary degree for a student interested in becoming a lifelong professional artist. Students will also be well prepared to pursue graduate studies.
Acceptance into the BFA program is an application process usually done in the second semester of the sophomore year, or beginning of the junior year. All art candidates begin as a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in art studio.
What can I do with a degree in art and design?
An undergraduate degree in art and design prepares majors for a wide variety of careers in:
- Museums
- Art galleries
- Cultural institutions
- Academia
Our students are also well-prepared for graduate school. Some of our recent graduates are pursuing advanced degrees at Indiana University, University of Nebraska, Maryland Institute College of Art, The State University of New York at Albany, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Syracuse University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Rhode Island School of Design, among others.
Many alumni live and work in the St. Louis metropolitan area and our graduates have found successful careers at many established institutions including:
- Craft Alliance
- St. Louis Artworks
- Laumeier Sculpture Park and Museum
They have also exhibited in local and regional galleries and museums. Many of our alumni have gone on to receive commissions, become master printers, preparators, gallery directors, designers, museum staff and university educators.
Hands-on Learning
At SIUE, our students have access to the extensive collection of cultural objects housed in the University Museum and installed around campus. This allows for the firsthand study of original works of art, as does SIUE's location in the St. Louis metropolitan area. St. Louis is home to many museums and cultural institutions, including:
- Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM)
- Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
- Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM)
- Laumeier Sculpture Park
- Cahokia Mounds
- And more!
SIUE students also participate in AIGA student events and have earned internships at the St. Louis Science Center and Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Students in the art and design program at SIUE have the opportunity for their work to be on display in the Art and Design West Gallery, which is a recently constructed, 3,600-square-foot exhibition space. The Gallery hosts approximately 10 exhibitions each year featuring national artists, as well as SIUE students and faculty members. Our students have also been regularly represented in exhibitions at the student gallery at the Edwardsville Art Center.
Our students also have the opportunity to participate in the annual Sculpture on Campus event, which gives 12 students the opportunity to design and install large-scale outdoor sculptures throughout campus. Students whose designs are chosen receive a stipend and the professional benefits of proposing, designing and installing major sculptural works that are on view for a full year. Each year, guest jurors award student prizes at the Sculpture on Campus reception after the campus-wide Sculpture Walk.
To enhance the academic program at SIUE, the Department of Art and Design has robust exhibition and visiting artist programs. These programs provide an opportunity for both majors and non-majors to become acquainted with well-known artists and artwork brought to the University.
Faculty
View current art and design faculty
Download Program PDF
Art and Design (BFA) [pdf]
