The Department of Art offers a Bachelors of Art degree with courses in the areas of painting, sculpture, digital media, printmaking, video, art theory, photography, and graphic design. Students enter the program with an intensive foundations program which focuses on the fundamentals of composition in both two and thre-dimensional applications. Upon completing the foundations courses, students are encouraged to experiment and expose themselves to all of the various media offerred by the department. Students are expected to develop a strong artistic voice based upon an understanding of contemporary art-critical practieces as well as an in-depth understanding of the technical skills needed to create compelling contemporary art.
In addition, there are numerous opportunities for students in the program to extend their involvement in the major and in the arts. Internship programs are available, as well as opportunities to work in the Herman Marril Gallery, the department's student-run gallery. These students have the opportunity to organize and curate exhibitions of the work of other students in the department.
The Department of Art boasts a strong Visiting Artist Lecture series as well. Recent visiting artists have included: Lori Anderson, Chakaia Booker, Sanford Biggers, Olvier Herring, Ellen Lupton, among others.
In addition, the department also offers an honors program for upper level undergraduate studio art majors. This competitive program allows seniors in the department the chance to work in private studios, partake in the honors seminar and particpate in the Honors Thesis Exhibition, which takes place each spring.
Numerous awards and fellowships are made available for students in the major as well. These awards range from the Creeative and Performing Arts Award, which awards succesful applicants with full tuition remission for the year in which the award is recieved, to the John Dorsey Award; a curatorial award in which the successful applicant is given a monetary award to be used towards the curation, promotion and exhibittion of work in the Herman Marril Gallery.
For a complete listing of awards and fellowships offerred by the department, click here.
Areas of Concentration within the Department of Art:
The Major:
For an outline of major requirements click here.
For a complete list of courses offered on a semester-by-semester basis, visit: testudo.umd.edu
Awards and Fellowships:
For a list of all awards and fellowships offerred to undergraduate art majors, click here.
