Bachelor’s Program
The four-year BFA in Sculpture teaches you to develop work that actively engages intersectional and relational thought and action. Our praxis-based community co-creates an environment in which all students feel supported, seen and heard, so that you benefit from individually-focused feedback from faculty and peers that is so crucial to your creative development.
Curriculum
In Sculpture, the major studio course sequence forms the backbone of your student experience. During your sophomore year you focus on building basic skills, working across wood, metal, casting, performance, installation and video, while also learning about the histories of these skills.
Junior year emphasizes personal artistic voice and a deepening of skill acquisition. Through a range of studio electives and seminars covering contemporary sculpture issues, you develop command over conceptual and formal concerns and build skills on a project-by-project basis. Finally in senior year, you incorporate skills, literacies and expertise into a final degree project that you’ll include in a public group exhibition on campus.
Learning outcomes
Graduates are prepared to:
- establish a rigorous artistic practice that engages in multidisciplinary pursuits.
- understand the role of artists on a local and global scale.
- engage in community arts practices that are well researched and tied to action plans.
- research and solve problems.
- utilize skills working with myriad materials and processes.
- demonstrate the conceptual acumen necessary to express ideas in tangible form.
- engage in inclusive dialogue about a wide range of art practices and ideas.
- use a clear artistic voice to articulate meaning visually, verbally and in writing.
Inspiring community
Approximately 50 undergraduate and a dozen graduate students in the department are guided and challenged by faculty who help you push and refine your expressive capabilities. Students show mutual respect for each other’s work, offering informal critical feedback and help as needed. The many visiting artists and critics who come to campus each semester provide exposure to a wide range of work and philosophies and contribute to the caliber of critical dialogue.
Learning environment
Undergraduate Sculpture majors work in shared spaces in two locations: the historic Metcalf Building and the Point Street Studios. Metcalf houses a foundry, a woodshop and extensive metal fabrication facilities. The state-of-the-art foundry allows for bronze and aluminum pouring and supports wax-working, patina and rubber mold-making.
Starting with your sophomore year, you are assigned a large blue locker that serves as a work bench and houses personal tools during your three years in the major. You are also assigned home space in the lofty fourth floor of the Metcalf Building. Juniors and seniors maintain a locker room in Metcalf and enjoy open plan areas with plentiful workspace at Point Street.
Senior degree project
During senior year, you become increasingly self-directed, delving into your own research methodology and integrating conceptual concerns with technical skills. Professional practices workshops during the fall semester and individualized guidance during the spring semester help seniors prepare for life after graduation. The final semester culminates in a thesis and degree project that articulates the central concerns behind your individual art practice.