Department of Studio Art
The studio art curriculum at the College of Charleston is designed to develop and give depth to the student's artistic point of view by combining material, historical and conceptual training within the context of a liberal arts education. Our classes function as active learning environments where academic and creative growth is fostered through practice. Students learn how to shape materials, explore traditional and contemporary ideas and acquire creative and analytical problem-solving skills. Most studio courses meet for approximately four contact hours per week, allowing for class discussion, the acquisition and evolution of skills and ideas, and individual instruction between student and faculty. At the College of Charleston, students work closely with faculty who are both active practitioners and devoted educators. They are committed to helping students discover and refine what is significant for each of them and to strive toward an advanced level of engagement and high ambition for their work.
We invite you to explore the individual web pages to learn more about the Studio Art Department at the College of Charleston.
Message from the Chair
As a student in the Studio Art Department, you will fully engage in the visual, material and intellectual aspects of art-making. Working closely with our faculty of artists/educators, you will learn to master the formal, visual language and material/technical skills of any of five media: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Traditional and contemporary art practices and concepts are woven into the content of our courses and serve as a foundation for understanding this language and discovering your own artistic influences and ambitions.
Through practice and experimentation, you will develop the expertise to set your own goals and find meaning in the media of your choice. The culmination for undergraduate research is the 418-Senior Thesis Exhibition Course in which each senior student produces an individual project for a group exhibition in the Hill Exhibition Gallery.
With our challenging curriculum, you will learn how to see, think and make art that connects to past and present points of view. Recent Studio Art alumni are now teachers, directors of arts organizations and festivals, art therapists, gallerists, illustrators, and students and graduates of notable MFA programs. Many are practicing, professional artists.
Sara Frankel
