(Bachelor of Arts)

The visual arts are important components of human experience. They provide a means of articulating and understanding that experience through processes of seeing, making, and thinking in terms of visual systems. The major or minor in Art includes courses in studio art and art history, global cultures, and contemporary art.

Art facilities include well-equipped studios in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography (traditional and digital), jewelry/metals, fibers/textiles, and printmaking. All Art students who complete ART 101 (Tools, Safety, and Materials) have access to a professional wood and metal-working laboratory managed by a staff person who provides training and technical assistance.

The Art program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay holds NASAD accreditation.

Studio art courses:

• present art making as a problem-solving process using creative methods combining intuition and imagination with critical analysis;
• provide knowledge necessary to master materials and techniques;
• provide a foundation for and continuing reference to the principles of visual organization and structure essential to works of art;
• foster a receptive attitude toward diverse forms of artistic production including fine art, applied art, and art produced outside the artistic mainstream.

Art history, global cultures, and contemporary art courses:

• provide a conceptual and philosophical context by investigating stylistic characteristics of specific periods and the dynamic relationship between art and society.

The Art discipline has three areas of emphasis:

• Studio Art can lead to professional practice as an artist or to related visual communication careers.
• Pre-Art Therapy is designed to prepare students for entry into graduate programs in professional mental health counseling, with specialization in Art Therapy.
• Art Education leads to credentials for teaching licensure from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Art majors often combine their studies with a minor. Typical minors include Design Arts, Arts Management, Human Development, Business Administration, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Humanistic Studies. The Art adviser can help select an appropriate minor depending upon students’ individual goals.

Art majors who select a minor or double major in Design Arts are qualified to seek possible careers include graphic design, art direction, advertising, and other professional work in graphic communications.

Art majors who select a minor or a double major in Arts Management are qualified to seek careers in visual arts administration and art gallery management.

All areas prepare students for viable careers or for entry into graduate school programs. Students in Art should take as many and varied art courses as possible.

Students should seek faculty advising no later than the sophomore year in order to complete an Art major in a timely manner. Students seeking information on teacher certification should contact the Education Office. Students selecting the Pre-Art Therapy emphasis must complete a significant number of credits of Psychology and a Statistics course; we strongly recommend that those interested in this emphasis seek advising very early in their academic career.

Students in many fields find an Art minor an excellent supplement to their academic programs in the context of today’s visually oriented, media-driven culture.

The Art minor may serve:

• individuals fulfilling a personal interest in art;
• those seeking to add visual skills to career preparations in such interdisciplinary fields as arts management, design arts, humanistic studies, urban and regional studies, and environmental planning;
• persons who intend it as a component of professional studies in fields such as education and business (advertising and marketing).

Active student organizations provide additional opportunities for art-related activities, as does a program of national and international visiting artists.