BA Studio Art

Students should choose this degree option if they are seeking a general liberal arts education. Students choosing a studio art major begin with a series of foundation courses that are designed to develop their understanding and application of visual language across a range of media. In these courses, students address both skill development and the nature of artistic inquiry. Believing that technique serves the visual idea, we stress the integration of media skill and concept. Conventional issues of artisanship, technique, and skill acquisition are taught as part of a larger concept of art making. The goal is to equip students with a variety of skills and visual strategies that they will be able to apply in meaningful contexts. In the final analysis, we expect students to become technically competent, conceptually independent, critically aware, and dedicated to their passion of artmaking. Through study of the visual arts, students learn how to find creative solutions to problems and how to express their individuality. Studio Art majors are also encouraged to become critically aware and dedicated to their passion for artmaking. Through their course work, students develop a sense of their future career potential and of professional standards in the visual arts.The Studio Art faculty emphasize craftsmanship and the acquisition of the technical skills students will need to express their visual ideas. The faculty also encourages students to take advantage of the many resources offered by UNCChapel Hill as they cultivate their intellectual curiosity and develop a broad base of knowledge to inform their work.The Studio Art program comprises one half of the UNCChapel Hill Department of Art and enjoys the collaboration of an art history faculty with a rich array of research interests. Members of the art history faculty frequently serve on M.F.A. thesis committees.