Art Practice, BA
As an Art Practice major, you’ll try your hand at everything from traditional studio work to animation, graphic design, film, and other contemporary practices.
The department’s instruction in art practice integrates technical fundamentals and conceptualization, creative experimentation and critical thinking, personal expression, and social responsibility. You will benefit from a community of shared inquiry, engaging in discussion and group critiques as part of your professional preparation
Curriculum
Upon successfully completing the program of study with an Art Practice emphasis, students should be able to...
- Mount a cohesive exhibition of their artwork and produce a comprehensive thesis document discussing the ideas, techniques, and influences in their artwork;
- Demonstrate an understanding of and facility for the use and application of several different media, especially that of their preferred medium;
- Articulate their artwork’s content and intention and visually manifest those ideas;
- Develop ability for objective self-critique and demonstrate an understanding of their place within a larger art historical context;
- Evaluate clearly different forms of art by other artists through research and conceptualization of core art and critical sources and through class writings and discussions; and
- Demonstrate foundational knowledge of contemporary and historical artists, particularly those working in their preferred medium.
Art Courses
Learn More About Our Program
Get to know our award-winning faculty and their specialties, as artists and scholars. Or explore scholarship opportunities and an array of study abroad possibilities.
Career Options
Art on Campus
At Saint Mary’s, opportunities to engage with art abound. Visit the College Museum of Art, which features rotating exhibitions from contemporary artists alongside a comprehensive collection of work from renowned California landscape painter William Keith. Or stop by Studio 160, our springboard for the large and diverse community of young artists at Saint Mary’s. You could be next!
