Art (BFA/B.A.)

ABOUT

In Clemson's fine arts program, you'll be immersed in a rigorous course of study that includes studio techniques, conceptual directions and art history. With the instruction, tools, time and opportunity needed to develop your unique artistic voice, you'll spend hours in the studio among a vibrant community of artists and scholars, with full access to the department's clay, drawing, painting and printmaking studios, plus computer, photo and sculpture labs. Art historians, with a deep knowledge of modern and contemporary art, offer a rich understanding of past and current developments and will help provide context for your studies.

In the professional BFA program, students can choose an emphasis in ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture or new media, with complementary coursework in animation, graphic design and new media. In the liberal arts B.A. program, students select a concentration in studio art, digital art and design media, or art history, and they can customize their studies with a minor or double major, which allows them to tailor their career interests and take advantage of Clemson's unique strengths as a large research university. Both degree programs are nationally accredited through the National Association for Schools of Art & Design.

FAST FACTS

  • An ongoing visiting artist series brings artists and scholars from across the nation to Clemson.
  • The Lee Gallery organizes exhibits in diverse media that expose students to compelling contemporary artwork and gallery talks.
  • Every other year, you'll have a chance to immerse yourself in another art culture during a four-week summer school in Orvieto, Italy.
  • Our Fine Arts Student Association organizes field trips and at least one annual trip to a major urban art center such as New York City.
  • Clemson art students regularly exhibit their work in numerous independent galleries in the vibrant Greenville and Pendleton arts districts, as well as other regional and national venues.
  • BFA seniors exhibit their art in the Lee Gallery, and B.A. students undertake a professional preparation course to complete their degrees
  • The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredits our bachelor's and master's degrees.
  • On the application, we are listed as Visual Arts for the BFA and Art for the B.A.

WHAT YOU'LL STUDY

You'll be encouraged to investigate materials, processes and contexts that best suit your mode of expression. Rigorous studio activity and strong conceptual development are vital for success in this program. You'll produce a cohesive body of artwork and a portfolio for graduate study or professional applications in the BFA program or complete individualized professional preparation in the B.A. degree.

BFA Concentrations:

Ceramics Emphasis: Deepen your understanding of the diverse range of materials, concepts and processes related to clay, and develop a dynamic, individual practice in a supportive studio environment.

Drawing Emphasis: Develop skills of observation, perception and interpretation through the immediate and immersive act of drawing and through experimenting with various drawing mediums and processes and concepts.

Painting Emphasis: Cultivate your talent formally and conceptually to become a versatile, vital contributor to the contemporary art-making dialogue.

Photography Emphasis:Master the tools, techniques and methods, including traditional black and white film and contemporary digital formats.

Printmaking Emphasis: Explore the myriad possibilities offered - traditional and nontraditional materials, formats and production techniques - as ways to challenge the conventions of image and presentation to facilitate a transformative artistic experience.

Sculpture Emphasis: Immerse yourself in the ever-expanding field of this discipline as you create work in a host of contexts, including traditional gallery, site-specific, temporal/relational and installation modes.

New Media Emphasis:New media explores art practices and ideas. Digital tools and processes are explored relative to drawing, painting, printing, bookmaking, photography, video, installation and motion graphic techniques.

B.A. Concentrations:

TheStudio Art Emphasis provides a liberal arts degree offering expertise in studio art within the context of a broad program of general studies. Its core studios are those that constitute standalone concentrations in the professional BFA degree program (Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture and New Media). This emphasis forms a grouping of these areas to create a singular, comprehensive studio experience.

TheDigital Art & Design Media Emphasiscombines emerging technologies and new artistic strategies with traditional forms, materials and methods. This emphasis explores unconventional strategies in image generation, sound, installation, performance, time-based art, design and virtual spaces. The three primary disciplines within Digital Art & Design Media are new media, animation and graphic design.

The Art History Emphasis provides a liberal arts degree that offers a concentration in art history within the context of a broad program of studio art and general studies. An art degree in this context embeds artists in the humanities, a branch of knowledge and study dedicated to exploring how and why humans produce culture and find meaning in it. This concentration examines how visual art informs and is informed by historical and contemporary aesthetic, social and political conditions.

EXPERIENCES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Whether you plan to embark on a career in making, teaching or managing art, Clemson offers numerous opportunities for you to explore your abilities and show your creativity.

AFTER GRADUATION

Your college decision isn't really about the next four years. We get it. It's about what doors are opened by your degree and whether those opportunities are what you had envisioned for yourself. Here's a snapshot of what life after graduation looks like for some of our most recent students.

RECENT EMPLOYERS

  • Assistant Curator and Board Secretary

    Museum of the Cherokee

  • Arts Educator

    Greenville County Schools

  • Interior Design Consultant

    GDC Home

  • Graphic Designer and Fine Artist

    Kaleidoscope Design Factory

  • Display Coordinator

    Anthropologie

RECENT POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

  • M.A. Art Business

    Sotheby's Institute of Art

  • MFA Animation

    Columbus College of Art & Design

  • MFA Painting

    University of Georgia

  • Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics

    Northwestern University

  • MA Modern & Contemporary Art and the Market

    Christie's Education

COMMON CAREER AREAS

    • Art Museums and Galleries
    • Education and Administration
    • Curatorial and Conservation
    • Registrar and Collections
    • Management and Sales
    • Publications
    • Development
    • Public Relations
    • Exhibit Design and Preparation
    • Archivist
    • Fine Art
    • Commercial Art
    • Education
    • University and College
    • P-12
    • Institutions
      • Studio and Fine Art
      • Art History
      • Theory and Criticism
    • Art Therapy
    • Media
    • Design
    • Video
    • Art Journalism
    • Illustration
    • Art Criticism
    • Animation and Cartoons
    • Photography
    • Fashion, Textile, Interior Design
    • Art Sales
    • Retail

FIND OUT MORE

Have more questions or want more information? Fill out the form below, which goes directly to the following department contact. If you'd also like to receive general University information from Clemson's admissions office, please follow the link to the right and sign up to join our mailing list.