Studio Art Major | Baldwin Wallace University

OVERVIEW

Develop your artistic talent and build analytical thinking and technical skills that prepare you for career opportunities in education, advertising, arts management, design and more.

Studio art is a comprehensive major that melds theoretical study with practical application. It builds proficiencies in visual communication, aesthetics, conceptual thinking and creative problem solving.

Course offerings include ceramics, photography, painting, drawing, jewelry-making and printmaking.

BW's core curriculum – rooted in the liberal arts tradition – offers you an ideal foundation for learning to comprehend and critique art. You’ll delve into the work of leading artists and study how the social, cultural and economic circumstances of their time inspired and influenced them.

Studio art offers diverse hands-on learning and portfolio-building opportunities to showcase your work. An internship enables you to apply classroom studies to real-world situations.

Nearby Cleveland offers an array of art museums and galleries that provide impressive cultural opportunities for internships, field experiences, networking opportunities and more. On campus, Fawick Gallery features local and student talent.

BW faculty are award-winning artists as well as professors. You’ll learn from instructors with decades of experience.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Graphic designer
Illustrator
Arts manager
Gallery curator
Interior designer
Buyer
Advertising executive
Architectural services
Professor
Art therapist

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A TEACHER?

If you would like to become an art teacher, BW has an outstanding teacher education program.

DISTINCTIVE SEMINAR EXPERIENCE

BW Junior/Senior Seminar experience facilitates the transition from being an art student to becoming a professional artist. Upper-level art majors and studio art faculty meet on a weekly basis for a range of mentoring opportunities, including critiques, workshops and guest artist lectures. This multi-semester course is centered around the students’ artwork and prepares them for their Senior Exhibition and professional work.

The studio art curriculum is both comprehensive and customizable, with course offerings in ceramics, photography, painting, drawing, jewelry-making and printmaking.
As a studio art major, you will have access to state-of-the-art studio space and diverse hands-on learning and portfolio-building opportunities to showcase your work.
Educational trips and field experiences at private art galleries, auction houses, museums and other Cleveland cultural institutions make learning career relevant. Printmaking students visit Zygote Press in Cleveland to learn letter press printmaking.

CURRICULUM

Offered as a major and minor, studio art is a comprehensive program that develops fundamental art skills of drawing, design, composition, color theory and more.

Studio art is a flexible major that can be a companion for a double major or can serve as a minor for communications, art management, history and music, among other disciplines. Students interested in art therapy can combine a studio art major with psychology.

The studio art major prepares students to:

Effectively communicate a visual or conceptual idea
Creatively solve visual and/or conceptual problems
Demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship
Develop a high level of technical skill
Effectively critique their work and the work of others

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

Small class sizes, individual attention and faculty mentoring are at the core of BW's studio art program.

Experiential learning bridges classroom study with real-world opportunities. You can enhance your studies through internships, co-curricular activities and other learning opportunities that include:

INTERNSHIPS/FIELD EXPERIENCES

BW’s proximity to Cleveland puts you within a 20-minute drive to outstanding opportunities. Most students have multiple internships prior to graduation. Cleveland offers access to numerous cultural facilities, including the world-renowned Cleveland Museum of Art. Educational trips plus field experiences at private art galleries, auction houses and museums make learning career relevant.

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Independent study offers students enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom for individualized and advanced study. Students work one-on-one with a faculty member.

FAWICK GALLERY

The gallery holds six exhibitions each year that feature student work and Ohio artists.

STUDENT CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

Personally and professionally rewarding, student organizations and activities foster skills in leadership and teamwork. Opportunities include:

Art Attack Club
The club provides opportunities for students to learn about the fields of studio and visual arts to help prepare them for careers in the visual arts or for further study.

Arts Management Association (AMA)
The AMA provides service to area arts organizations and the BW community. It also sponsors professional development opportunities for its members, including all the arts (art, dance, music and theatre) as well as those that focus on not-for-profit and for-profit sectors. The association has partnerships with various organizations in Cleveland, including The Cleveland Orchestra, and assists in the promotion and operation of University-sponsored arts events and festivals. Member activities have included networking trips to New York City, Chicago and Toronto; Arts Advocacy Day Conference in Washington, D.C.; and grant writing workshops with panelists from leading organizations.

STUDY ABROAD BOOSTS CAREER MARKETABILITY

The opportunity to experience another culture and gain an international perspective is invaluable to your professional development and will add to your career options. Benefits include:

Understanding art from an international perspective
Expanding cross-cultural communication and problem-solving skills
Preparing for an increasingly diverse and international workplace
Broadening academic horizons
Improving language skills
Experiencing a different culture
Building an international network of contacts

ALUMNI SUCCESS

At Baldwin Wallace, you’ll experience personal and professional growth in a supportive community that challenges and inspires you to succeed.

Students who have applied to graduate school have been accepted to some of the most prestigious programs, including Virginia Commonwealth University California Institute of the Arts, Chicago Art Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, New York University, Ohio State University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland and Loyola University.

Alumni have worked at significant cultural institutions, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cornell University, National Gallery, Ithaca College, TAR Magazine, Cleveland International Film Festival, SPACES Gallery, Cleveland Partnership for Arts and Culture, Rachael Davis Fine Art, Morgan Paper Conservancy and University of Dayton.

Full-Time Faculty

Darlene Michitsch
Chair, Department of Art and Art History
Associate Professor
M.A., New York University Institute of Fine Arts

Paul Jacklitch
Professor
M.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design

Benjamin Lambert
Assistant Professor
M.F.A., Edinboro University

Erica L. E. Lull
Coordinator, Digital Media and Design
Assistant Professor
B.F.A., State University of New York at Buffalo

Steven P. Ziebarth
Professor
M.F.A., University of Cincinnati

Adjunct Faculty

Megan C. Blocksom
Lecturer
Ph.D. Candidate (ABD), University of Kansas

Nicole Follen
Lecturer
M.F.A., Kendall College of Art and Design

Julie Friedman
Lecturer
M.F.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nancy Lick
Lecturer

Jessica Pinsky
Lecturer
M.F.A., Boston University

Deborah Pinter
Lecturer
M.A., New York University/International Center of Photography

Sara Wichtendahl
Lecturer
M.F.A., Iowa State University

Staff

Rich Cihlar
Office Manager
(440) 826-2152, rcihlar@bw.edu

Studio Art

Department of Art

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