Studio Art

Mount Mary University’s studio art program offers introductory, advanced and special topic courses in studio arts. You can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art degree, an art education degree or a minor in studio art.

Our faculty encourages you to develop your own unique expression and style. They support you to refine and sharpen your artistic skills in self-expression, idea generation, creative and critical thinking, and concept building.

The intimate class sizes allow you to get individualized attention from accomplished working art professionals. You can take courses in painting, drawing, printmaking, figure drawing, 2-D and 3-D design, fiber fabric design, sculpture, metals, ceramics and photography.

Through art history courses, you’ll also explore art movements through time including contemporary art, aesthetics and criticism.

Interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities provide unique perspectives on the creative process.

Studio Art Major Requirements

At Mount Mary, a studio art degree requires a minimum of 58 credits in arts courses and the completion of the university’s core curriculum requirements. During your senior year, you will create a web portfolio of your work, as well as participate in a senior art exhibition.

Complete degree requirements and a listing of courses are available in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Studio Art Minor Requirements

A studio art minor can help you broaden your artistic skills, learn multiple disciplines and increase your marketability in the workforce by learning creative and critical problem-solving skills.

A studio art minor is available to any student not majoring in studio art. The minor requires a minimum of 18 credits. Download the curriculum sheet for more details on requirements and courses for this minor.

Art Teacher Education Requirements

To become an art teacher, you will need to complete course requirements in both studio art and teacher education. Art education majors will participate in a student teaching experience. This curriculum prepares you to be certified to teach art for early childhood through adolescence (approximately grades Pre-K to 12). Consult the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

Entrepreneurship Minor for Artists

The entrepreneurship minor is designed for non-business majors who wish to learn how to start or operate a business in their chosen field. This minor is an excellent program for artists who wish to be self-employed or run their own art-related business. The minor requires a minimum of 21 credits. Consult the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details on requirements and courses for this minor.

Faculty

The School of Arts and Sciences at Mount Mary is rich with talented faculty who care about their students.

A fine art major prepares you for a career as a self-employed artist, or for jobs in the advertising, publishing, education, retail and nonprofit industries. A fine art degree could lead to careers such as:

• Art appraiser
• Art teacher
• Arts fundraiser
• Ceramist
• Designer
• Gallery owner or manager
• Greeting card artist
• Illustrator
• Museum curator
• Painter
• Photographer
• Sculptor
• Sketch artist for law enforcement agencies

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual salary for fine artists, including painters, sculptors and illustrators, is about $45,000. A 2013 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey reports average starting salaries for visual and performing artists is $33,800. The median annual salary for art teachers is about $62,000.

If you plan to be a self-employed artist or manage an art-related business, Mount Mary’s entrepreneurship minor could be a good addition to your curriculum to expand your knowledge of best business practices.

Create Your Career Network

Networking is a key skill for artists, especially if you plan to be self-employed. You can start creating your network through internships during college.

The Milwaukee area offers many internship opportunities for fine art majors. You can intern at companies and community organizations such as the Milwaukee Artists Resource Network, ArtWorks for Milwaukee, RedLine Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The Milwaukee area and Mount Mary University embrace and support artists and creativity. As a fine art student, you can participate in many activities outside of class and in the community.

CREO

Latin for "to make, create, produce," CREO is an annual celebration of creativity that showcases student work from Mount Mary fine art, fashion, graphic design, art therapy and interior design programs. CREO is forward-thinking and ever-developing. It's an opportunity for a cross-generational audience to experience a cross-disciplinary slice of Milwaukee's creative talent.

Fine art students plan and display their work in a gallery space at CREO each year, teaching them important skills in how to hang a show, prepare for an exhibit, promote a show and host an artist reception. The event attracts hundreds of visitors and art enthusiasts each year.