In both its pure and practical applications, visual art is the barometer of the past and the present — and often, it dares to reach toward the future. Seton Hill acknowledges art's worthy place in society with a total curriculum that gives the student professional options which, like the imagination, are unlimited.

Today, an art major can become an art educator, art therapist, calligrapher, painter, potter, sculptor, printmaker, typographer, illustrator, display artist, museum assistant, jeweler, art gallery manager, weaver, graphic designer — and the list does not end here.

At Seton Hill, you will grow as an artist in the liberal arts tradition. In short, you will not study your craft in a vacuum, but will undergo a four-year journey through various disciplines, adding dimension to your art and, more importantly, to yourself. The liberal arts education is as old as Western culture itself. Throughout history, "classical" study has produced artists of vision from Michelangelo to contemporary Americans Jenny Holzer and Helen Frankenthaler, both of whom have attended small, liberal arts colleges.

Degree Programs

The student may choose from a range of emphases and possibilities for specialization through the two art degrees offered — the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) and the B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts). BA Degree This program can stand alone or mix symbiotically with minors or double majors. BA options include:

- Studio Art

- Art Therapy

- Graphic Design

- Art Education

- Visual Arts Management

- Art History

- Art & Technology

As part of a double-major-minor combination, art mixes successfully with these disciplines: education, for careers in teaching; business, for gallery management, foundation and museum work; theatre, for costume and set/stage design; journalism, for advertising and public relations; psychology, for art therapy; home economics and management, for interior design and textiles; and religious studies, for spiritual and liturgical art.

B.F.A. Degree Program

The B.F.A. degree is for those preparing for studio art careers and/or graduate level fine arts study. Seton Hill College offers a B.F.A. Degree that has more flexibility and art options than other B.F.A. Degree programs in western Pennsylvania colleges or universities. Students can major in: CLAY, METALSMITHING, DRAWING, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, OR PRINTMAKING. However, in their minor they can choose one studio area, several studio areas, Art History or Art History plus Studio. In addition, the student has nine to 12 credits that can be applied to independent study field work, or apprenticeships that must be art related. The student may decide to use these nine to 12 credits to cross department in departments such as Education, Psychology, Management, or other departments with the permission of the Art Program Director.

Seton Hill studio curricula spans all media, aiming to cultivate art as a way of life and a career for students who possess the right talent, training and seriousness. Most classes are small, providing the student with the individual attention not available in the large art schools. Instructors are practicing artists who exhibit and lecture locally and nationally.

Facilities

Facilities include a large painting and drawing studio; design and art education studios; a clay studio with gas-fired and electric kilns, and potters wheels; a large sculpture studio with welding, carving and casting equipment, metalsmithing studios; a printmaking studio with etching presses; facilities for serigraphy; a large, well stocked art therapy classroom; darkroom equipment for color and black and white photography setup in three separate dark rooms; computer lab with professional level software, scanners, printers and process camera for graphics; power tools for work in plexiglass, wood and metal; a fabric studio with looms and screen printing; and the Harlan Art Gallery, a regional exhibit space with a public audience.

Portfolio Review

Admission to major in art at Seton Hill requires a portfolio review, which, if possible, should be done in person. The portfolio consists of ten recent works encompassing a variety of media, two of which should be drawings. The purpose of the review is to assess the student's artistic potential. (For further information, contact the college to obtain a detailed brochure.) Portfolio reviews are conducted on the first Friday in April, by appointment, or at other times by special arrangement.

Courses Offered

Among the total credits required for a chosen art degree track, students pick and choose from the following course offerings with beginning and advanced* courses in most areas of studio art:

Introduction to Art

History of Western Art (2 courses)

*Drawing (2 courses)

Design (Two and Three Dimensional)

*Clay

Calligraphy

*Photography (Black and White and Color)

Film History

*Graphic Design (4 courses)

Philosophy of Art

Field Work

Twentieth Century Art (2 courses)

Fabrics

*Metalsmithing

*Painting

*Sculpture

*Printmaking

Technical Drawing

American Art

Art History Seminar (subjects vary)

Independent Study/Research (in Studio and Art History)

Apprenticeship

(Please note course offerings are subject to change from year to year.)

Hands On:

Yes, you'll get your hands dirty — working in your medium. Apprenticeships with faculty, area artists, and art related businesses in graphics, photography, and arts management get you ready to take your art from academe to the workplace.

Successful Graduates

- Art Educators in studio and art history on all levels— elementary, secondary, college and university.

- Art Managers in galleries, art supply stores, artcenters and art museums.

- Art Directors in historical societies and museums.

- Art Therapists in hospital clinics and state owned facilities.

- Display Artists in department and specialty stores, and government special exhibitions.

- Graphic Designers in corporate design, graphic design studios, newspapers and magazines.

- Private Business Artists in photography, graphic design, pottery, painting, weaving, metalsmithing, calligraphy, and art consultation.

Alumnae have continued their art education and have graduate degrees in both studio and art history from: Pratt Institute, UCLA-Berkley, University of Massachusetts, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Rochester Institute of Technology, Penn State University, Columbia University, New York University, The University of Pittsburgh, The University of Arizona, University of New Mexico, and other prominent graduate schools throughout the United States.