Explore a range of concentrations, from ceramics and graphic design to jewelry, metals, photography, and sculpture, as you build technical skills and develop your unique artistic voice. As the largest art program in the Connecticut State University (CSU) System, we offer hands-on experiences in advanced facilities, fostering creativity and preparing you for a rewarding career in the arts.
Concentrations
Art and Design, B.A.
The B.A. program offers a generalist and non-discipline-specific option to pursue a range of studio arts coursework within the wider context of a Liberal Arts education at Southern, with courses in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Jewelry / Metals, Painting & Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Art and Design, B.S. - Ceramics
The ceramic medium is used to create both utilitarian and sculptural forms. Emphasis is placed on technical and conceptual development, using hand-building methods, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing techniques.
Art and Design, B.S. - Graphic Design
The Graphic Design concentration prepares students for the creative industry. Students will explore a range of media and outputs, as they work on true-to-industry projects, navigate clients, and develop their professional skills and portfolio. Typical projects a student can expect to explore as part of their graphic design coursework include:
- Logo development
- Single-page layout design
- Multi-page document design
- Visual branding strategies
- Package design
- Emerging and social media applications
- Website design
- Mobile application design
Art and Design, B.S. - Jewelry - Metals
Students explore a range of fabrication, casting, and metalsmithing techniques in the creation of unique, one-of-a-kind objects. Emphasis is placed on personal initiative, the development of technical expertise, critical thinking, and creative approaches to problem-solving. Projects are designed to encourage students to explore unique solutions to design problems in traditional jewelry and metalsmithing forms as well as the freedom to explore non-objective design solutions.
The Jewelry - Metals concentration in the Studio Art, B.S., program at Southern is the only academic program of its kind in the state of Connecticut.
Studio Equipment and Processes
- Soldering station with a new ventilation system
- Centrifugal, vacuum, and sand-casting equipment
- A full complement of metalsmithing stakes, hammers, and forming tools
- Large and micro drill presses
- Sandblasting cabinet
- Acid etching and patination
- Sheet metal roller
- Flex shaft station
- Burnout, enameling, and glass kilns
- Tumbling and polishing machines
- 100oz and 30oz Electromelt casting furnaces
- Electroplating
- Drawbench and drawplates
- Moldmaking and wax working tools
- Durston rolling mill
- Hydraulic Press
- Large hand and foot shears
- Milling machine
- 13 x 40 Machine lathe
- Spinning lathe
- Orion Laser Welder
- 3D Printing/Makerbot
Past Visiting Artists and Workshops
- J. Arthur Loose - Bladesmithing
- Mark Herndon - Mokume Gane
- Mary Lee Hu - Working with Wire
- David Peterson - Hollow Core Casting
- Boris Bally - Visting Artist Lecture
- Dan Clayman - Visiting Artist Lecture
Art and Design, B.S. - Painting
Painting classes at Southern allow for highly personalized professional development. Our internationally acclaimed and award-winning faculty assist painting and drawing students to reach their individual artistic goals. Students who take our courses go on to successful careers in a range of disciplines including illustration, fine art, art therapy, art education, and many others. Upper-level studio classes in Painting work with students in crafting a unique curriculum stemming from the student’s artistic interests. Students develop portfolios in their chosen mediums from digital painting / drawing to traditional oil and pastels.
Art and Design, B.S. - Photography
The Photography concentration emphasizes an expressive and comprehensive approach to photographic image-making. Students explore the medium's creative potential and place within contemporary art and culture through a diverse curriculum, while also developing technical competency and practical knowledge in a range of techniques. Courses cover the most current digital technologies, as well as traditional analog and hybridized processes. Throughout the program, students are exposed to a variety of specialized topics such as:
- Studio lighting
- Analog and digital printmaking
- DSLR video
- Advanced digital image manipulation
- Bookmaking
During their final year of the specialization, students expand upon a personalized portfolio towards a senior exhibition, ultimately preparing for a graduate visual art program, a creative commercial field, or a life in the arts.
Facilities and Equipment
- Analog black and white darkroom for making silver gelatin prints
- Digital printmaking facility equipped with six (6) iMacs loaded with Adobe Creative Suite, Hasselblad Flextight and Epson scanners, and Epson large format inkjet printers.
- A variety of cameras and lighting equipment such as Canon 5D Mark III DSLR cameras, medium and large format cameras, strobe lighting kits, and video/audio equipment.
- 16-station iMac computer lab
Art and Design, B.S. - Printmaking
Courses in Printmaking explore a wide range of traditional and contemporary techniques, utilizing fully non-toxic materials. Students follow a sequence of courses in intaglio, relief, mono-printing, and silkscreen, as well as innovative and experimental techniques. Stone lithography is introduced to majors working on an advanced level. Individual visions and personal expression are encouraged throughout the journey for each student.
Art and Design, B.S. - Sculpture
The Sculpture concentration at Southern offers students the opportunity to investigate three-dimensional design and form in both traditional and contemporary practices. We combine various methods of creative thinking with coursework that offers hands-on experience in a variety of materials and processes including:
- Woodworking
- Metal welding and fabrication
- Plaster and clay modeling
- Mold making and casting
- Carving
- Mixed media assemblage and installation
- 3D computer-assisted design (CAD), 3-D printing, laser cutting
Students in the Sculpture concentration participate in advanced courses that encourage building their confidence in independent development and creation of artworks, culminating in a senior exhibition, while gaining experience in design and production processes used in a variety of 3D artistic fields and industries.
Careers
Graduates can pursue careers as professional artists, work with design production firms, or open their own art-related businesses. They may also find roles in museums and art galleries or choose to further their studies with advanced degrees in studio art, art history, or art education.
Typical Job Titles
- Artist
- Art Director
- Graphic Designer
- Illustrator
- Animator
- Creative Director
- Exhibition Designer
- Gallery Director
- Art Teacher