Visual Arts Program

Visual Arts Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Visual Arts Program at South Carolina State University is to provide students with an accessible and supportive learning environment that emphasizes the importance of visual arts in society. The faculty and administration strive to maintain a liberal arts program that provides a valuable education in the visual arts, enhances career opportunities for all students as well as promotes an appreciation of life-long learning. The Visual Arts Program is dedicated to nurturing the creative and scholarly potential of students, supporting faculty in the development of excellence in teaching and research, and promoting visual arts in the community. The Visual Arts Program offers the Bachelor of Art in Studio Art with concentrations in Ceramics/Sculpture, Digital Media and Printmaking, and, in conjunction with the Department of Education, the Bachelor of Science in Art Education.

The goals of the Visual Arts Program are:

To maintain a program that enables students to develop a range of formal and technical studio skills as well as conceptual and intuitive decision making skills in order achieve a level of visual communication or expression
To provide students with an understanding of standards of quality in the visual arts and encourage students to practice critical thinking skills when evaluating their own work and the work of others
To instill in students an appreciation of the evolution and significance of art history, including major movements/artists of both the past and present in Western and non-Western cultures
To provide students focused in Art Education with knowledge and experience in theoretical and practical teaching strategies
To prepare students for careers in visual art and other disciplines or graduate studies
To encourage students to become visually aware of the world around them
To support faculty in teaching as well as scholarly and creative research efforts
To encourage an appreciation of the arts across disciplines
To promote visual arts in the local community and beyond

The objectives of the Visual Arts Program are:

To structure studio art curricula so that student mastery of techniques in specific media as well as formal and conceptual studio skills may be achieved
To maintain and enhance standards of quality of student work through a shared philosophy of quality emphasized in class critiques and instructor evaluation
To create opportunities for students to practice critical thinking skills through class critiques and critical writing assignments
To stress the significance of art history through curricular offerings as well as museum and gallery visits
To structure an art education curriculum that will provide experience in studio techniques, education theory and practice and observed teaching
To prepare students for careers in visual arts by engaging in professional development activities
To promote visual awareness through specific studio projects and field trips
To support faculty teaching and research through funding, appropriate teaching loads, tenure and promotion, etc.
To encourage faculty and students to engage in cross-disciplinary activities through collaborations with the Music, Drama and other University programs
To exhibit student and faculty work in the University and surrounding community
To reach out to students, faculty and the community through the scheduling of visiting artist lectures and arts related events

Visual Arts Program Majors

Bachelor of Science in Art Education
Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art
With Concentrations in: