Studio Arts Major

The studio arts major primarily integrates fine art and design courses from the department of art and design with liberal arts studies. Students in the program may choose to pursue a BFA or BA degree.

BFA Degree in Studio Arts
The BFA degree program is a rigorous study in the visual arts with two concentration options. Students with illustration, printmaking or painting interests can elect the two-dimensional concentration. For other students with interest in ceramics or sculpture, students may elect the three-dimensional concentration.

2-D Concentration (BFA degree)
The two-dimensional concentration offers students a broad range of exposure to materials, processes and theory. Students have the option of choosing an area of emphasis, such as illustration, painting or printmaking. At least two advanced studio courses in two different media are required.

3-D Concentration (BFA degree)
The concentration in three-dimensional studio offers a broad range of exposure for the studio arts student. Whether working in ceramics or sculpture, the student is exposed to both contemporary practices and historic techniques, merging aesthetic principles with technical expertise as they establish awareness of their art in specific societal contexts. Traditions and innovations are interpreted with a new vocabulary for both the physical and conceptual aspects of three-dimensional expression.

In the BFA program, students have the option of choosing an area of emphasis, such as ceramics or sculpture. At least two advanced studio courses in two different media are required.

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True North Lives: Student Testimony
Andrew Steingass
Major: studio arts (3D/ceramics)
Activities: Kappa Pi, Student Art League
A great facility and very individualized and personal attention make Ohio Northern a great school for anyone looking to further their artist development in a comfortable atmosphere. Help and encouragement are never hard to find in the ONU A&D department.

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Careers in Studio Arts
Our graduates from the studio arts program can find work in
• fine art galleries
• museums and galleries
• nonprofit arts organizations
• educational institutions

These artists can find jobs as:
painters (artist-in-residence, critic/writer, studio painter, gallery owner,
restorer), sculptors (model maker, foundry jobs, furniture designer, playground designer,
etc.), potters (studio, industrial or commercial pottery artists), printmakers (free-lancer, papermaking, printer), glass artists (free-lancer, glass blower, business owner), photographers (free-lancer, creative director and/or producer), textile designers (set and costume design, designers for movie, television and theatre, window display
design, pattern designer, etc.), metalsmithing or jewelry designer.

Illustrators can find jobs painting or drawing pictures for books, magazines, films, greeting cards, calendars, wrapping paper, stationery, etc. Medical and scientific illustrators draw illustrations of human anatomy, surgical procedures, animals and plants to use in publications, presentations, classrooms, etc. Cartoonists draw political, advertising, social and/or sports cartoons.

With majors in studio arts and psychology, graduates can purse art therapy positions—trained professionals to help the emotionally disturbed (and sometimes the physically impaired because of a stroke, etc.) as part of a therapeutic team headed by a psychiatrist.

Studio arts majors with museum studies can find jobs as art museum curators, conservators, registrars, collections managers, photographers, educators and tour guides. Graduates also could pursue jobs as art gallery directors, gallery owners, assistant directors, etc.

Some organizations that typically employ studio art majors include:
Art studios
Government and private museums/galleries
Local historical societies
Auction houses, photo agencies & studios
Department/retail stores
Public/private art schools
Adult and community programs
Libraries
Private/local arts councils
Hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and guidance facilities
Apparel manufacturers/textile mills
Interior design departments
Newspapers/publishing houses
Advertising agencies, magazines/newspapers and trade publications
Film/motion pictures and media production companies

Artist Resources & Job Listings
Artist Resources: http://www.artistresource.org/jobhunt.htm
Studio Art: http://www.collegeart.org/careers/
The complete resource for careers in the visual arts: http://www.ArtCareer.net
Arts Employment: http://www.wwar.com
MonsterTRAK: www.monstertrak.com

Career Planning Links
Career Alternatives for Art Majors http://www.nd.edu/~crosenbe/jobs.html
Career Find-O-Rama (see animator, architect, art dealer, artist, curator, entrepreneur, fashion designer, fundraiser/institutional fundraiser, graphic designer, illustrator, interior designer, photographer, printer and teacher) http://www.review.com
Professional Specialty Occupations (Occupational Outlook Handbook) (includes public relations specialists, designers, photographers, and visual artists) http://stats.bls.gov/oco/oco1002.htm

Professional Association Links
The Art Association
Association of Arts Administration Educators
College Art Association
Ohio Arts Council http://www.oac.state.oh.us/
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts: www.nceca.net
American Ceramic Society: www.ceramic.org
American Print Alliance: www.printalliance.org
Mid America College Art Association
Mid-American Print Council: homepages.ius.edu/special/mapc/MAPC.html
National Sculpture Society: www.nationalsculpture.org
International Sculpture Center: www.sculpture.org
American Art Therapy Association: www.arttherapy.org
National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society: www.noaps.org
Northern Ohio Illustrators Society
Ohio Watercolor Society: www.ohiowatercolorsociety.com
Association for Art History: www.indiana.edu/~aah/
Society of Illustrators: www.societyofillustrators.org
Association of Medical Illustrators: www.medical-illustrators.org
Professional Photographers of America: www.ppa.com
Society of Photographic Education: www.spenational.org