UB Programs At-A-Glance

Art

Department of Visual Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
202 Center for the Arts
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-6010

Phone: 716.645.6878
Fax: 716.645.6970
Web: www.art.buffalo.edu

David Schirm
Chair

About the Program

The Department of Visual Studies is a newly merged department that is comprised of degree programs in art, art history, arts management and visual studies. See the degree program heading for information on each of these programs.

The Department of Visual Studies and the University at Buffalo support creative research/scholarship and teaching excellence. The art program is committed to diversity, innovation and progressive practice, and features an internationally recognized and professionally active full-time faculty. The visual studies art program encourages collaboration with faculty and programs both within the College of Arts and Sciences and with the overall research environment of UB. The art program is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and UB is an AAU accredited research institution.

Why study art? Visual artists and designers generate some of the most provocative and enduring expressions of culture, because they have a flexible, inquisitive approach as well as an understanding of forces that shape and redefine our culture and world at large. In today's competitive environment, artists and designers are prepared to succeed by the experience of a broad university education combined with a rigorous art curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking and art production skills.

The study of art provides an opportunity to open the mind to unforeseeable possibilities by which a student may identify and appreciate their own unique skills. These abilities transfer to evolving, wide ranging applications and career paths.

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Fine Arts B.F.A., Studio Art B.A.

Minimum GPA of 2.5 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in art courses.
Minimum grade of “B” in all transfer fine art courses.

Photography - Minor

Minimum GPA of 2.5 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in art courses.
All B.F.A. and B.A. art majors must apply to and be accepted by the Art department.

The Department of Visual Studies Art degree programs offer two types of bachelor’s degrees in art: a focused studio program, granting the BFA; and liberal arts based program, granting the BA. The BFA degree focuses on intensive work in the visual arts supported by a program of general studies. The BA degree focuses on art and design in the context of a broad program of general studies which allows the student to pursue a minor or double major in another program.

Students accepted to the University who have chosen fine art or studio art as their intended major on their university application are block registered into fall semester freshman foundation courses on a first-come, first-served basis. During the spring semester of the freshman year students with an Art GPA of 3.0 or above are automatically granted admission to the Art program. Students with a GPA lower than 3.0 must have a portfolio review and interview to determine admittance into the Art program.

Currently enrolled UB students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 are eligible to apply to the Visual Studies department’s Art B.A. or B.F.A. program. Admission is determined by portfolio review and interview. Freshman foundation courses are required for the B.A. and B.F.A. degrees and are prerequisites for most upper-level courses; students are encouraged to take these courses before applying to the major.

Portfolio Review Procedure
To schedule review appointments, students must apply for the portfolio review. Application forms are available through the Art department Academic Advisor’s office; contact Kim Yarwood, 205 CFA, for more information.

Individualized Admission

Freshmen applicants to UB at the freshman level who fail to meet University SAT and GPA requirements but have unique artistic talents and conceptual abilities not reflected in those scores may be eligible to be considered for admission through the individualized admission process. Contact the Department of Visual Studies Academic Advisor for more information.

Schedule of Portfolio Reviews

Freshmen: Spring of freshman year if art GPA is below 3.0
Honors Scholarship: Check with Academic Advisor
Individualized Admissions: February - April
Currently Enrolled: Fall and Spring
Transfers: Spring prior to Fall entry


Acceptance Information
Number of applicants/year: 180
Number of accepted majors/year: 40-50 freshmen; 30 transfers/currently enrolled
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 300

Sequence of Study for the Major

The Freshman Foundations Program is a series of five studio courses and one contemporary theory course. These courses are required for all B.A./B.F.A. degrees and are prerequisites for most upper-level courses. Admission to the B.A. or B.F.A. program is automatic if the student's Art GPA is a 3.0 or above. Students with a GPA below 3.0 in Art courses may only be admitted through a portfolio review and interview during the spring semester of the freshman year. Students that fail the review may apply again the following year.

During the sophomore year, all majors take introductory (200-level) studio courses of their choice. Registration for most sophomore art courses is limited to students who have been accepted to the B.A. or B.F.A. program.

Focused study in a concentration begins in the junior year. At this point the student must either self declare a concentration in the following areas: for BFA programs; Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking Photography or Visual Studies Studio or be admitted by portfolio review into Communication Design or Computer Art. For BA programs, students must self declare in either Photography or General Studio or be admitted by portfolio review into Communication Design. For students who intend to be in Communication Design (BA or BFA) or Computer Art (BFA) concentrations, there is a second portfolio review, because space is limited. Most junior and senior-level courses in these two concentrations are reserved for students who have been accepted to the concentration. Reviews for these concentrations take place each spring.

A two-semester Senior Thesis Project is required for the B.F.A. degree.

Degree Requirements

See the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Facilities

Studio art labs are communal, spacious, well equipped, and intelligently organized. Specialized studios support all major conventional, digital, and experimental processes in art and design. Highlights include: a dedicated interactive art lab for advanced work; access to high-end computing and multimedia programs; and digital color and chemical black-and-white darkrooms, extensive printmaking labs, an audio lab and sculpture facilities that boast the largest university foundry in the Eastern US. Video editing and production studios are also available in the Department of Media Study.
Studio courses are small, generally ranging from fifteen to twenty students, to maximize teacher effectiveness.

Professional Staff
Our instructional support and staff assistants are invaluable in keeping specialized labs and equipment up and running every day of the school year. The Art department’s full-time support staff includes four technicians (digital, photo, print, and sculpture labs), the undergraduate academic advisor, and three administrative staff.

Center for the Arts
The Center for the Arts, opened in 1993, houses the Departments of Visual Studies Art Program, Media Study, and Theatre & Dance, along with the University Art Galleries, and 4 performance spaces.

The exhibition spaces at UB are a vital component of cultural discourse and the educational experience we provide. The Visual Studies Gallery presents undergraduate and graduate work along with invitational exhibitions, while the University at Buffalo Art Galleries' mission is to bring current issues and practices in the visual arts to UB. The UB Art Galleries are located on two floors in the Center for the Arts, as well as near the UB South Campus at the Anderson Gallery in North Buffalo. The full-time director, curators and support staff of the gallery sponsor lectures, symposia and publications.


About Our Courses

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 16-20
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 16-20
Upper level/advanced courses is: 15-20

Most of the courses in the Art department are lab classes which meet for 2 ½ hours twice a week. Several courses are in lecture, seminar or tutorial (one-on-one instruction) format.

In the Department of Visual Studies Art Program, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?

TA's teach some 100- and 200-level introductory courses. Freshman foundation courses are taught either by full-time faculty or adjunct lecturers.

For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

The faculty in the Department of Visual Studies Art Program are all practicing artists in addition to being engaged in scholarly research and/or writings in their fields. Art Program faculty exhibit work, and receive fellowships and commissions for their artistic production.

Faculty members have received grants and awards from such organizations as the Fulbright Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Tiffany Foundation, and the Government of the Netherlands, Polaroid, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Their works have been exhibited in many prestigious public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art, the Smithsonian Museum, the Carnegie Institute, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, among others.

Steven Kurtz, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, is available to address student concerns.

See a list of our undergraduate faculty.

Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

Notable Program Features

Visiting Artists
As part of the Visual Studies Speaker Series, lectures and critiques by visiting artists, critics, historians, and designers take place every Monday at 6:00 p.m. during the fall semester in the Center for the Arts Screening Room. Organized by the Department of Visual Studies, these lectures are co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Departments of Media Study and University Galleries.

Buffalo Metropolitan Area
The Visual Studies art program frequently extends its activities and cultural programming off campus, collaborating with area alternative media and exhibition spaces, galleries, and internationally recognized institutions.

Buffalo's diverse intellectual and cultural heritage continues to attract and sustain artists in the visual arts, performance, video/film, theater, poetry, literature, music, and architecture. Grass-roots and alternative spaces dedicated to new and experimental genres, such as CEPA, Hallwalls, Big Orbit, and Soundlab, complement such world-class institutions as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and provide opportunities and support for the production of new work in all genres. The Theater District in downtown Buffalo is home to numerous experimental theaters. Locally owned art theaters, along with Hallwalls, regularly show acclaimed films not available for widespread commercial distribution.

Toronto, a ninety-minute drive from Buffalo, is the largest metropolitan center in, and the art capital of, Canada. It has hundreds of alternative spaces and commercial art galleries including the Power Plant and the Ontario Gallery of Art.

Student Organizations
The Student Visual Art Organization (SVAO) provides leadership opportunities to university undergraduate students and organizes exhibits and events, open figure drawing sessions, and trips to museums and galleries.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

Study Abroad

Students interested in study abroad have the opportunity to participate in numerous art-oriented programs around the globe.

Semester Internships

Semester-long internships are available in prominent design and art studios in New York City and elsewhere.

Local Internships

Advanced students in all B.A./B.F.A. concentrations may enroll in an internship course to gain practical experience. Placement is made individually with local companies and includes design studios; commercial photographers; galleries; and alternative art spaces, among others.

Honors, Awards, and ScholarshipsAwards

Honors scholarships and performing and creative arts scholarships are awarded by the University, not by the art program. See the UB Honors Program section for further information. Honors students intending to major in art are accepted to the program and do not need have a portfolio review. Scholarship funds based on talentships are also available for exceptional art work, determined by a slide portfolio review in February.

Departmental scholarships, available to currently enrolled art majors, range from $200 to $2,000. The following annual awards are designated for art-related travel and study, art supplies, tuition help, and general support:

Rumsey Summer Scholarship

  • Sally Hoskins Potenza Scholarship
  • Frances Morrison Memorial Scholarship
  • Julius Bloom Scholarship
  • Philip C. and Virginia Cuthbert Elliott Painting Scholarship
  • Dennis Domkowski Memorial Scholarship
  • Eugene L. Gaier Award for Excellence in Printmaking
  • Eugene L. Gaier Award for Drawing
  • Carl E. and Virginia W. Sentz Memorial Award
  • Alan E. Cober Memorial Scholarship
  • Allentown Village Society Scholarship







Extracurricular Activities

The Student Visual Art Organization is open to and provides leadership opportunities to all interested university students and is active in organizing special exhibits and events, open figure drawing sessions, and trips to museums and galleries. The director of SVAO is Jeff Sherven (716-645-6878, ext. 1369).

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Programs and Courses

Minors that Complement a B.A. or B.F.A.


Majors that Benefit from a Photography Minor


Courses Outside the Major that Could Improve Employment Opportunities

Career Information and Further Study

The study of art opens the mind to unforeseeable possibilities. It is an opportunity for students to identify and value their own particular and unique set of skills. These skills can be applied to an evolving and wide range of applications and career paths.

Skills gained in this program include:

  • Forming conceptual ideas and communicating them visually
  • Verbal and written analysis of visual works
  • Understanding/weighing conceptual and aesthetic choices
  • Learning the tools and techniques and process of 2D art making, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, communication design, typography, and digital skills
  • Working with time-based media, such as web design, performance and video
  • Building 3D structures and forming space by use of sculpture, fabrication and installation
  • Understanding the theoretical, historical, cultural, and research basis of art


Career Choices

UB Art alumni enter a range of professions where creative problem solving, critical thinking, and an understanding of cultural context is valued, such as art galleries, museums, alternative spaces, and auction houses as directors, curators, preparators, installers, and art handlers, as well as in conservation, fabrication, grant writing, fundraising, and educational programming.

Many of our alumni are recognized, independent artists who work and exhibit nationally and internationally, successfully compete for public and private commissions, and have received numerous top national and international awards. Others are assistants, collaborators, and project coordinators to world-class artists. Our students have become professors and lecturers at leading colleges and universities, and teachers at community colleges, secondary schools, and arts-in-education programs throughout North America. They are art therapists in health care professions, schools, community centers, and correctional facilities. Our students are technical instructors and shop managers in fine art and commercial photography, printmaking, casting, and welding enterprises.

UB art alumni write critical reviews and essays on art and popular culture, they work as illustrators, web page designers, electronic publishers, and developers of interactive and electronic media. They publish fine art editions, run galleries, printing firms, custom framing businesses, and casting foundries, among others.

Additional Resources

Artcareer.net, the complete resource for careers in the visual arts

www.artjob.org, art jobs online

Artist Resource

College Art Association

Arts Resource Network

New York Foundation for the Arts

Links to Further Information About This Program


Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:03 EST