Studio Art

Studio art is a major and minor at F&M. You’ll study the foundational areas of drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and more, while discovering how artists channel these media into a range of expressive styles. In addition to building a robust portfolio of studio art, you’ll also learn about art’s vital role in personal and public life, religious and secular practices, political activism and cultural power, and transformations of visual experience over time. 

Wondering what a studio art course is like? Take a look at our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what’s available to you.

At F&M, you’re strongly encouraged to step beyond the walls of the classroom to engage in self-exploration, self-expression, and creativity. We offer a variety of ways to do just that. 

Art Shows and Exhibitions

See what your work looks like gracing a gallery wall. Each spring semester, F&M holds a student art show juried by a local guest artist, featuring works by all F&M students. Student work is also often exhibited in F&M’s Winter Visual Arts Center, the Shadek-Fackenthal Library, and the Phillips Museum of Art. Studio art majors are also required to take a studio seminar in the spring of their senior year, producing works that are displayed in our annual senior art exhibition. 

Research and Independent Study

Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led research. Advanced art majors are encouraged to undertake independent study courses, which may result in bodies of work for solo exhibitions or projects for departmental honors. You also have the flexibility to pursue research, whether you want to dive into a particular artist, time period, or cultural movement, or explore how art connects with politics, religion, pop culture, and more.
Explore research at F&M

Off-Campus Study

What inspiration awaits you abroad? How will your art evolve beyond U.S. borders? F&M’s off-campus study program offers many options to broaden your artistic studies. Sophomores who declare a major in art history or studio art also may apply for the Sophomore Summer Foreign Travel Award in Studio or Art History. This award, established by the late Dean of the College, Bradley R. Dewey, offers funding for students to spend a summer studying outside of the U.S.
Explore off-campus study at F&M

Field Trips

The convenient location of F&M’s home city of Lancaster allows for trips to museums and galleries in Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Lancaster itself is also a nationally recognized art center, featuring dozens of independent galleries in the heart of downtown. Many F&M students, faculty and staff are involved in this rich artistic landscape, displaying their works in art galleries or creating public art installations or murals.

Winter Visual Arts Center

The Susan and Benjamin Winter Visual Arts Center (WVAC) provides an inspiring space for the making and study of visual arts. The WVAC is the home of the art, art history, and film departments, as well as several art studios, a digital lab, an art gallery, a cinema, and more. The building earned The Architect’s Newspaper 2020 Best of Design Award in the institutional / higher education category. 

Studio art students in particular will enjoy: 

• The Gipson Grand Forum
• Jonathan E. Babkow ’88 & Maia Rubin Film & Media Studies Digital Lab
• Ann Boyd Barshinger W’43, H’17 Painting Studio
• Thomas A. and Georgina T. Russo Family Foundation Gallery

The Phillips Museum of Art

Located in F&M’s Steinman College Center, the Phillips Museum of Art fosters an understanding and appreciation of the arts, including contemporary, historical and multicultural materials. The museum often partners with academic departments — including studio art — to offer opportunities for faculty and staff to extend the walls of their classrooms and engage students in tours, object-based learning workshops, and research opportunities that draw from the museum’s permanent collection, changing exhibitions, and visiting artists. 

Explore the Phillips Museum of Art

Art studio courses at F&M emphasize crossing disciplinary boundaries, establishing a sound foundation for a range of professional paths. 

Graduate School

Studio art majors at F&M often continue their studies at excellent graduate programs in studio art, visual arts, design, animation, art history, and architecture. They’ve enrolled at the finest institutions for postgraduate art programs, including:

• Boston College
• Columbia University
• College of William & Mary
• New York University
• Pratt Institute
• Savannah College of Art and Design
• School of Visual Arts
• School of Art Institute of Chicago

Career Paths

Studio art graduates are prepared for a wide array of careers. They hold positions such as: 

• Appraiser
• Architect
• Art Director
• Art Teacher
• Conservator
• Graphic Designer
• Fashion Designer 
• Fine Arts Assistant Appraiser
• Museum Curator
• Museum Director
• Museum Educator
• Preservation Professional
• Video Game Designer
• Web Designer