Major & Minor
Art
Art studies different visual media like painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. It builds visual vocabulary, understanding of visual relationships present in the art, and personal artistic style.
About the Art Major
In our visually oriented society, an understanding of visual communication—historical and contemporary—is vital to understanding the world and who people are throughout time in areas such as printmaking, oil painting, watercolor, and photography. Works of art provide a key to understanding culture, thought, and human experience, and opportunities for career success for graduates with an art degree are continuously growing.
The art program at Southern Virginia University develops students’ proficiency in their chosen medium. Students in the program engage in challenging artistic experiences in small classroom settings that provide one-on-one mentoring from professors and cultivate literate, articulate artists with both breadth and depth of artistic experience. The culmination of the undergraduate experience is a group exhibition in which each student presents a focused body of work in a particular medium, with opportunities to present work in local shows and galleries.
Learning Outcomes
What you’ll learn in the Art major:
- Proficiency in chosen artistic medium
- Ability to visually communicate ideas in chosen artistic medium
- Familiarity with ethical standards and socially responsible behaviors
- Knowledge of contemporary art and art history
Career Opportunities
There is a wide array of potential careers with an art degree, including jobs in painting, photography, multimedia art, digital design, and more depending on your personal and professional goals.
- Architect
- Artist
- Illustrator
- Photographer
- Museum Curator
- Fashion Designer
- Interior Designer
- Brand Strategist
- Art Therapist
Getting Started with the Art Major
Follow these simple steps below to get a head start in the
Art Major today.
Enroll
Begin by taking Drawing I (ART 120) in your first year
Contact Your Advisor
Get in touch with your Academic Advisor to discuss your interests and goals
Declare
Turn in a completed PDFDeclare Major Form to the Registrar’s Office
Questions? Contact the Registrar at emailregistrar@svu.edu.
Alumni Success
Ryan Dubinsky (’22)
Artwork Featured in London Exhibit
Link to news article on Ryan DubinskyRead MoreAlumni Success
Gustavo Ramos (’17)
Portraiture Artist, work featured in European Museum of Modern Art, the Rijksmuseum, and Sotheby’s.
Link to Gustavo Ramos art websiteRead MoreIn the News
Professor Crawford Curates Paris Exhibition, “Women Artists in the Arctic”
After two and a half years of preparation, Professor Barbara Crawford’s latest exhibition, “Women Artists in the Arctic” opened this month in the Espace des Femmes Gallery in Paris, France.
Link to news article on Professor CrawfordRead MoreIn the News
Graduating Art Major Chooses Top-Tier Architecture Program
Southern Virginia University senior Dallin Evans took a big step in his longtime goal to become an architect when he chose to attend Syracuse University for a master’s degree in architecture.
Link to news article about Dallin EvansRead More