Why Choose Nazareth for Studio Art?

Artists are visual communicators, reporters on the human condition. To be a fine artist requires vision, discipline, and daily practice. It also requires a supportive environment where the gift of creativity can develop and thrive.

Nazareth University has a longstanding commitment to art and a passion for nurturing artists. The Art and Design Department's studios and galleries are housed in Nazareth's renowned Arts Center. All programs in the Art and Design Department are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). This accreditation means that our faculty, curriculum, and facilities meet or exceed national standards.

Our full-time faculty is composed of studio artists, art historians, and art educators, and supplemented by a number of highly respected working artists. We have close working relationships with local museums, schools, and design firms, providing our students with a variety of internship opportunities.

Students in Nazareth's studio art degree program choose an emphasis: painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, digital media, illustration, jewelry, or metals. You also study multiple mediums and techniques and the principles of aesthetics, art history, and art criticism. Guided by professors who are artist/mentors, you develop the knowledge, skills, and aesthetic vision to produce high-quality work in the competitive field of studio art.

Program Highlights

  • Studio art majors also take a liberal arts core at Nazareth. This emphasis on interdisciplinary studies enriches the artistic process. For example, you can study visual literacy through communication and media courses or take chemistry to learn the properties behind the materials you use.
  • You may choose to have independent studio projects in your senior year. You also may have opportunities to write your own curriculum.
  • Choose to enrich your experience through 70+ study abroad options, including Italy or France for art and design majors.

Provide Portfolio

A portfolio is not required for admission, but we encourage you to schedule a portfolio review to be considered for a scholarship. View portfolio details and register.

Program Details

Inside Nazareth's Art & Design Studios

    Duncan Crawford, studio art major, BFA degree, fine arts degree program at Nazareth

    Alumni Spotlight

    Duncan Crawford '85

    Set construction sculptor for television and film productions including The Avengers and Lost

    "In this business, the fundamentals are key. Nazareth taught me the basics: aesthetics, how your eye moves over a canvas, perspective. I took a wide range of classes, like sculpting and metalsmithing, to figure out what I wanted to do. That trained me to pick up new things quickly, like working with foam."

    Example Careers

    • Studio artist
    • Craftsperson
    • Gallery owner
    • Coin designer
    • Illustrator

    Internships/Field Experiences

    • Paul Knoblauch Studio
    • Fulbright Scholarship Award to study in Egypt
    • Kulturwerk des BBK, Berlin
    • Sebastian Kim, Inc. (photographer)

    Graduate Schools/Employers

    • Rutgers University
    • Tyler School of Art
    • New York University
    • Devara Graphics
    • United States Mint