Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art

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About

In the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Program, you’ll get a strong foundation in studio art and visual culture. The program allows students to work on individual thesis projects that combine research with art making. It is an experience that allows an additional year of professional study in visual art. Students choose an area of focus in art or they can explore overlap in areas for a more multidisciplinary approach. 

  • 2D – painting, drawing, printmaking, illustration
  • 3D – ceramics, sculpture, performance or installation
  • Media – photography, digital art
  • Visual Culture – community or social art practice
  • or Mix it up! We are flexible!

Curriculum & Requirements Curriculum Map

2024 BFA Applications now being accepted!  DEADLINE MAY 9, 11:59 PM

GUIDELINES HERE  –  APPLICATION FORM HERE

 

Why Get a BFA at EWU?

Work One-on-One with Faculty Advisors

Work One-on-One with Faculty Advisors

BFA students get to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor. They can ask questions, learn advanced techniques, and receive professional critique.

Access to Studio Spaces

Access to Studio Spaces

We have multiple studio spaces and tools that students can have access to outside of class.

Collaborate with Your Cohort

Collaborate with Your Cohort

You will have the opportunity to work with your fellow BFA class on projects, feedback, and more.

EWU Emerging Artist in Residency at the HIVE

EWU Emerging Artist in Residency at the HIVE

As a EWU BFA graduate, you have the opportunity to participate in a 6-month artist in residency at the HIVE in Spokane.

Artist in Residency Program at the Hive

Develop Professional Skills

Develop Professional Skills

BFA curriculum includes the developlment of transferrable professional skills in writing and public speaking in addition to developing a cohesive body of work for exhibition.

BFA Studio Art Application Process

Before filling out the Application, please review/download the BFA-2024-ApplicationGuidelines

We want to see your best work, and ask that you consult with an Art faculty mentor or advisor to help determine which works will best represent your vision and skill.

Your Digital Application must include:

  • Degree Audit PDF 
    • copy/pdf of your degree audit
  • BFA Application Form
    • Student name, contact info
  • Statement of Intent (150-250 words, one page)
    • Brief Introduction of yourself.
      • Why do you want to earn a BFA? What are your goals?
    • Brief Introduction to your work and practice.
      • What ideas or projects do you want to explore or expand?
      • What mediums do you want to focus on?
  • Portfolio, 6-10 Work samples – choose your best work, consult with Art faculty mentor or advisor to help determine which works best represent your vision and skill.
    • Work samples must accurately represent the work.
    • Work samples should be works completed in the last two years.
    • Each piece must include image info: Title, medium, dimensions, and year completed

 

APPLICATION FORM HERE

Please meet with an art advisor or mentor prior to submitting an application. This form and statement of intent must be submitted as part of your application materials. Please refer to the BFA Application Guideline form for details on digital portfolio!

If you have any questions about the process, email the Art Director.

DEADLINE for 2024-25 BFA Application: MAY 9, 11:59 PM! 

Students interested in the BFA should consult with a faculty advisor prior to the application deadline. Applications are submitted and reviewed every spring quarter. Typical timeline follows:

  • Third Week in April: BFA Application Q&A – interested students attend and learn about the BFA (is it right for you?) and the application process.
  • Students have two weeks to meet with their advisor and any faculty mentors to complete their application.
  • Second Friday in May: Application Deadline!
  • Third Friday in May: Application results to students before Fall registration begins.

Curriculum & Requirements

Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

The BFA in Studio art is a professional degree that prepares students for careers as practicing artists and/or further pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts Degree. The program offers a deeper emersion in studio practice with added emphasis on conceptual exploration, writing skills, and knowledge in contemporary art. BFA students develop, produce, exhibit and defend a cohesive body of work.

BFA students are recommended to declare a minor in Visual Culture and/or a related field of study that supports their research.

Students must apply and be accepted into the BFA program. BFA applications are accepted in the Spring quarter prior to the intended BFA year. Students admitted to the BFA program must complete an entire sequential year of study which includes Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of an entire academic year. Students work closely with an art faculty advisor as they complete the BFA in Studio Art.

Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and at least 50 Art credits complete that include ART 312, ART 313, and ART 331 (15 credits of Visual Culture) in order to apply to the program. 

Once accepted, students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher in all enrolled art courses to maintain status in the BFA Program. 

Foundation Requirements
ART 201STUDIO I: IMAGE AND TECHNOLOGY5
ART 202STUDIO II: TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS5
ART 213THE VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE5
or ART 210 VISUAL CULTURE
ART 300DRAWING5
ART 320CAREERS IN THE ARTS1
Visual Culture
ART 312ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY5
or ART 314 THE BODY IN ART
ART 313ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY5
or ART 315 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ART 331CONTEMPORARY ART5
ART 410WRITING ABOUT ART5
ART 407ART AS SOCIAL ACT5
or ART 406 ART AND COMMUNITY
Art Experience15
In consultation with art advisor, choose three of the following courses:
CERAMICS I
CERAMICS II
ILLUSTRATION
COLOR THEORY
DIGITAL ART
PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE
THE BODY IN ART
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
PAINTING
WATERCOLOR
PRINTMAKING
ILLUSTRATION
SCULPTURE
FIBER AND TEXTILES
EXPERIMENTAL
Art Focus–in consultation with your faculty advisor18
Complete 18 advanced level credits in one or two studio discipline areas.
400 level Art courses (including 450 workshop courses) can be repeated for credit.
Ceramics
CERAMICS III
WORKSHOP IN ART (ceramics focus)
Digital
DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE
WORKSHOP IN ART (digital art focus)
Drawing
DRAWING
LIFE DRAWING
Illustration
ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION
WORKSHOP IN ART (illustration focus)
Painting
PAINTING II
WORKSHOP IN ART (painting focus)
Photography
PHOTOGRAPHY: ADVANCED PRACTICE
WORKSHOP IN ART (photography focus)
Printmaking
PRINTMAKING
WORKSHOP IN ART (printmaking focus)
Sculpture
SCULPTURE
WORKSHOP IN ART (sculpture focus)
Professional Practice Electives4-6
In consultation with art advisor choose topics that best fit professional goals, ART 439 may be repeated.
TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
BFA Thesis Year Requirements
ART 470BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (fall quarter)1
ART 470BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (winter quarter)1
ART 472BFA THESIS AND EXHIBITION (spring quarter)5
Senior Capstone
ART 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
Total Credits95-97

Catalog Listing

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully earn a BFA in Studio Art from EWU should be able to do the following:

  • demonstrate advanced technical skills in a studio concentration; PLO-4;
  • produce a coherent body of work for thesis exhibition; PLO-5;
  • produce a professional quality artist’s portfolio; PLO-1;
  • provide a compelling oral defense of their thesis exhibition; PLO-6.
  • use appropriate terminology to evaluate works of art; PLO-2;
  • write a well-crafted artist’s statement; PLO-3.

Sample Courses

ART 410. WRITING ABOUT ART. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: ENGL 410.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 and junior standing, or permission of the instructor.
Careers in the arts and culture sector require specific writing skills. This course provides the principles of the main genres of writing about art, from ekphrasis (the vivid description of artworks in ancient rhetoric) to contemporary art criticism. Emphasis is on applying art history methods to communicate effectively with different audiences. Includes the production of a writer's portfolio and workshops on exhibition reviews, curating, podcasting, and grant writing.

Catalog Listing

ART 470. BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH. 1 Credit.

Notes: must be repeated twice for credit.
Pre-requisites: declared BFA Art Studio major.
Students meet weekly to discuss progress and issues that pertain to BFA Thesis research. Students are guided and prepared for quarterly faculty reviews of BFA projects.

Catalog Listing

ART 472. BFA THESIS AND EXHIBITION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: declared BFA Studio Art major.
This course is the final stage of the BFA Thesis. It focuses on preparation, installation and promotion of the BFA Exhibition in the EWU Gallery of Fine Art. Students gain in depth experience by writing an artist statement, preparing artworks as gallery installations and successfully completing an oral defense to a BFA Committee.

Catalog Listing

ART 407. ART AS SOCIAL ACT. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: junior standing or instructor permission.
Art has long been a catalyst for major cultural shifts. This course introduces students to the history and methods of art practice as a vehicle for social change and engagement. Students will learn about various social movements and their accompanying artistic production and will be guided through the process of researching, proposing and executing socially engaged artworks/events. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and creating artworks that promote community, collaboration and change.

Catalog Listing

Consider Getting a Minor or Certificate

EWU offers over 140+ Minors and Certificates that students can use to diversify their transcript. Here are some that we find would be complementary to an Art Major

Media Writing Certificate

The Certificate in Media Writing focuses on developing the skills to write in multiple genres and media – art exhibitions, press releases, web pages, etc.

Learn More

Visual Culture Minor

You’ll also choose from a wide variety of electives that cover art from different periods of history such as antiquity, the Renaissance and the modern era.

Learn More

Digital Entrepreneurship Minor

You’ll start to develop an entrepreneurial portfolio as you study the nature of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur, and explore the role of entrepreneurship in society.

Learn More

Psychology Minor

Pair together your understanding of the human mind and the expression of the visual arts.

Learn More

Anthropology Minor

Study cultural beliefs, traditions, practices and values from diverse communities.

Learn More

Explore More Options

Head on over to the EWU Program Explorer to discover all the minors and certificates that we have to offer!

Program Explorer

Mailing Address

The Art Program at EWU
C/O Eastern Washington University
22 7th St
140 Art Building
Cheney, WA 99004

Contact Us

For further questions or inquiries, please contact:

Professor Jenny Hyde
Program Director for Art
P: 509.359.6997
E: jhyde@ewu.edu

Ready to declare an Art Major? Declare HERE!