Specialty of This Art Studio

The term art studio is most often used to refer to a facility at which the craft of creating works of art takes place. This craft may be any of the visual arts, such as painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, drawing or printmaking, or other crafts like woodworking, scrapbooking, or even metal working or the making of music. The term is also applied to the workroom of a professional artist. The art studio may be a dedicated room or a part of a home, school, business, or other organization. The work produced in a studio is usually considered to be of a higher artistic quality than the work done in a workshop.

The art studio offers a variety of different classes for both children and adults. Some of the most popular courses are the acrylic painting, beginning/intermediate watercolor, drawing and charcoal class, art history, master copies and basic printmaking. There are also speciality workshops for learning techniques in areas such as color mixing, botanical illustration, figurative or landscape oil painting and pastel drawing. These workshops are usually 6-12 weeks long and meet once a week for three hours.

Another area of the studio focuses on introductory sculpture classes and offers both large and small studio spaces as well as a fully-equipped wood shop with a full array of table saws, drill presses, sanders, etc. Also in the SA/VS Building is a full-service ceramics facility and a large fiber studio with both traditional tools for spinning yarn and a Jacquard loom for digitally based weaving.

What is the Primary Focus Or Specialty of This Art Studio?

There are several other areas of interest at the art studio, including a photography lab where students can learn how to operate various film cameras, develop and darkroom techniques, and print their own work. The studio also has a state-of-the-art computer lab for teaching digital skills and an extensive library of books, videos, and DVD’s on a wide range of art topics.

The art studio is also involved in the production of several exhibitions and events throughout the year including an annual Student Art Show, a juried student art competition, the R.W. and Joyce Witt Award and the Frederick M. Peyser Studio Art Prize for undergraduate students. The art studio also houses two art galleries that host a number of student, regional and nationally known artists’ exhibitions each year.

In general, art schools vary greatly in their requirements and offerings. This is to be expected since a variety of curriculum options enriches an education that would otherwise be weakened by a uniform pattern. For example, some universities offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in a single studio program while others have an extensive curriculum in a broad spectrum of studio art, art history, and art education. A good art school will offer a balance of both types of programs, allowing students to choose the studio option that best fits their individual interests and career goals.