Painting

While earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of traditional and progressive forms of art through intensive study of the major genres of painting such as still life, landscape, figure, and abstraction as well as experimentation with mixed media work and concept development. As you refine your technique and explore conceptual ideas, you’ll also supplement your studio work with fine art seminars fostering critical research skills, reflection into contemporary theory, and effective career oriented professional practices.

You’ll also round your education out with a wide range of general education and art history courses that will stimulate your curiosity, broaden your perspective, and inspire new creative expressions. KCAD’s flexible General Education Pathways model empowers you to direct your learning by exploring subjects you find most engaging and relevant.

The Painting degree program follows a pattern of progressive complexity. In your introductory courses, you’ll focus on developing basic painting techniques in traditional painting genres. As you progress through the program, you’ll gain the confidence and technical skill to begin experimenting with mixed media and other approaches that move beyond traditional definitions of painting, ultimately developing a unique vision for your own art.

As you refine your own artistic skills and processes, you’ll also gain a broad knowledge of the world of contemporary art through fine art seminars taken in concert with advanced painting classes. In this way, your studio work will be augmented by critical reflection and research into theory that strengthens your analytical and critical thinking skills and heightens your ability to engage in culturally informed and reflexive discourse about your own work and the work of others.

As a student in the Painting degree program, you’ll experience a strong sense of community driven by an emphasis on faculty availability and interaction. The program’s small class sizes enable our faculty to get to know you as an individual, while you’ll come to see them as not just instructors, but as mentors and professional role models as well. The program also places an emphasis on personalized instruction, resulting in concentrated periods of work, ideation, and exploration with guidance from faculty. The ability to experiment in a safe and supportive environment encourages your growth and confidence and prepares you for success after graduation.

There’s also the matter of place: located in Grand Rapids, a mid-sized city that values art and design, KCAD acts as an incubator for focused artistic growth and cultural engagement. Location also means you’ll enjoy mid-size city living, while being only hours away from the cultural wealth of larger cities like Chicago and Detroit.

As a graduate of the Painting degree program, you’ll be well positioned to pursue a career as a studio artist, either independently or with gallery representation. You’ll also be prepared to leverage your critical thinking, communication, and creative problem solving skills. Possible careers include:

• Professional Artist
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Community Workshop Instructor
• Muralist
• Artist-in-Residence
• Gallery Owner
• Art Director
• Arts Administrator
• Curator
• Art Critic
• Preparator
• Art Consultant/Buyer
• Museum Education Assistant
• Set Designer

Many Panting graduates chose to further develop their skills by pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree or by seeking opportunities such as artist residencies or grant-funded projects.