Studio Arts

KCAD's BFA in Studio Arts propels aspiring creatives into fulfilling careers as versatile, confident, and communicative working artists. Embracing the increasingly fluidity of artistic practice, the program encourages students to take bold risks and broadly explore the full spectrum of 2D, 3D, and time-based media—from traditional media to emergent techniques—all while developing a firm foundation of technical, analytical, and professional skills. 

Graduates will emerge with a strong understanding of their own artistic identity, a flexible framework for establishing a professional creative practice, and an expanded sense of what art and artists can be in the 21st century. 

 

Where can a BFA in Studio Arts Take Me? 

Many KCAD Studio Arts graduates go on to establish themselves as independent or gallery-represented professional artists who exhibit their work nationally and internationally, pursue artist residencies and grant-funded projects, and share their knowledge and experience through workshops, community arts programs, and other educational platforms. Some first choose to further their education by pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree.  

Other graduates build on their artistic practice by putting their critical thinking, communications, and creative problem-solving skills to use in a wide variety of arts-related careers. 

 

Learn More

View the KCAD College Catalog for a list of current courses. 

Coursework in the BFA in Studio Arts degree program draws from the curricula originally developed in KCAD's former Drawing degree program, Painting degree program, Printmaking degree program, and Sculpture and Functional Art degree program to create fresh and dynamic intersectional learning experiences focused on where art has been, where it is now, and where it could go in the future. 

Mariel Versluis, MFA

Professor, Program Co-Chair

 

Jaimie Watson, MFA

Professor, Program Co-Chair

As a Studio Arts student, you'll learn, explore, and create in a wide variety of spacious and well-equipped facilities, including:  

  • Private Undergraduate Studios are available for Studio Arts students to request* and are accessible via keycard during open building hours 

*Studio spaces are granted in priority order based on number of credit hours earned. Students who request and are granted studio space pay a one-time, fully refundable deposit of $113. 

  • Communal Painting and Drawing Studios used for classroom instruction, independent work time, and group critique. 
  • Clay Studio featuring a main room with 16 throwing wheels, a slab roller, slip casting equipment, and extruders; a clay mixing room for clay and glaze formulations; a spray booth for applying glaze finishes, and a large kiln room with four electric kilns and one walk-in kiln. 
  • Printmaking Studio supporting a comprehensive approach to printmaking with tools including etching presses, lithography presses, screenprinting presses and equipment, papermaking equipment, and more.   
  • Metal Sculpture Studio equipped with MIG and TIG welding equipment, a hydraulic shear, a hydraulic slip roller, a hydraulic iron worker, a metal band saw, a metal disc sander, a large high-speed metal lathe, a pneumatic planishing hammer, and more. 
  • Woodshop supervised by an experienced technician and featuring over 30 pieces of equipment including Saw Stop table saws, sanders, a fully-ventilated walk-in spray paint and glue room, and more.  

You'll also benefit from other key resource areas on campus, including:  

  • The Dow Center FlexLab, a state-of-the-art digital fabrication facility, featuring 3D printers and scanners, laser cutting and vinyl cutting machines, wide format printers, and more. 
  • The KCAD Library, providing access to millions of books through the MeLCat shared library catalog as well as access to specialized research databases and subscriptions to scholarly journals. 
  • Photography Lighting Studio featuring large backdrops, an infinity shooting table, lens kits, lens filters, light-control grids and snoots, light meters, softboxes, tripods, stands, and much more.  
  • Audio Recording Studio, a high-end sound and special effects room complete with a sound booth, professional quality preamps, interfaces, MIDI keyboards, and microphones, and ProTools digital audio workstation software. 
     

KCAD also regularly brings visiting artists to campus for guest lectures, critiques, and workshops, and offers study away experiences as well as internships during the academic year and the summer. 

 

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