Studio Art

MAKE IT! Clarke’s Art major is your pathway to the creative economy. Maybe you are career-driven and know exactly what you want to do with your art degree. Great! Clarke is the place for you. Or, maybe you don’t quite know what to do with your interest in fine arts. Clarke is the place for you, too. All art students take the same foundation courses in the first year of study in the BA Studio Art Program. These courses will ground you in contemporary practice in drawing, design, digital skills, 3D structures, and art history and guide you as you discover yourself.

The Studio Art Program includes coursework in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and ceramics. You choose a studio emphasis in one of these areas to develop both technical expertise and a personal creative voice. You will often work one-on-one with a professor in an advanced course so your instruction is individualized and rivals that of an art or graduate school program.

Ask yourself this. Are you a doodler, a dreamer, a maker? Do you value innovation, taking risks, and creativity? Is art or photography your passion? Or maybe you like to draw characters from your favorite video games or even create your own? Do you want to make a difference in our world? Do you want to work with professors and peers who challenge you to be more than you can imagine? Then, take the next step and launch your career as a creative with the Art + Design Programs at Clarke University. Clarke Art + Design faculty members will guide you toward a successful life in the arts. They will be your mentors in the classroom studios and beyond as you earn your BA in Art. Each is a successful professional in his or her field. They will provide you with immersive studio experience and assist in making connections in the creative economy whether that is as an art teacher, independent artist, design fabricator, graduate student, museum or gallery professional, or so much more. An art degree in Art + Design can also prepare you for a career beyond the studio. Art + Design coursework cultivates creative thinking and research, the ability to synthesize complex ideas and processes with discipline and focus, and the facility to give and take criticism. These are the skills and attributes needed to succeed in diverse careers that will be gained with a BA studio art. Individuals who hold an art degree are creative types that are poised to thrive in an economy subject to automation and workforce reduction. If this interests you, take a drive to Dubuque, Iowa, and discover for yourself the Art Program at Clarke.

Graduates with a Clarke bachelor of visual arts are poised to succeed in the 21st-century creative market. Clarke’s studio art program includes coursework in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and ceramics. You choose a studio emphasis in one of these areas to develop both technical expertise and a personal creative voice. Clarke offers a bachelor’s degree in Art as well as the option of K-12 teacher certification. Not sure what career path to pursue? We also offer Graphic Design and Digitial Media Studies in addition to our BA Studio Art.