Art
Department of Art
Fine Arts Building (ARTS), Room 302A, (907) 786-1783
The mission of the Department of Art is to prepare students to use their artistic abilities to make a difference in society. A comprehensive multi-studio approach encourages independent thinking, strengthens creativity, and develops knowledge of the critical and historical aspects of art. Students acquire technical skills and gain the confidence to work with a variety of materials while exploring and evaluating our broad and diverse heritage of art and design. Our goal is to train and graduate students who are empowered artists, focused on excellence in creative activity, learning, and teaching and who are essential to the continued development of our vibrant culture.
The art history area supports gallery exhibitions which are an integral component of the art student's education as well as general education courses in the fine arts and humanities. The art education area provides an introduction for museum and community-based teaching, which are practices necessary for a teaching artist.
Gallery exhibitions, artist lectures, and workshops expose students to contemporary art developments both intellectually and visually. The Kimura Gallery and the Arc Gallery at the Consortium Library offer students and the community an opportunity to view and study the work of local, national and international artists. The Hugh McPeck Gallery in the Student Union provides a venue for students to exhibit their work through a series of invitational and juried exhibitions.
The University of Alaska Anchorage is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Students can choose to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Art (BA), a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art (BFA), or a Minor in Art.
Bachelor of Arts in Art (BA)
The Bachelor of Arts in Art combines a diverse liberal arts curriculum with studio art and art history courses. Students enrolled in this program will have the freedom to explore courses in a variety of academic areas, acquire a broad understanding of art and art history, and develop a method of artistic expression using a variety of studio approaches.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (BFA)
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art encourages students to concentrate their efforts in the studio arts. Students who exhibit potential for success through strong coursework in the first two years of their pre-BFA study, are encouraged to submit an application and portfolio for admission into the BFA during their junior year. Admission into the BFA is a selective process, requiring acceptance by both the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Department of Art BFA Committee.
BFA candidates are expected to devote a large measure of time to studio work as they plan for a professional life in art. The BFA provides the candidate with many opportunities for interaction with the department faculty and fellow BFA students, encouraging close working relationships and mentorships. A written thesis and exhibition at the Kimura Gallery in the Fine Arts Building culminates in the completion of the program.
Minor in Art
Students majoring in another academic program who wish to minor in art must complete a total of 21 credits in art, 6 credits of which must be upper-division.