B.A. in Art

The art program provides an education in diverse media and focuses on creating, studying, and evaluating art. The program capitalizes on Marymount faculty's expertise in fine arts and profits from easy access to the many art galleries and museums in the greater Washington, DC region. Upon successful completion of the art program, students will be able to skillfully differentiate, select, and apply visual arts media, techniques, and processes; differentiate and interpret meaning in the visual arts from past to present by researching cultural and historical context; integrate academic knowledge with work environment; and effectively present and exhibit portfolio-quality work. Foundation courses in design, drawing, and art history introduce basic skills of observation and visual communication, and many are open to all Marymount students. The studio courses provide rigorous training in the necessary skills for creating art in any medium, and art history courses supply a background in the traditions of visual art, and the opportunity to analyze works of art in greater detail. At the end of the sophomore year, students demonstrate skills from the foundation studio courses by preparing a professional portfolio, which is required to continue in the major. After completing the foundation curriculum, art majors broaden their studio experience by enrolling in courses that apply their foundation skills in a variety of artistic media. Art majors also take upper-division courses in art history, one of which focuses on art in the modern world, and complete an internship in a regional art agency, gallery, or museum, or an apprenticeship under a professional artist. Students complete their studies at the senior level by creating a body of work that demonstrates their breadth of talent and by assembling a new portfolio of work that highlights their skills and achievements. Their work is evaluated by departmental faculty and invited guests, and juried for a group exhibition on campus that is open to the public. The art major leaves a sufficient number of university electives to pursue a minor, allowing students the opportunity to prepare themselves for a professional career in the arts. The Department of Fine Arts has consulted with other departments to determine the best set of courses for the following careers: Art Therapy: Art majors interested in art therapy must pursue an advanced degree for a career as a practicing art therapist, and should earn a psychology minor, selecting a set of courses to prepare for graduate school in close consultation with their major advisor. Art Management: Art majors who wish to pursue a career in art management, with work in art galleries, museums, and other arts organizations, should earn a business minor with management, management science, and marketing classes selected in consultation with their major advisor. Communication and Media Design: Art majors who wish to prepare for non-management positions in art galleries, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies might earn a minor in communication or media design, which further develops skills in communication, writing design techniques, new technologies, and their graphic and media applications. Illustration: Art majors hoping to pursue illustration commissions, employment, and graduate studies should pursue a minor in illustration, and consult with their advisor to choose the proper elective courses in traditional and digital art. Art History: Art majors interested in an advanced degree in art history, leading to possible careers in museum work or higher education, or students who are simply interested in expanding their knowledge of art, should choose from the list of interdisciplinary courses that comprise the minor in art history.