Art (Studio Art)

Called to create

Drawing, painting, ceramics, metalwork, glass, fibers, digital photography, sculpture, bookmaking, papermaking. If you feel called to create, Studio Art is the major for you. This program will help you perfect the technical skills of your personal expressive practice and show you how you can use art to make a dramatic impact on our community.

Though some programs require students to focus on a single medium, Alverno’s major gives you a rich foundation in art history, community participation and general liberal art studies.

The skills you need to succeed

Because of Alverno’s unique abilities-based curriculum, our Studio Art majors graduate with stellar communication, leadership and problem-solving skills. You’ll be that much further ahead when you interview for a job, lecture at an exhibition, facilitate a workshop or lead other projects as a community art advocate.

An inspiring environment

Alverno has a beatufiul Art and Cultures Gallery and new, light-filled classrooms for general art education, drawing and painting, metals and sculpture, printmaking and fibers, ceramics and glasswork, and art education/art therapy. We’ve also designed our studios to be as green as possible and assist students in exploring sustainable art practices. Plus, most of Alverno’s Studio Art classes have a maximum of 15 students — compared with 20-25 at other colleges — so you’ll have easy access to your instructors and equipment.

Make meaningful connections

Every semester, you’ll work with fellow students and a visiting art professional to develop a community art mid-semester assessment, which gives you practice planning collaborative group art projects. The student organizations Artourage and Not So Starving Artists provide additional art-making and community service opportunities. Many art majors also participate in Alverno’s short-term study abroad courses, where they study art and culture in locations such as Italy, China and Costa Rica.

“I am president of the campus art club and completed my internship at the Alverno Art and Cultures Gallery. The most valuable thing I have learned is the importance of making connections, which will help me achieve my career goal to be a gallery/museum director.”

— Stephanie, studio art major, class of 2021

Show your work

You can participate in our annual juried art competition, learn gallery management skills, work with the campus gallery director to design your senior exhibition and apply for work-study job opportunities to learn behind-the-scenes aspects of managing visual art exhibition spaces. Our well-connected faculty can also help you network and explore ways to exhibit your work off campus.

Internships for the studio art major

There are many options thanks to Milwaukee’s dynamic, active arts culture. Our students have interned at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Charles Allis Art Museum, Wisconsin Visual Artists, the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, the Milwaukee Film Festival, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Special Collections Library and the Wisconsin Book Bindery, among others.

How you can use your degree

Though some may pursue studio art full time, others maintain a studio practice while working for a museum, gallery, community center or art-themed nonprofit organization. Others use their artistic skills in the business world, focusing on areas such as product photography, graphic design or interior design. Some students also choose to enter graduate programs in museum studies, design, art history, studio art or other areas.