The Bellarmine Art Department offers students the aesthetic training, technical knowledge, critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies that prepare them for careers in the creative economy and/or graduate study in the visual arts.

Why earn your art degree at Bellarmine?

Our program provides a supportive environment that promotes the rigorous investigation of craft, technology, history, theory and individual conceptual concerns. Faculty are professional artists who serve students as mentors and advisors, providing hands-on instruction, fostering experimentation, and challenging students to articulate their creative goals and develop their artistic identity.

Small classes, internships, a dynamic local art scene, and study abroad courses all foster meaningful engagement with campus, regional and global communities. The art department enriches our university and city through exhibitions, lectures, service and other programming.

Program Highlights

Campus facilities include painting, drawing, ceramics and sculpture studios, a photography darkroom and two Mac labs. The McGrath Gallery offers 1200 square feet of exhibit space for shows by regional, national and student artists. Students are given 24-hour access to studio facilities and a broad range of exhibition opportunities.

Art majors can focus their studies in one or more areas of emphasis:

• Painting
• Photography
• Digital Art
  

Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from Bellarmine with a degree in Art will demonstrate:

• an understanding of the fundamental principles of visual design;
• proficient craftsmanship and technical skill;
• creative, original and expressive use of materials and design concepts;
• knowledge of art history; and
• the ability to articulate artistic intent and individual theoretical concerns.

The Bellarmine Art program offers an intensive examination of the fundamental principles of art and design, with wide exposure to various techniques and media, in an environment that encourages creative expression and experimentation. Students are provided the tools and knowledge to mature as artists in a creative, supportive atmosphere. Bellarmine’s faculty are professional artists as well as educators. Small classes allow for a generous amount of individual instruction, and each student’s needs and inclinations are considered in forming a program of study.

Careers in Art

• Employment Options for Art Majors
• Career Development Center

Faculty

Sarah Martin, MFA, Chair (website) (email)
Cristina Carbone, MFA (email)
Fong Choo, MFA (email)
Caren Cunningham, MFA (email)
Laura Hartford, MFA (website) (email)
Robert Lockhart, MFA, Professor Emeritus (website)

Read our faculty biographies.

Study Abroad

Art department faculty regularly offer courses in the UK and other international destinations. Students across campus can spend a month in London studying the origins of photography or partake in trips to Italy, Peru or other nations.

Bellarmine offers a wide variety of study abroad options around the globe. Learn what opportunities are available to you below.

• Programs and Next Steps
• Programs with BU Faculty
• Scholarships
• Read about BU Students' Adventures Abroad
• Blogs and Videos
• Talk to your Faculty Liaison about Study Abroad

Accreditation

Bellarmine University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.

Contact Information

Art Department
Bellarmine University
2001 Newburg Road
Louisville, KY 40205
502.272.7384

Additional Resources