Student painting

Prepare for a career in the arts by becoming an Art major.

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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
Kayla Bischoff

“Bellarmine is a close-knit community, and this is especially true of the art department. The supportive environment created by the faculty and staff really played a role in building my confidence as an artist. I am thankful for the encouraging faculty members that emboldened me to pursue a career in the visual arts. In addition to my career as an exhibiting artist, the well-rounded liberal arts education and internship opportunities provided by Bellarmine University helped foster the transferable skills necessary for me to serve my local arts community as an administrator. Since graduating, I've served as Gallery Manager of Kaviar Forge & Gallery, Director of Communications for LOOK: Louisville Visual Art Inc., and most recently the Resource Development Director of Louisville Visual Art.”

Kayla Bischoff, 2014
Visual Artist & Art Administrator

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.

Career Opportunities

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.

Accreditation

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

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