Studio Art Major in Virginia
Hollins is proud to offer an inspiring and immersive studio art program. You’ll study and make art in the Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center, which offers space for drawing and painting, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics, and photography. All senior studio art majors have their own studio on the top floor. You’ll learn in small classes from visionary professors and in workshops conducted by accomplished artists-in-residence.
Studio art majors show their work in the annual senior exhibition in the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, also housed within the Wetherill Visual Arts Center.
Studio Art Degree Paths
Studio Art Major
The major is designed for students who wish to practice art or enter art-related fields. You will master skills in a variety of media, participate in critique, and explore art history, culminating in a year-long senior project and a curated exhibition in the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum.
Studio Art Minor
Perfect for students looking to complement their primary field of study with creative expertise. The minor provides a concentrated foundation in studio practice and visual literacy in about half the time of the major.
What to Expect in Studio Art
You’ll follow a sequence that begins with introductory courses and culminates in the completion of a year-long senior project, pieces of which are shown in the senior exhibition each spring.
- ART 100 Drawing
- ART 351 Artist in Residence Seminar
- Art History course with contemporary focus
- Art History course of your choice
- plus 7 Studio Art electives
- ART 470 Independent Senior Research
- ART 480 Senior Projects
Studio Art Media Areas
At Hollins, incoming studio art majors can take classes right away in our six media areas: drawing, printmaking, ceramics, painting, photography and sculpture. Level 200 courses count towards your studio art electives and can define focus in future semesters.
Drawing
ART 100: Drawing 1 – Drawing informs all the visual disciplines. Students will complete studio exercises in varied representational modes and media and so will learn how drawing is about seeing, feeling, and thinking through mark making.
Printmaking
ART 222: Screenprinting – Screenprinting is a popular and direct method of printmaking. This course will introduce students to concepts and techniques of screenprinting including manual and photomechanical stencil-making through lectures, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and discussions.
Ceramics
ART 216: Wheel Throwing – This beginning level ceramics class explores the techniques of making pots on the wheel. Students learn the sequences necessary to raise a simple lump of clay into a pot and begin to understand the processes of glazing and firing those pots.
Painting
ART 236: Theories in Color – In this studio course, students will investigate multiple theories of color and place them in historical context, explore the history and social significance of specific pigments, and paint expressive and analytical color experiments.
Photography
ART 203: Intro to Film Photography – This hands-on course will include an overview of manual camera controls, film processing techniques, and printing in a traditional darkroom. Composition and creative expression will be discussed in supportive critique sessions, and students will study contemporary artists working with film methods.
Sculpture
ART 213: Sculpture – This class introduces students to a range of sculptural forms, materials, concepts, and techniques (modeling, carving, and assembling) in the context of traditional and contemporary practice.
A Creative Community
Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center (VAC)
Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center (VAC) houses the art, film, photography, and art history departments. It includes spacious areas for sculpture and ceramics. Our artist-in-residence program brings to campus a nationally recognized artist each year to teach and work. Our on-campus gallery, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, features the work of renowned, emerging, and regional artists, and presents a senior studio art major exhibition each spring.
The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum
The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum houses a diverse collection of artwork by well-known artists working in a variety of media. Paintings, photographs, and works on paper acquired by generations of Hollins University art professors and alumnae form the basis of our collection. Now, the museum actively collects work by internationally recognized artists working today.
Frances Niederer
Artist-in-Residence
Each year, our artist-in-residence program brings to campus a nationally recognized artist who produces work and teaches a special seminar. The program honors Frances Niederer, a beloved art historian who taught for many years at Hollins.
Pictured: Ying Li, Artist-in-Residence for Spring 2024
Arts Organizations at Hollins
Arts Association – a weekly gathering of painters, writers, photographers, actors, printmakers, and the like, interested in sharing their work and contributing to the Hollins art scene.
Near East Fine Arts (NEFA) houses students who have an interest in the arts.
Meet our Faculty
Reach out to any of the studio art professors to learn more about the program. Schedule a time to meet or request more information about Hollins and our film program below.
Arts Management Degree in Virginia
This certificate in arts management connects your major in one of the arts with career interests in various fields of arts management. You’ll take courses in business and communication studies, complete two internships in an area of arts management, and create a final project. You can meet the certificate in arts management requirements through prudent choices in your general education courses and electives without adding to your total credit hours. Contact us today to begin the process of earning your certificate in arts management.