A female student sits at a work table and uses a sketch pad and colored pencils to draw an image

Visual Art

Program Overview
Courses

Let us guide you in your passion for the visual arts. Learn how to be an artist while learning the business. Or prepare to mold young minds at the primary and secondary levels. Take on a studio practice. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from our experienced faculty. Our teaching professionals will lead you to excel in your specialization. So soak in the Nashville art community and its opportunities. Work in Open, our student-operated gallery. Chances for experiential learning (and networking) abound. We'll connect you to top internships in museums, galleries and studios here. Whether your next step is graduate school, teaching, or working in the arts, you can rest assured that you will be well-prepared.

Program Foundations

Visual art students receive a strong foundation in studio art, color theory, conceptualization and presentation and art history, along with encouragement to create in studio practice.

Our visual art administration students will add business, management and entrepreneurial knowledge to their skill set, along with what they achieve within nine hours of visual art electives. Upon graduation, our visual art administration students will be ready to begin their careers in the art business.

Our visual arts teaching students will combine their artistic foundation with training in core and specialized professional education. When they receive their degrees, they will be well-equipped to teach art at primary and secondary levels.

Concentrations

Capstone Projects

Courses

Visual Arts Teaching

General education required of secondary and K-12 teacher education students

Specialized professional education

AR 3503 - Methods of Teaching Visual Arts

Subject matter specialization

Foundation courses:

AR 1033 - Foundation Studio I
AR 1043 - Foundation Studio II
AR 1053 - Foundation Studio III
AR 1213 - Color Theory
AR 1513 - Conceptualization and Presentation
AR 1723 - New Media Studio

Other required courses:

AR 2253 - Printmaking I
AR 2613 - Painting I
AR 3513 - Art for Children
AR 4933 - Christianity in the Visual Arts
and three additional studio art courses of choice

Art history courses:

AR 4813 - Survey of History of Art I
AR 4823 - Survey of History of Art II
AR 4843 - Art Since 1940

Note:

Visual arts teaching majors have a built-in minor in education and are not required to take another minor.

Visual Arts Administration

18 hours of required foundation courses:

AR 1033 - Foundation Studio I
AR 1043 - Foundation Studio II
AR 1053 - Foundation Studio III
AR 1213 - Color Theory
AR 1513 - Conceptualization and Presentation
AR 1723 - New Media Studio

15 hours of required tier two studio and design courses:

AR 2233 - Sculpture I
AR 2253 - Printmaking I
AR 2313 - Digital Photography I
AR 2613 - Painting I
AR 3713 - Foundations in Graphic Design

18 hours of required art history courses:

AR 2513 - History of Graphic Design
AR 3133 - Art Theory
AR 4813 - Survey of History of Art I
AR 4823 - Survey of History of Art II
AR 4843 - Art Since 1940
AR 4933 - Christianity in the Visual Arts
12 hours of special topics in art history, art administration, interdisciplinary courses, and/or internships

Specific courses required in business (18 hours):

EC 2413 - Principles of Microeconomics (must be taken prior to beginning this minor)
AC 2503 - Financial Accounting
BA 3703 - Business Communication
ENT 2503 - An Introduction to Business
MG 3503 - Leading and Managing People and
MG 4453 - Human Resource Management
MK 3503 - Principles of Marketing

Note:

Visual arts administration majors have a built-in minor in business and are not required to take another minor.

Contact Information

Internship

Become more competitive in the job market with an internship related to your interests. You’ll gain experience and boost your exposure. An internship will also help you learn whether you’ve chosen a career you’ll enjoy.

Job placement

With a top-tier university education on your resume, you’ll be in high demand, whether you choose to launch your career or begin graduate school. Most of our programs have a placement rate of at least 90 percent within six months of graduation.

Expert faculty, small class sizes

Learn from award-winning, experienced faculty who actually care about you. Our small class sizes allow us to get to know you personally. We lead an approachable community within our respective programs. Our faculty connections are the experts on their subject matter, too.

100%

Graduate school acceptance rate

Our Faculty

Cliff Eanes Tierney

Chair, Visual Arts

Cliff Tierney is an artist and currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Art at Lipscomb University where he chairs the Visual Arts Department. Professionally, his work has been...
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Rocky Horton

Interim Director of the School of Art & Design

Rocky Horton received his undergraduate education at Harding University in Searcy, Ark. He received an MFA in studio art from West Virginia University in December of 2003. Since that time...
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Christian art program in the U.S.

Career Paths

Craft and Fine Artists

Craft and fine artists use a variety of materials and techniques to create art for sale and exhibition. Craft artists create handmade objects, such as pottery, glassware, textiles, and other objects that are designed to be functional. Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, create original works of art for their aesthetic value, rather than for a functional one.

Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers

Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. Curators oversee collections of artwork and historic items, and may conduct public service activities for an institution. Museum technicians and conservators prepare and restore objects and documents in museum collections and exhibits.

Art Directors

Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They create the overall design of a project and direct others who develop artwork and layouts.