Art Major - Art and Visual Culture

As an art and visual culture major at Grace, you’ll be prepared with an expansive understanding of the arts, from aesthetics and design to art history. You’ll be equipped to work in a variety of artistic pursuits, understanding which elements take art from well-executed to transformative.

All our acts of creation find their roots in our ultimate Creator, and so our program seeks to engage with art that achieves the kind of goodness God declared in His own Creation. As an art and visual culture major, you’ll gain the tools and language to explore how artwork can honor God, help us process our faith, and portray the human condition as He designed and sin distorted. 

Then, we’ll hand you the paintbrush (or the medium of your choosing!).

Your education will begin with fundamental courses in art and design, fine arts, and art history. These will build your artistic foundation, versing you in elements such as color theory, composition, and proficiency with several kinds of media. You’ll then specialize with courses in topics that interest you, whether that’s ceramics, typography, or photography.

As an art major, you’ll enjoy project-based studio classes, in which you will practice designing and planning a piece, developing your work, and giving and receiving constructive feedback. You’ll conclude the program with a senior thesis portfolio project, where you’ll compile and present your work at a public exhibition.

At Grace, we believe that practice and feedback cultivate artistic excellence, which is why all students are required to complete an internship. You’ll benefit from our strong connections with local creative firms and art and design studios.

You’ll graduate with a robust artistic understanding and competency, which means your career possibilities are as varied as the craft itself! Art and visual culture graduates at Grace have gone on to work in museums and community art promotion and education. Some have launched their very own art and design businesses!