Studio Art

Study art. And everything else you want to learn.

Artful shot of jars of brushes on a table next to a student working on a large-scale painting.

Our students develop their artistic practices while pursuing diverse academic interests in science + medicine, design, and the humanities. They graduate uniquely equipped to become professional artists and find prosperous careers in virtually every field.

STUDIO ART AREAS

Studio art comprises diverse disciplines and practices. By their very nature, these courses will inspire and challenge you to think, act, and be in the world differently.

Painting

Photography

Printmaking

Sculpture

Time-Based + Media Art

Discover the perfect path for you.

Every first-year student is mentored by a dedicated academic advisor who guides them in shaping the educational path they desire. This includes course selection and scheduling. Whether you want a studio-intensive or a broader liberal arts-focus, we will help you find the right choice for you.

BFA in Studio Art

More studio-intensive experience
65 credits of studio courses (about ½ of your total coursework)
Optional concentrations in Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, or Time-Based + Media Art
Capstone experience + annual thesis exhibition

*Students may also earn the BFA as part of a dual-degree program.

BA in Art

Broader liberal arts focus
30-36 credits of studio courses (about ¼ of your total coursework)
No capstone requirement

*Students may also earn the BA as part of a dual-degree program.

Second Major in Art

Integrated mix of disciplines, including printmaking, photography, sculpture, painting, and time-based + new media
Designed for WashU undergraduates pursuing a primary degree in another discipline
Develops essential skills like visual thinking + creativity

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Minors

Creative Practice for Social Change
Design
Human-Computer Interaction
Studio Art

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In the senior capstone course, BFA in Studio Art students commit to an artistic position evidenced through studio production, presentation, and writing. You’ll deliver a public presentation about your work and participate in the BFA in Studio Art Thesis Exhibition at the Des Lee Gallery in downtown St. Louis.

See Skin, the 2021 BFA in Studio Art Thesis Exhibition

BFA + BA Curriculum

STUDIO ART FACULTY

Artwork installation by Tom Reed featuring several wooden sculptures, several with flags, on a wooden bench in front of a large rectangular black artwork with dots on the wall.

Tim Portlock (Chair) Jamie Adams / Heather Bennett / Lisa Bulawsky / Juan William Chávez / Carmon Colangelo / Jennifer Colten / Sage Dawson / John Early / Amy Hauft / Meghan Kirkwood / Andrea Moon / Arny Nadler / Patricia Olynyk / Tom Reed / Jack Risley / Lindsey Stouffer / Denise Ward-Brown / Cheryl Wassenaar / Monika Weiss

*Image: Tom Reed. Bruno David Gallery, 2020.

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Student + Alumni Spotlights

Alumni spotlight

Kimia Ferdowsi Kline, BFA in Studio Art ’08

Kimia Ferdowsi Kline discusses her current practice and the way Family Systems Theory influences her work in this Q&A.

Alumni spotlight

Yu Araki, BFA in Studio Art ’07

Yu Araki discusses what he loves most about his video installation practice, reflects on his time at Washu, and more!

Alumni spotlight

Jack Radley, BFA in Studio Art ’19

Jack Radley, a writer, curator, and artist based in Brooklyn, discusses his work with Creative Time as well as some outside projects.

Alumni spotlight

Emmy Thelander, BFA in Studio Art ’10

Interdisciplinary artist and educator Emmy Thelander talks about her current work, what she loves most about St. Louis, and more!

Alumni spotlight

Michael Joo, BFA in Studio Art ’89

In his work, artist Michael Joo combines and contrasts materials from nature and culture to question form and material, further asking fundamental questions about identity and the human condition.

Mixed media painting featuring a vibrant, rounded pink and orange X-like figure in the center, with ovular shapes—some appearing to be heads, around the perimeter in black, olive green, yellow, and brown. Composed of ink, acrylic, freshwater pearls, lava beads, fire glass, glitter, abalone, thread, and glass beads on papyrus.

Installation view featuring a video on a wide, high screen showing two figures in the dark. Installation is set in a sleek-looking, dimly lit bar; a car is parked under the video screen next to a couple of round tables with drinks.

Photo of an artwork installation, oriented on its side. The photo shows a huge pile of handbags of various colors and sizes on a yellow blanket next to a busy street.

A square artwork made from marker, crayon, colored pencil, and acrylic, with shades of muted orange with bolder red, blue, and yellow shapes over it. A thin black border surrounds all edges of the work, with white script text on each side.

Relief sculptural bust that is yellowish white, surrounded by a circular, interconnect seriees of silver wires and lights giving a slightly bluish hue. The background of the work is black.

Kimia Ferdowsi Kline discusses her current practice and the way Family Systems Theory influences her work in this Q&A.

Yu Araki discusses what he loves most about his video installation practice, reflects on his time at Washu, and more!

Jack Radley, a writer, curator, and artist based in Brooklyn, discusses his work with Creative Time as well as some outside projects.

Interdisciplinary artist and educator Emmy Thelander talks about her current work, what she loves most about St. Louis, and more!

In his work, artist Michael Joo combines and contrasts materials from nature and culture to question form and material, further asking fundamental questions about identity and the human condition.