About Our BFA Program

School of Fine Art

About Our BFA Program

Student Galleries: Fine Art and Sculpture

The Academy of Art University has a strong commitment to the fine arts, offering the most prestigious faculty and most impressive resources of any fine arts program in the nation. Our expansive fine arts curriculum gives students the opportunity to specialize in their areas of choice and to explore their interests in other mediums. The School of Fine Arts offers non-figurative and figurative painting, drawing, printmaking, jewelry design, and several other curriculum options. There is also a separate sculpture center, with its own developed curriculum and designated faculty, which is one of the best sculpture facilities in the nation (click here to read more about the sculpture center).

It is the objective of the School of Fine Art to provide students with the creative and technical skills needed to thrive in today’s art world. Students will leave with professional level portfolios of well-crafted artwork that provides them with a solid foundation for careers aligned with Fine Arts. Courses are taught by a faculty of established artists and consist of lectures, rigorous studio work, critiques, field trips and guest artists.

The Academy has four galleries that total more than 4000 sq. feet. All of these galleries are equipped with professional track lighting to illuminate work for the public. Other facilities include printmaking presses, silkscreen and book arts equipment. We have several large painting classrooms with professional lighting and easels. Our prop room contains hundreds of interesting items and fabrics for still life compositions. Each room has model stands to elevate and view different poses for students. Six days a week we offer workshops for students to practice their painting skills. We also utilize the entire Bay Area for our landscape, watercolor and figure drawing classes.

Potential Careers: Gallery Painter/Printmaker/Sculptor, Art Consultant, Art Administrator, Commission Painter, Portrait Artist, Sculptor, Muralist, Gallery Owner, Museum Curator, Art Critic, Art Educator, and Prototype Designer. Film Industry – Art Director, Visual Effects Artist, and Background Painter.

BFA Program Learning Outcomes

School of Fine Arts

Graduates of the School of Fine Arts will meet the following student performance criteria:

1. Portfolio

   • Produce a professional-standard portfolio of well-crafted artwork demonstrating coherence and personal vision.

2. Conceptual Development and Critical Analysis

   • Explore and articulate concepts and creative possibilities within a given topic or subject.
   • Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of concept and execution of a given artwork.

3. Visual Communication

   • Demonstrate mastery of foundation and media-specific skills.
   • Demonstrate attention to the aesthetic details and finished quality of their work.

4. Written and Oral Communication

   • Speak and write knowledgeably about their work and profession.
   • Write an artist statement and create a resume.

5. Professional Responsibility and Business Skills

   • Manage workload and meet deadlines.
   • Display their artwork professionally.

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

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