Art Department
Our Mission
The Department of Art views educational achievement as both an individual and collective responsibility. Offering a variety of undergraduate programs in art, the department directs the educational progress of students toward quality research, creative practice, and public service. Art uniquely transforms those who create and those who respond. The department uses the transformative value of art to connect members of the community, enhancing and enriching lives, and making us more conscious of ourselves and others in the world. In order to achieve this mission, the department has set the following goals:
- To challenge students with an intensive curriculum characterized by individualized instruction.
- To reward faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative endeavors, and community service.
- To maintain facilities and resources that foster opportunities to experience the creation, exhibition, and study of the visual arts.
- To provide opportunities for community involvement and broaden public awareness of the visual arts.
Message from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Art!
The Department of Art challenges students with an intensive curriculum, guiding them toward creative practice, quality research, and public service. The department serves over 190 art majors pursuing the BFA degree with emphases in ceramics, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture and the BA degree with emphases in art education, art history, and fine arts. Our faculty members are committed to students and are productive in their fields, exhibiting artwork in galleries and competitive shows across the country, publishing in academic journals, and presenting at regional, national, and international conferences. Our students are active in making and studying artwork, teaching in the community, and participating in student organizations and public service activities. Every semester the Baum Gallery in McCastlain Hall displays the work of nationally and internationally known artists as well as the BA/BFA Senior Exhibit. The Black Box Gallery in the Schichtl Studio Arts Building hosts a number of student exhibitions rotating every few weeks. These exhibits broaden awareness of the visual arts on campus and provide opportunities for the people in the central Arkansas area and the state to view and experience the arts.
What’s Happening
At the Baum Gallery
Opening on August 28th, Cultural Ties: Sonya Clark, Joyce J. Scott, and Helen Zughaib. This exhibition features the works of of three artists who confront racial and cultural stereotypes in a wide array of techniques. For more information, see Baum Exhibitions.
(above) Helen Zughaib, Syrian Migration #22, Gouache on paper
Artist Talk: Helen Zughaib
Renowned artist and painter Helen Zughaib will hold a public lecture on September 10th from 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Art Lecture Room in McCastlain Hall. Zughaib will be on campus as an Artist in Residence and is part of the Cultural Ties exhibition currently in the Baum Gallery. Conflict and Beauty will be the topic of the lecture, which is free and open to the public.
Accreditation
The University of Central Arkansas is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Their offices are located at 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, Virginia 20190. Telephone: (703) 437-0700.
Find Us on Social Media
Find Us on Campus
The Art Department can be found in the McAlister, McCastlain and Schichtl buildings. Click here for a Campus Map. Click here for driving directions to McAlister Hall, McCastlain Hall, and Schichtl Hall.
Contact Us
Art Office, McAlister 101, (501) 450-3113
Baum Gallery, McCastlain 145, (501) 450-5793
Black Box Gallery, Schichtl 1A, (501) 450-3113
Visual Resources Library, McAlister 105, (501) 450-3659
Building Emergency Plans
Click on the following links to view the Building Emergency Plans: McAlister McCastlain Schichtl