The Department of Art and Art History is a cornerstone of the liberal arts experience at Wooster. Here, studio art and art history students develop a focused understanding of the visual arts, past and present. They graduate with the ability to think imaginatively, analytically, and critically about both the art they create and the visual traditions that inform our world.
Students in the Studio Art program take foundational courses in art history, drawing and then choose from electives and upper-level courses in the visual arts to fulfill the required 11 courses related to the major. All students at The College of Wooster are required to complete an independent study thesis with a faculty mentor.
Studio Art students get individual attention from instructors who teach no more than 20 students in a course. Beyond the 11 courses a Studio Art major takes to complete a degree, upper-level students are also provided with studio space and can choose an emphasis in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture or ceramics. The Department of Art and Art History encourages students to participate off-campus learning experiences abroad or through programs like the New York Arts Program. Graduates of the program often continue to graduate school or start careers in the visual arts. Students with an interest in studying architecture in graduate school have the option to participate in the College’s Pre-Architecture Program.
Departmental WebsiteSenior I.S. Studio Art Portfolios
Associate Professor of Art and Art History, Middle Eastern & North African Studies
Assistant Professor of Art and Art History (On Leave Spring 2025)
Department Chair; Eugene and Charlene Derge Sussel Endowed Professorship in Art and Art History
Administrative Coordinator - Art and Art History, Global Media and Digital Studies, Museum Studies, and CWAM
A recent collaboration between two classes at The College of Wooster provided students a unique opportunity to learn with—and from—one another. In November, students […]
Pyae Thein ’19 is a Master of Architecture student at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, where he has drawn […]
Carolyn Klein ’24, Environmental Studies Emma Staggs ’24, Studio Art (Economics minor) Advisors: Moses Luri, Matt Mariola The team worked with a local landowner […]
Amber Kempthorn, adjunct faculty member of the Department of Art & Art History at The College of Wooster, will premier her four-part animation Ordinary […]
Studio Art majors normally choose upper-level courses that lead to an emphasis in one of the following areas: drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and photography. These classes will be organized by collective experiences – slide lectures, field trips to galleries and museums, group critiques – and for personal, creative work and individualized suggestions and criticism offered by the instructor.
To complete a Studio Art major, students follow a course of study that consist of 11 courses:
Six courses are required to fulfill the Studio Art minor requirements:
Senior Independent Study is the culmination of the efforts you’ve made during your college experience to think critically, work independently, and to express yourself effectively.
The Independent Study in Art Studio is a creative, individualized program that integrates techniques, artistic concepts, and critiques as a preparatory experience for the senior project. Each student engages in the creation of a body of artwork and independent research which concludes as a one-person exhibition, a written thesis, and an oral examination. The week-long, independent exhibitions are held in the MacKenzie Gallery, Ebert Hall. Work is then selected for a group exhibition in The College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM).
Senior I.S. Studio Art PortfoliosWatch as students explore new worlds using virtual reality in the Ebert Art Center. This student-produced video by Dash Luo ‘22 shows how the audience experienced Thanh Nguyen’s ’19 senior independent research project, Untitled: Dissecting how consumerism’s recycling exploits Southeast Asian environment in a Virtual Art experience.
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Studio Art graduates have the ability to think imaginatively, analytically, and critically about both the art they create and the visual traditions that inform our world. Alumni from The College of Wooster can be found in studios and at museums around the country.
Visual Resources provides diverse technological support for Studio Art and Art History faculty and students. The department is overseen by a visual resources and technology specialist who assists with: