Major
Minor

Art

The art major at Earlham College is unique because it emphasizes both contemporary craft media, such as ceramics, metalsmithing and fiber art, and more traditional media, such as drawing, painting and photography, along with art history.

Earlham’s Center for the Visual and Performing Arts opened in 2014. This $22 million LEED-certified facility offers separate studio spaces for digital and analog photography, metals, ceramics, painting and drawing, fiber arts, and digital fabrication, each wired for multi-media presentation; plus an art history classroom.

Program Details

Artists with a historical context and a social mindset

Earlham’s art program provides you with a solid foundation in technique while also providing larger social and cultural contexts for your art. Through the program, you are able to shape your path by choosing art history, ceramics, fibers, metals, painting and drawing, or photography as a primary concentration. The major culminates in a senior capstone experience, a project planned in consultation with faculty that includes an exhibition at an on-campus gallery, the presentation of a research paper, the curation of an exhibition or the completion of a community arts project.

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Art, you must complete a total of 40-44 credits as follows, in addition to general education requirements.

Requirements for the art major with a concentration in Studio Art:

Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
1 - 3
Sub-Total Credit Hours
8

Two studio courses, one each in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional medium. One of these can be in the area of focus.

  • Two-dimensional medium courses include: Drawing, Painting, Photography, and Fibers
  • Three-dimensional medium courses include: Ceramics, Metals, and Fibers
Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
4
4
Sub-Total Credit Hours
4-8

Three Art History courses:

Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
4
4
4
Sub-Total Credit Hours
12

At least four courses (16 credits) in one area of focus

Sub-Total Credit Hours
16

Requirements for the art major with a concentration in Art History:

Three Studio Art courses 

Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
4
4
Sub-Total Credit Hours
12

Art History courses, which must include:

Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
4
4
8
Sub-Total Credit Hours
24

Capstone and Internship

Course Code
Title
Credit Hours
1 - 3
Sub-Total Credit Hours
5-7
To earn a minor in art, you must complete six courses (totaling at least 24 credits), which must include at least one course in Studio Art and at least one course in Art History.

Studio Art Course:

Art History Course:

Course 3:

Course 4:

Course 5:

Course 6:

Sub-Total Credit Hours
24

Top ranked

Earlham’s metals program was recognized by Halstead Bead as one of the best bachelor degree programs in the country for jewelry/metals and studio art.

Outcomes

  • 95% of art graduates from 2017-2019 were working or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
  • 92% of work seekers who majored in the visual and performing arts between 2018-2022 were employed, pursuing graduate school or volunteering within six months of graduation.
  • Recent graduates have found jobs and fellowships at the Penland School of Crafts, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, galleries and libraries, or are entrepreneurs and business owners.

Related Programs

There are a number of art-related programs at Earlham for interested students. Art majors and non-majors alike may consider:

Related applied minors

Related major/minor