Department of Visual Arts

The Department of Visual Arts of Wagner College provides much more than a traditional art or film school: the chance to study film and the visual arts while obtaining a liberal arts education.

 

Comprised of experienced practicing artists, designers, filmmakers, and art historians with a strong commitment to teaching, it has a full curriculum of courses in all disciplines. At Wagner, students develop their visual and analytical talents while gaining the breadth of knowledge, intellectual curiosity and writing skills that only a liberal arts education can provide.

The Art and Design program includes study in Drawing, Painting, Graphic Design, Printmaking, Sculpture, Photography and Ceramics. Students develop and hone observational, practical, and analytical skills, while also developing their own artistic voices both in and outside of the classroom. Experiential study provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their work and to be independently motivated and engaged in the field.

The Art History program introduces students to global and local visual traditions. Introductory courses and advanced seminars are offered in a vast array of sub-disciplines including Modern and Contemporary Art, Medieval Art and Architecture, 19th Century Urbanism, Islamic Art and Architecture, Egyptian and Near Eastern Cultures, and Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations. Courses in the studio arts and languages help to provide students with needed skills and experience. Students study works first hand and conduct independent research through required internships at New York’s premier museums, galleries and art collections.

The Film and Media program introduces students to artistic and analytic approaches to cinema and new media, while exposing them to related industries in New York City and further afield. Courses provide students with the opportunity to make their own films, to analyze films from aesthetic, political, social and historical perspectives, and to apply their media skills in a variety of contexts, including industry (production, post-production and programming) civic engagement and community work.

The department offers the following degrees:

  • Art and Design Major
  • Art History Major
  • Film and Media Major
  • Art and Design Minor
  • Art History Minor
  • Film and Media Minor
  • Dual Major in Art and Childhood Education
Image of Andy Warhol at Wagner College

Do you recognize this person, wearing a Wagner College sweatshirt? It’s artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol!