So, You’re Interested in Art

For incoming freshmen interested in pursuing an art major and students thinking of switching your major, here is everything you need to know.

I’ll start with basic information you can find on Cumberlands’ website. Students interested in art have two options: majoring and minoring. Majoring is when you earn your bachelor’s in the subject, while minoring is more of an “add-on.” A minor consists of fewer classes than a major, so it’s a great option if you aren’t sure what you want to major in or if you just want to take a few art classes while you’re at UC! 

Art courses are on-campus and super hands-on. Most of the time, you will be taking studio classes because the process of creating art must be done so that others can see your work in person to give you feedback as you go. The studio classes are almost 3 hours long. Yes, I just said three…hours…long. I know, it sounds like forever. But, if you think about it, you need time to make good progress in your work, and honestly, with that much time, you might even be able to finish your assignment before the end of class (homework, who?). To sweeten the deal, these classes also usually only meet for two days out of the week, so it’s not an everyday thing. 

As mentioned, a lot of the courses are hands-on studio classes, but there is something about being an art major/student that most people do not expect: lectures! Yes, that’s right, art students have to sit through lectures too. Fortunately, the lectures aren’t as long as the studio classes. Like most lecture-based classes, they last around an hour or so. They are incredibly valuable because the professors are experts at what they do, and many are (or have been) part of highly respected art communities and associations, such as the National Art Education Association. Now, as for what goes on in these lectures, they are quite different from the hands-on experience you get in the studio. Most professors will utilize this time to go over slideshows that discuss an art piece as well as some of the history and events that were going on around the time it was created. Though lectures aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, they can be a nice break from the hands-on work you do in studio! 

In these studio and lecture courses, you will learn all about drawing, design (like graphic design), painting, sculpting, computer imagining (like making 3-D art), and film photography (which gives you the chance to develop your own film pictures)! Every class is a great opportunity because students will be given multiple chances to showcase their work.  The studio classes are my favorite because that’s where you have all the fun of being an artist! Truthfully, there are some assignments where the instructor will choose a project for you, but there are others where you choose your project based on the art media you’re currently working on in class. Getting to choose for myself what to draw, sculpt, paint, etc., is my favorite part of being an art student!  

I hope this has helped you future (or even current) Cumberlands students figure out if an art major is your thing. Art is so fun, and it’s a great chance to let that artistic creativity flow, all while you’re taking a class!