Fine Arts

In the Studio and in the Community

The Fine Arts Program at USF is dedicated to providing students with both traditional and modern skills as they address established and contemporary concepts in a studio setting under the guidance and mentorship of professional artists. Our intimate class settings balance group interaction and one-on-one instruction with exposure to galleries, museums, and events in the Bay Area. The curriculum is designed to challenge young artists’ imagination and creativity while providing them with the techniques and tools they will need to realize their career goals.

The focus is an integration of the progressive and “back to basics”: use of environmentally safe, responsible practices and materials, and the acquisition of auxiliary practical skills such as grant writing and collaboration-- with other students as well as with community-based organizations.

Course offerings include in-depth study in diverse painting and drawing media, sculpture in wood, ceramics, fiber and mixed media, indoor and outdoor installation, a variety of printmaking techniques, mural, stained glass, and a senior portfolio class. The forward thinking full year sequence, Arts Outreach: The Artist as Citizen exposes students to new paradigms for the artist through community-based work. Fine Arts coursework is augmented by visiting artists, field trips, and interdisciplinary study within the university.

The Fine Arts Curriculum Includes:

• Studio Systems (introduction to materials and practices of studio art)
• Drawing
• Painting various genres
• Sculpture
• Printmaking
• Stained Glass
• Installation/Public Art
• Art History in a variety of contexts (Women in Art, Asian Art, African Art, and others)
• many one-time offerings on special topics