Overview

The UMN Morris studio art program will give you a solid foundation in drawing, design, and art history with the opportunity to develop your technical and critical thinking skills as you explore a wide range of mediums and programs.

Whether you’re hoping to maximize your own creative potential as a studio artist, prepare for graduate school, or teach, there are advantages of studying studio art at UMN Morris:

  • You become part of a close-knit community of studio art students and professors, where your creativity can flourish and is supported.
  • Your professors are not just teachers but working artists, active in their distinctive fields.
  • You'll attend classes and work in spacious studios in an award- winning building.
  • Classes are small and intense; professors truly get to know you and you get to know your professors.
  • Our perception of art is worldly. We continue to engage contemporary art trends and philosophy on a regional, national, and international stage.
  • We believe art is key to a sustainable liberal arts education, as it teaches you to see beauty, make sense of the world, and express yourself. 
  • Inspiration and creativity are drawn from the diversity of ideas within our small campus community.

Primary Mediums 

As a studio art student at UMN Morris, you’ll be able to explore the following primary mediums and choose which one(s) you’d like to focus on.

Painting

The painting discipline focuses on a series of exercises that will help you develop an articulation of brushwork, composition, and color integration of drawing and design skills with painting studio practices.

Learn more about painting at UMN Morris.

Drawing

A concentration in drawing will give you a focused course of study in the two dimensional discipline of drawing. You’ll study basic color theory, materials, and techniques. You’ll also learn traditional drawing methods through a course that explores the representation of the human form.

Learn more about drawing at UMN Morris.

Ceramics

The ceramics discipline offers rigorous instruction in both low-fire and high-fire ceramic techniques. Coursework stresses proficiency in all basic hand-building and throwing techniques, along with a working knowledge of clay types and clay bodies, glaze chemistry, and kiln design and firing theory.

Learn more about ceramics at UMN Morris.

Sculpture

With a focus in sculpture, you learn about working with wood, metal, plaster, clay, and mixed media—and the equipment that goes with it. You are encouraged to pursue cross-disciplinary work with other media such as ceramics, book arts, and painting.

Learn more about sculpture at UMN Morris.

Photography

A photography focus allows you to experiment with traditional approaches and explore alternative methods in the production of images. You’ll have the chance to assist with photography-related projects on campus.

Learn more about photography at UMN Morris.

Printmaking

The print curriculum teaches a broad variety of techniques for creating reproducible imagery using printing equipment, like etching presses, a lithography press, screen printing, printing inks, and drying racks.

Learn more about printmaking at UMN Morris.

Elective media studies include: 

  • Fabrics
  • Bookmaking
  • Digital processing

You’ll be able to explore these choices during your first year, when you take the required courses that introduce you to the different mediums.

 

Degree Requirements

Graduate in Four Years

Student Learning Outcomes

By completing a degree in studio art you will be able to

  • demonstrate a variety of technical skills with an understanding of the materials, processes, safe use of tools, and environmental stewardship;
  • integrate formal, technical, and conceptual intentions within two-dimensional and three-dimensional art practice;
  • critique and analyze your own artwork and the art of others; and
  • demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the major historical traditions and contemporary developments of art, including historical, social, and cultural contexts.

General Education Requirements

The University of Minnesota and its faculty are committed to providing an education that invites you to investigate the world from new perspectives, learn new ways of thinking, and grow as an active citizen and lifelong learner. The University’s general education requirements are designed to be integrated throughout your four-year undergraduate experience. These courses provide you an opportunity to explore fields outside your major and complement your major curriculum with a multidisciplinary perspective.

Careers & Graduate School

Careers

Students who majored in studio art at UMN Morris have gone on to become:

  • Architects
  • Animation artists
  • Book binders
  • Faux finishers
  • Graphic artists
  • Video game designers
  • Interior designers
  • Framers
  • Potters
  • Gallery directors
  • Production coordinators

Graduate School

Many UMN Morris studio art graduates have gone on to graduate school or entered a professional program to further their studies in:

  • Architecture
  • Art therapy
  • Arts management
  • Commercial art
  • Drawing
  • Education
  • Fine arts
  • Graphic arts
  • Illustration
  • Information media
  • Interior design
  • Lithography
  • Marketing
  • Media 
  • Painting
  • Photography
  • Printmaking
  • Product management
  • Public art
  • Sculpture

Recent studio art graduates have attended the following graduate or professional schools.

  • Bowling Green State University
  • Central Washington University
  • College of St. Catherine
  • Colorado Institute of Art
  • Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
  • Hamline U
  • MacPhail School of Music
  • Minneapolis College of Art and Design
  • Montana State University
  • North Dakota State University
  • Northern Illinois University
  • Ohio University
  • Penn State University
  • San Diego State University
  • University of Arizona
  • University of California
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Colorado
  • University of Illinois
  • University of Iowa
  • University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • University of Ohio
  • University of Santa Cruz
  • University of St. Thomas
  • University of Wisconsin
  • U.S. International University
  • Western Michigan University

Scholarships

Scholarships are a type of financial aid awarded to you and are often based on specific criteria, such as your major, GPA, or financial need.

Explore available scholarships

Research & Engagement

As a studio art major or minor at UMN Morris, you will have the opportunity to study independently with faculty, engage in undergraduate research, study abroad, and participate in gallery shows.

Research

Undergraduate Research SymposiumResearch & Creative Opportunities

Independent study and research are encouraged in the studio art program. You may be able to explore nontraditional mediums not held at UMN Morris or dive further into traditional mediums with your own personalized projects. 

Opportunities

At UMN Morris, you have the opportunity to participate in gallery shows and get first-hand experience in gallery installation and take-down. The Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery hosts two spring shows that students may participate in: the Spring Juried Student Show and the Senior Thesis Show. There are also two pop-up shows for first-year students. 

Engagement

Participating in student art shows and viewing the visiting shows at the Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery are great ways to engage with art on campus. Another way is to join the student-led Art Club. Art Club helps fund student art projects; applications and distributions occur each semester. Along with project grants, the club also holds an annual art sale where you can sell your art.

Opportunities for Students

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) offers students an opportunity to present research plus scholarly and creative work. Types of presentations include posters, oral presentations, and short or abbreviated theatrical, dance, or musical performances.

  • Creative Activity
  • Research

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides University of Minnesota undergraduates from every college, major, and discipline, the opportunity to partner with a faculty member on research or creative projects.

  • Creative Activity
  • Research

Morris Academic Partnership

The University of Minnesota Morris offers the Morris Academic Partnership (MAP) program, in which faculty select academically talented, qualified second-year and third-year students to assist them in scholarly and creative projects. Selected MAP students undertake assignments intended to enhance their intellectual competence and increase their interest in graduate or professional study.

  • Creative Activity
  • Morris Academic Partnership (MAP)
  • Research
  • Student Employment

The Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery is centrally located on the main floor of the Humanities Fine Arts Building. The facility is ranked among the best of galleries on small liberal arts campuses in the United States. Programming is year-round, offering the campus and surrounding community exhibits throughout the year from students and local, regional, national, and international artists.

Learn More about the Edward J. & Helen Jane Morrison Gallery

Quick Facts

Program Offerings
  • Major
  • Minor

Faculty