Art + Design

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admissions@colby-sawyer.edu
603.526.3700

Program Information

Scott Horsley
Associate Professor
School of Arts & Sciences
603.526.3459
scott.horsley@colby-sawyer.edu

Art + Design

Cultivate your creative passion, technical expertise and desire to move people.

MAKE THINGS. make art. Design a successful future.

Select Colby-Sawyer's Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in art + design for a deep working knowledge of the fine arts and graphic design with the opportunity to explore a variety of media and career possibilities. Build your creative and critical thinking skills along with your studio and technical skills. Visually communicate ideas that inspire, inform and captivate by learning how to conceptualize, research, iterate, refine, critique, collaborate and ask questions.

“I consider myself very lucky to have experienced Colby-Sawyer. The faculty and staff helped me to be a more well-rounded, confident person and provided me with the tools to excel.”

Farah Doyle ’05 – Senior Creative Services Manager, Dartmouth College

Where Talent Meets Preparation

Studying the arts at Colby-Sawyer is a multidimensional experience that blends your creative talent with professional preparation and opportunities to learn alongside talented faculty, practicing artists and designers.

Trips to major galleries and museums, as well as private and professional art studios, bring you up close to major works of art and the creative process. Major on-campus art exhibitions bring renowned, emerging and cutting-edge national and international artists right to your doorstep.

Visits to design studios, production sites and museums get you up close to the design process. Collaborations with campus and community partners as project clients provide you with hands-on, real-world design experience in guided and supportive scenarios, equipping you with an understanding of the interpersonal aspects of the design process too.

The Colby-Sawyer art department has an ongoing relationship with the Tokyo University of the Arts in Tokyo, Japan, which gives students an opportunity to experience art within a global context. Additionally, students may study abroad at the Florence School of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, to explore art history, painting, photography and printmaking.

A self-selected internship provides you with hands-on experience in the world of art and design, while student exhibitions in our campus galleries allow you to share your art with the public. Your Capstone project, a culmination of your work at Colby-Sawyer, serves as your professional portfolio when you graduate, visually demonstrating your readiness for entry-level jobs and/or graduate school.

ART + Design Minor

The minor in art + design can be combined with any major to provide expertise and deeper understanding of the arts. Art + design minors develop creative problem-solving skills and basic visual communication skills, as well as a rich understanding of design concepts, principles and practices relevant to diverse professional fields. Students may also create a self-designed major in the arts specifically tailored to their combined artistic areas of special interest. For complete information about minor requirements and course offerings, please refer to the college catalog.

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Application information

A Modern Home for the Arts

With its spacious and modern design, the Davidow Center for Art + Design enriches the cultural and artistic experiences of students, alumni, faculty, staff and the larger community. The 15,000 square-foot space opened in 2017 and offers studios, a state-of-the-art black box theater, a fine art gallery with views of Mount Kearsarge, a sculpture garden and faculty offices, all topped with a solar array.

Express Yourself Outside the Classroom

Connect with others interested in creative expression by joining a student-led club or organization focused on the visual and performing arts. Make your stage debut with the Colby-Sawyer Players or the Dance Club.