Department of Art

Katzen Arts Center

Department of Art

Class visiting the NGA

The Department of Art comprises a dynamic community of artists, designers, and historians dedicated to investigating, and innovating, the communicative power of visual culture. Programs flexibly engage with historical traditions and contemporary modes of analysis and making. Exploring notions of identity and power, questioning standards of judgment in the arts, and analyzing the construction of meaning through material and form are all central to research and teaching.

A city known globally for its arts institutions, Washington, DC, boasts a thriving scene of artists and art spaces with a local and global perspective. Through site visits, exhibitions, and internships, our students gain experience beyond the classroom and an introduction to the broader world of contemporary graphic design, studio art, and art history.

Mission

We provide students with the tools to understand historical and contemporary criteria for making and interpreting art; foster rigorous and unique investigation; promote an environment of enthusiasm, dedication, and intensive effort; and prepare students for careers in the arts.

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Martina Loncar, It all came down with a crash, 2023. Lithographic crayon on mixed-media collage, 8 x 22 ft. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Dylan Singleton.

Graduating Artists Debut Thesis Exhibition at AU Museum

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