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About The Program

School of Fine Arts

Studio Art

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The BFA in Studio Art degree program prepares you to excel in highly technical areas of art, including:

Painting
Drawing
Sculpture

It's the perfect gateway to attending graduate school for a master of fine arts degree (MFA) or doctorate in art education degree.

With this professional degree, you can investigate visual and aesthetic discourse within your own artistic practice and in the context of history and contemporary culture. Because a BFA requires more art studio and art history courses, you'll engage with your discipline on a professional level, preparing you for careers in art fields or for graduate studies. You'll build a strong foundation in art technique and history and learn to research problems that require visual solutions. Through critical study, you can become a creative problem solver and evolve into a natural leader - unleashing your career potential.

The program offers three areas of emphasis:

1. 2D art: paintings, drawings, prints, and photography

2. 3D art: computer models, animations, and sculptures

3. Interdisciplinary media: photo imaging and technology-based art

With a solid foundation gained early in the program among media, styles, and methodology, followed by challenging classes with a focus on your individual interests, you'll have plenty of time and opportunity to grow your artistic practice before entering the workforce.

Careers

A BFA in Digital Media presents several potential career paths, including designer, art director, arts manager, independent artist, museum facilitator, and curator. According to Americans for the Arts, 72 percent of all employers say that creativity and critical thinking are necessary characteristics of business leaders and that creativity is the No. 1 skill they seek when hiring.

Scholarships

The art department offers a variety of competitive, merit-based awards. Scholarship assistance requires strong academic performance, minimum GPA of 3.0, and demonstrated potential for academic and career success. Scholarships also are available for minority students and students who excel in specific art disciplines or media.

Fine Arts Scholarships

Northern Scholarships

Courses

Studio Art (BFA) Course Requirements and Student Learning Outcomes

Plans of Study

Studio Art (BFA) Plan of Study

Program Success/Outcomes

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“Northern was my top choice as soon as I found it; it felt like home as soon as I toured. Considering I’d be four and a half hours away with no car, that was a pretty great feeling. As a freshman, being away from home was hard, especially with a major change early but too late to change courses. So I was struggling, and in light of having to make a new Twitter I put in my bio ‘Just an NSU freshman trying not to cry and drop out.’ Then I decided to follow Dr. Downs on Twitter. Dr. Downs then personally reached out after reading my bio giving me encouragement to follow the journey I was on, no matter how trying it would be. His message stuck with me through the rest of the fall and spring semesters as I knew he genuinely wanted me to succeed. Northern was always the best choice for me and Dr. Downs really just made campus that much better. You can tell he cares about everyone who is a part of the Northern community, both on and off campus, which is a huge reason why I decided to stay at Northern.” - Elizabeth Votava, Buffalo, Minnesota #beNORTHERN #unleashYOURpotential #NorthernStateU

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Contact Information

For more information about this degree, call 605-626-2267. Or, contact NSU Admissions at 605-626-2544 or admissions@northern.edu.

Our Faculty

Alexis Doerr

Department

Art

School of Fine Arts

Programs

Art (Fine)

Art (Graphic Design)

Art Education

Arts Administration Certificate

Digital Media (AS)

Digital Media (BFA)

Studio Art

M.A., University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.

B.A., Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D.

Born and raised in Aberdeen, S.D., Alexis Doerr graduated from Northern State University with a B.A. in art: graphic design specialization and an arts administration certificate. She earned her M.A. in art and art history with a concentration in critical and curatorial studies from the University of Louisville.

Past curatorial projects include “Dialogue As Art,” an affiliation of the nationwide For Freedoms 50 State Initiative. In collaboration with the NSU Art Department, it consisted of an exhibition and panel discussion featuring local artists and community art leaders. “Caprices: Wit & Whimsy” was comprised of prints from the Hite Art Institute print collection at the University of Louisville. She has also published exhibition reviews with “Ruckus,” a critical art review based in Louisville, Ky.

Her research focuses on how the social, economic and physical structures of place influence the art-making process and produce local art styles. This derives from her interest in networking with artists, fostering opportunities for art education, and cultivating community engagement with arts and culture.

Peter Kilian

Department

Art

School of Fine Arts

Programs

Art (Fine)

Art (Graphic Design)

Art Education

Arts Administration Certificate

Digital Media (AS)

Digital Media (BFA)

Studio Art

M.F.A., University of California-Santa Barbara

B.A., Augustana College

peterkilian.com

I have exhibited my artwork in regional and national venues for more than 25 years, with works in the Knight-Ridder Collection, South Dakota State Art Collection, Contemporary Arts Forum (Santa Barbara) and numerous private collections.

Discipline Specialties

Painting

Drawing

Printmaking

Jason Knowles

Department

Art

School of Fine Arts

Programs

Art (Fine)

Art (Graphic Design)

Art Education

Arts Administration Certificate

Digital Media (AS)

Digital Media (BFA)

Studio Art

M.F.A. Digital Filmmaking - University of Central Arkansas

M.S. Instructional Design & Technology - Emporia State University

B.G.S. Special Major: Digital Film & Computer Production - University of Kansas

Website

Originally from Northeast Kansas, Knowles is an award-winning filmmaker who teaches courses in digital media, web and interface design, and motion graphics at Northern. At other institutions, he developed and facilitated in-person and online classes in filmmaking, live-streaming/broadcasting, 3D animation, media writing, and podcasting/audio production.

Jason's media production interests include writing and directing screenplays with strong female lead characters whose journeys transcend the genres of action-adventure films, science fiction, and romantic comedies.

His past research has involved collaborations with visual history and documenting/uncovering the facts behind certain myths and folklore in the Ozark mountains. His current research is focused on modeling and animating photo-realistic digital human characters as well as investigating critical pedagogy (the curricular integration of media theory/history with practice).

Nadya Preszler

Department

Art

School of Fine Arts

Programs

Art (Fine)

Art (Graphic Design)

Art Education

Arts Administration Certificate

Digital Media (AS)

Digital Media (BFA)

Studio Art

M.Ed., Lesley University

B.S.Ed., Northern State University

Nadya Preszler graduated from NSU in 1999. A Roscoe, S.D., native, she was a track athlete during her time at Northern. She spent five years teaching art in Marshall, Minn., and five years at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. At Northern, she concentrates on art education.