HIGHLIGHTS
Throughout the academic year, programs within the School invite guest artists, scholars, and designers to give presentations about their work for students, staff, and faculty. The community at large is invited to many of these events. Examples are the Critical Issues lecture series, periodic lectures hosted by Painting + Drawing, and the Dismantling the Canon events organized by the Graduate Students of Art History.
With a mission focused on education, social justice, and experimentation, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery serves as an inspiring space for exhibitions; a vital center for dialog about art, art history, and design; and a critical resource for students, faculty, and the public. The gallery has an ambitious program of exhibitions, lectures, performances, screenings, and workshops. It currently hosts The Black Embodiments Studio (BES), led by AssociateProfessor Kemi Adeyemi, Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies. BES is an arts writing residency and a public lecture series dedicated to developing complex, creative, and rigorous discourse around contemporary Black art and artists.
The Division of Design has many resources for those interested in our BDes/MDes degrees and design career opportunities. Among these are a Vimeo channel with presentations by students, alumni, and faculty; a blog with design alumni interviews; and a website with statistics about our degree holders.
The generosity of private donors and corporate sponsors continues to provide art, art history, and design students with yearly scholarships and awards. In 2022, nearly 80 students received over $500,000 in support, including more than a dozen new graduate students who received recruitment packages.
564
Undergraduate majors
EDUCATION
The School offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, art history, and design. Our faculty members are top educators in their fields as well as nationally and internationally recognized professional artists, scholars, and designers. Our faculty exhibit, publish, and lecture on a global stage and are active in a wide variety of professional organizations. They frequently collaborate with arts organizations, institutions, and businesses, forging strong community relationships resulting in innovative outcomes and enriching, unique opportunities for our students.
Our students come to the School from diverse backgrounds and all share a passion for experiential learning through the study and practice of the visual arts, art history, and design. They gather in our classrooms and studios to participate and learn through research, experimentation, creative thinking, and critical dialog. Classes support stimulating collaborations with peers and close mentoring relationships with faculty.
Students are recognized for their creative achievements and academic merit through many scholarships, awards, exhibitions, and public presentations. They graduate with a collaborative mindset, confidence, and the critical problem-solving skills needed to participate in a wide range of personal, professional, and creative pursuits.
Students
Autumn 2022
- 564 Undergraduate majors
- 17 Master of Fine Arts students
- 11 Master of Design students
- 4 Master of Arts students
- 12 Doctor of Philosophy students
Degrees Awarded
July 2021 - June 2022
- 115 Bachelor of Arts (Art)
- 26 Bachelor of Arts (Art History)
- 59 Bachelor of Design
- 8 Master of Fine Arts
- 7 Master of Design
- 2 Master of Arts
- 1 Doctor of Philosophy
Recent Student Awards
- University of Washington President's Medal
- Bonderman Travel Fellowship
- GRAY Award for student design
FACULTY
Autumn 2022
- 14 Professors
- 11 Associate Professors
- 9 Assistant Professors
- 1 Teaching Professor
- 1 Associate Teaching Professor
- 6 Lecturers/Artists in Residence
- 26 Emeritus Faculty
- 37 Affiliate/Adjunct Faculty
Recent Faculty Awards
- National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award
- National Science Foundation Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier Award
- National Science Foundation Human-Centered Computing/Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace Award
- Research grants from Mozilla
- Barbara Thom Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Huntington
- Royalty Research Fund Scholar Awards
- Andrew W. Mellon Professorship, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts
- Samuel H. Kress Senior Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts
- Society for Experiential Graphic Design Educator Award
ARTS COMMUNITY + BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS
The Student Voice Project (SVP) is a collaboration between academic advisers and students in the UW School of Art + Art History + Design. SVP programming offers undergraduates a bridge between the dynamic learning found in the studio and classroom to highly valuable, career-building experiences. Through proactive workshops, events, and opportunities to connect with alumni, SVP builds community and celebrates engagement in the School while opening doors to professional possibilities. Additionally, SVP offers a 2-credit course in spring quarter, Arts 180: Power of the Arts, which is centered around the value and impact of arts engagement. This course is open to all UW students.
Our alumni pursue a wide range of careers as practicing artists, designers, academics, and business owners; art directors; fashion, interior, graphic, interaction, and product designers; arts administration professionals; museum and gallery owners, curators; art appraisers; managers in non-profit organizations; art educators; film and digital animation specialists; art conservators; and public relations, advertising, marketing, retail, and merchandising professionals.