At A Glance

Gain the tools you need to push your artistic boundaries in both traditional and new media while engaging with diverse art traditions and theories across cultures and times.

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Carthage art students make and study art in a breathtaking setting, mastering traditional and new media as they push the boundaries of their personal vision. Ideally located between Chicago and Milwaukee, students engage with great artworks in internationally recognized museums, prepare for careers in the creative economy, and develop lifelong professional connections and friendships.

Studio Art and Art Education

Studio art majors work closely with their professors and fellow art students in a range of traditional and new media in well-equipped studios. Students develop professional skills and connections through exhibition opportunities, internships, annual portfolio reviews with faculty, individual studio spaces for seniors, solo thesis exhibitions, and art organizations in preparation for life beyond Carthage.

Carthage’s studio art courses:

  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Illustration
  • Ceramics
  • Sculpture
  • Printmaking
  • Photography
  • Animation
  • Digital Arts
  • Video
  • Film
  • Performance
  • Installation
  • Sound
  • Light

The art history and theory courses allow students to study visual art as an enduring cultural legacy. Courses are designed to provide the intellectual framework for understanding and interpreting visual culture, and to build in students the analytical skills necessary to discuss the complex modes of artistic expression across the ages.

Carthage offers a major in art with K-12 public school licensure that provides the necessary preparation leading to a Wisconsin state license in Art Education. This major develops the skills students need to be practicing studio artists as well as effective teachers.

Art major Paul Salsieder's art mural in Hedberg Library, 2017. Community Connections

The Carthage art curriculum promotes connections to the local community and networking.

Central experiences include visiting artist workshops, studio visits with professional artists, and exhibition opportunities on and off campus.

original work

Each studio art major conducts a senior exhibition highlighting their abilities. Multiple artists have left a lasting imprint by painting campus murals through a paid summer research program.

 

Art Facilities

Students enjoy well-equipped, sunlit studios in the H. F. Johnson Center for the Fine Arts, where a computer lab also features the latest image and video-editing software. Exhibition spaces include the H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art, Visual and Performing Arts Lab, and Campbell Student Union Art Gallery, a student-run space. Additional exhibition opportunities are coordinated with neighboring institutions and local/regional galleries.

Learn more about our art facilities

 

Student Organizations

Student organizations, including Student Art Board, Art Club, and Kappa Pi, the Honors Art Fraternity, develop professional networking opportunities. Opportunities include the Annual 24-Hour Drawing Marathon, Print-a-Rama, panel talks, peer critiques, and field trips. Each semester trips are led to Chicago, Milwaukee, and abroad, visiting commercial galleries, museums, and art fairs.

Learn more about arts organizations

 

  • Amber Redmond

    “Growing up, I always thought college wouldn’t be for me and everyone did their own thing, but Carthage is a strong community and everyone wants to see you succeed.”

  • Basil Kiracofe

    “I chose Carthage because of the close-knit community, organizations, and the classes that it offers.”

  • Abigail Smith

    “Carthage has been instrumental in shaping my artistic journey and providing me with the skills and knowledge I need to pursue my dreams in the art world. I am excited about the future and the possibilities that lie ahead.”

 

Arts Careers: Preparation for the Future

Studying and making art within a liberal arts curriculum at Carthage uniquely prepares students as innovators and leaders in the arts. Opportunities for internships with regional galleries and museums, professional art studios, and design firms offer students real-life experiences, networking building, and potential jobs. Strong critical thinking skills, technical knowledge, and visual communication abilities extend to a variety of arts-based fields, including:

  • Professional artist
  • Art historian
  • K-12 art educator
  • Curator
  • Art therapist
  • Arts administrator
  • Art critic
  • Arts writer
  • Community arts educator
  • Arts outreach coordinator

Learn more about careers in art