Create, curate, investigate ... do it all!

The Bachelor of Art in Art and Visual Culture degree includes concentrations in Art History, Art Management and Studio Art. This liberal arts degree provides students with unique opportunities to integrate an in-depth study of art and visual culture with a minor in another discipline and foreign language study.

In each of the concentrations, students consider not only the form and content of images, but the contexts in which we interact with them (whether on a smartphone, in a museum, or at an artist’s studio); the materials used to make them; and the way meanings shift over time. Visual culture includes analysis of the production of images as well as their circulation through and modification by various institutions of the art world.

The Art and Visual Culture degree at Appalachian State University draws from a number of disciplines to explore the meanings, practices, and processes of looking and imaging across historical periods and diverse cultures. The strong emphasis on service learning, internships, and international study at Appalachian further provide opportunities for students to enhance their study of art and visual culture from a global perspective.

Two women stand indoors smiling and holding an open blue-and-white book between them, presenting it toward the camera near a windowed wall.

Jody Servon
Hand holding a carved wooden holder containing thin styluses, shown against a patterned carpeted floor.

Student at podium giving talk about a photographer whose images appear on screen behind her
Two people stretch a measuring tape across a white gallery wall while preparing to hang artwork. Framed pieces rest on the floor, and tools including a hammer and notepad lie nearby.

Whether students wish to engage in creative practice, curate exhibitions, conduct scholarly research or work in arts administration, this degree program empowers students to interpret a wide range of images comprising the field of art and visual culture along with understanding the particular historical and geographic contexts in which they were produced. Students graduating with a degree in Art and Visual Culture are well prepared for graduate work in art history, expressive arts, arts administration, studio art, or a variety of career paths in museums, galleries, libraries, publishing houses, studio practice, and arts related social practices.

Art history, along with its cousins art criticism and theory, give a deeper understanding and appreciation of the works themselves. If you can understand where the art came from, how it was made, why it was made, you can understand so much more about the work, the artist, and the world. 

Laura Pepper
A group of nine people standing together on a sunny rooftop terrace with a city skyline in the background. They’re smiling toward the camera, dressed casually, and appear relaxed and cheerful.

Introduction to the New York Art Scene

Students and faculty in the ART 3013 Intro to NY Scene course at the New Museum meeting with Kameron Neal (GD ’14), an artist and designer living and working in New York City. 

The Art Management program is truly one of a kind. No other program offers such a strong blend of academic rigor, experiential learning, and professional development. From an unforgettable class trip to New York City to working closely with experienced, passionate faculty, the program stands out as both immersive and deeply supportive—exactly what I was looking for in my university experience.

Samantha Oleschuk