Find your voice here

In the studio art program at Appalachian State, you will be simultaneously challenged and encouraged as you find and develop your own uniquely authentic artistic voice.

Studio art offers two different degree programs: the BA in Art & Visual Culture with a concentration in Studio Art (no candidacy portfolio review) and the BFA in Studio Art (candidacy portfolio review required).

Regardless of the specific career path, our graduates have an impressive record of success due to their finely honed creative thought processes, critical thinking, strong work ethic, project management skills, and capacity to work independently.

Bachelor of Fine Arts

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art is a launching pad to professional careers in the visual arts. The intensive studio art curriculum is both rigorous and individualized, and emphasizes the development of technical skill, conceptual depth, critical thinking, and creative solutions to complex problems. After graduating, BFA Studio Art alumni frequently pursue graduate studies, start small businesses, join artist cooperatives, participate in residency programs, develop gallery relationships, work in museums, or apply their skills to other creative professions. 

The BFA in Studio Art is offered in four concentrations, each providing a rigorous and deeply individualized path through its discipline:

  • General Studio 
  • Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture

Bachelor of Arts

The BA in Art and Visual Culture with a concentration in Studio Art integrates studio art practice with a broad-based, well-rounded liberal arts education that includes a minor as well as intermediate proficiency in a language other than English. This degree is designed for students who want a variety of studio art experiences but whose interests also encompass academic disciplines related to or outside the visual arts. BA Studio Art graduates are well prepared to work or continue their studies in a variety of arts-related fields, such as studio art, art therapy, expressive arts, media studies, arts management, and library science.

Studio Art Media Areas 

Students in either degree program can take classes in any of our studio areas: Clay, Fibers, Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, and Sculpture. 

Small, oxidized green bronze figure of a draped woman with her arm raised.

Short, dark gray teapot adorned with ornate, gold-toned scrolling filigree and a matching handle.

Maggie Schupp
A low-angle close-up of a circular saw blade on a table saw, with the blade guard, bevel range selector label, and cords blurred in the foreground of a woodworking studio.
A student in a red shirt adjusts threads on a loom while weaving, focused on the pattern emerging in front of her.

Portfolio Review

Admission to the BFA Studio Art program is selective. Passing a portfolio review is required for admission to intermediate and upper level courses. The BA program does not require a portfolio review.

Studio Art Program Comparison

 BA in Art & Visual Culture with a concentration in Studio ArtBFA in Studio Art
Declare studio area?NoYes (Clay, Fibers, Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, or Sculpture)
Minor required?YesNo
Language other than English required?YesNo
Portfolio candidacy review?NoYes, prior to enrolling in any 3000-level studio art courses or ART 3015 (Sophomore/Junior Seminar)
For transfer students: Recommend transfer after 30 hours?Yes, ideallyYes, definitely
For transfer students: Possible to graduate in two years after completing AA degree?Yes, with strategic distribution of courses amongst major, minor, and languageTechnically yes, but extremely difficult and with very heavy studio course loads

Senior Capstone

ART 4852 – Senior Studio

Senior Studio, the senior capstone course for BFA Studio Art majors—is a chance for students to focus deeply on their own creative practice and produce a body of work for public exhibition. Building on ideas and techniques developed in earlier studio and seminar courses, students work closely with faculty to refine their concepts, push their skills, and bring their vision to life. The course also touches on what it means to be a working artist after graduation. It all leads up to the senior exhibition and reception—an exciting night where students share their work with friends, family, and the campus community.

Sketchbook spread featuring pencil drawings of an elderly man’s face formed from flowing tree bark textures. A purple mechanical pencil lies between two pages, one with a more detailed facial sketch and the other with rough outlines of a tree and landscape. Carolyn Braley
Close-up of two people examining a large slab of wood on a workbench. One person gestures with a finger pointing at the surface, while the other’s hand hovers nearby. Woodworking tools and clamps are visible in the background. Carolyn Braley
Detail of a large wooden relief carving depicting playful children and a face with glasses nestled within twisting tree roots. Carolyn Braley
Gallery view of two women chatting in front of a textured wooden artwork featuring playful carved children and foliage. Carolyn Braley
An art student installs a small sculptural wall piece featuring tangled wire on a gallery wall. To the left, a monochromatic portrait photograph is mounted on large white paper. Below it, a delicate wire sculpture resembling shoulder adornments or wings is displayed on a stand. Elizabeth Walton
Studio portrait of a woman wearing an intricate sculptural shoulder piece made of wire, styled with makeup and jewelry against a dark background. Elizabeth Walton
A focused student wearing large headphones paints intricate details on a textured sculpture resembling a crouching humanoid figure. Addie Low
Sculpture of a kneeling figure with rough, crusted surface texture in blue and gray hues, set on a blue puddle-shaped base in a gallery. Addie Low
A close-up view of a handmade ceramic mug with a scalloped base and light pastel surface. The mug is glazed, but not fired and features a carved outline of a whimsical lizard or dinosaur-like creature, with soft green, pink, and cream-colored glazes applied in a camouflage-like pattern. The terracotta clay shows through at the base and in the carved lines, adding contrast and warmth Ryan Catalano
Close-up of a person’s hands stitching a red and beige woven textile. The individual wears a plaid shirt and has long, decorated fingernails. Alex Holst
Two mannequin torsos wearing handwoven garments — one cream-colored with distressed areas, and the other red with brown straps and a bulky silhouette. Alex Holst
A student leans over an open kiln, looking at a colorful ceramic sculpture of a reclining figure with vibrant painted patterns and sculpted elements inside. Mary Grace Valentine
A whimsical ceramic sculpture of a clawfoot bathtub with a small, colorful figure submerged in textured, watery glaze, placed outdoors on a concrete surface. Mary Grace Valentine
A person with long wavy blonde hair, wearing a black top and red skirt, stands in front of a gallery wall examining mixed-media shadow boxes and delicate sculptures. The wall is adorned with swirling, cloud-like forms in metallic and pastel hues, creating a dreamy, immersive art installation.

BFA Senior Studio exhibitions

Students work with their classmates and faculty to decide where their work will be exhibited at various locations across campus and the town of Boone. One option, the Smith Gallery, holds exhibitions at the end of every semester with receptions typically a few days before graduation. 

Studio art, if done right, teaches you how to be the best you that there is.

Callum Conklin, Studio Art Major
Close-up of a ink stained metal can of ink with expressive, abstract layers of blue, green, and hints of black and white. The image highlights a horizontal line across the center, adding texture and dimension.
A handmade felted fox character with expressive eyes and a black scarf sits at a table with a small plastic cup of milk and scattered kibble, against a blurry projection of people and lights in the background.
Abstract close-up of a painting in progress, showing sections of canvas with bold black and reddish-orange brushstrokes, partially obscured by vertical paintbrush handles.