Fine Arts B.F.A., Studio Art B.A. Minimum GPA of 2.5 overall. Minimum GPA of 2.5 in art courses.
Studio Art - Minor Minimum GPA of 2.5 overall. Minimum GPA of 2.5 in art courses. All BFA and BA art majors must apply to and be accepted by the Art Degree programs.
The Department of Art offers two types of bachelor's degree programs in art: a focused studio program, granting the Fine Art BFA; and studio/liberal arts based program, granting the Studio Art BA. The BFA degree
focuses on intensive work in the studio art supported by a program of general studies. The BA degree focuses on art and design within a broader context of general studies, which allows students to pursue a minor or
double major in another program.
Students accepted to UB select Fine Art or Studio Art as their intended major on their University application are block registered into freshman foundation courses. During the spring semester of the freshman
year, students with an Art GPA of 2.5 or above are automatically admitted to the Art program. Students with a GPA lower than 2.5 must have a portfolio review/interview to determine admittance into the Art program.
Transfer and currently enrolled UB students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 are eligible to apply to the Art BA or BFA program. Freshman foundation courses are required for the BA and BFA degrees; students are encouraged
to take these courses before applying to the major. Students with an Art GPA of 2.5 or above in their foundations and studio courses are automatically admitted to the Art program.
Acceptance Information Number of applicants/year: 180 Number of accepted majors/year: 40-50 freshmen; 30 transfers/currently enrolled Total number of majors currently enrolled: 200
Sequence of Study for the Major The Freshman Foundations Program consists of five studio courses and one contemporary theory course. These courses are required for all Art BA/BFA degrees. Admission to
the BA or BFA program is automatic if the student's Art GPA is a 2.5 or above. Students with a GPA below 2.5 in their Art courses may only be admitted through a portfolio review during the spring semester of the freshman
year.
During the sophomore year, all majors take introductory (200-level) studio courses, both required and electives. Registration for most sophomore art courses is limited to students who have been accepted or are
intended BA or BFA Art majors.
Focused study in a concentration begins in the junior year. At this point, Art students may declare a concentration in the following areas: BFA programs; Painting, Sculpture, Print Media, Photography, Emerging
Media, Graphic Design or General Studio. A two-semester Senior Thesis Project is required for the BFA degree. Senior Thesis must be taken in a fall to spring sequence only; both semesters are required for BFA students.
For BA programs, students may declare a major in Photography, Graphic Design or General Studio.
Studio art labs are spacious, well equipped and organized. Specialized studios support all major conventional, digital, and experimental processes in art and design. Highlights include: an electronics art lab for advanced work, digital and multimedia
labs, digital and analog photography labs, extensive printmaking labs, an audio lab, a large sculpture facility including a laser cutter and one of largest university foundries in the Eastern US.
Studio courses are small, generally ranging from twelve to twenty students, to maximize teacher effectiveness.
Professional Staff Our instructional support technicians are in charge of specialized labs and equipment that operate throughout the academic year. The Department of Art's full-time support staff includes
four instructional technicians in each of these media areas, digital, photo, print and sculpture, a digital resources coordinator, an undergraduate academic adviser, and three administrative staff; secretary, graduate
administrator and assistant to the chair.
Center for the Arts The Center for the Arts houses these departments: Art, Media Study, and Theater & Dance, along with the University Art Galleries, and 4 performance spaces.
The exhibition spaces at UB are a vital component of cultural discourse and the student's educational experience. The Art Department Gallery and Lower Gallery exhibit undergraduate and graduate student artwork
and invitational exhibitions. There is also a Project Space for short term exhibitions, projects and critiques.
The UB Art Galleries are located on two floors in the Center for the Arts, and near the UB South Campus at the Anderson Gallery in North Buffalo. The University at Buffalo Art Galleries' mission is to bring current
issues and practices into the visual arts to UB. The full-time director, curators and support staff of the gallery sponsor lectures, performances, symposia and publications.
About Our Courses
The typical class size for: Freshman/introductory courses is: 15-20 Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 12-20 Upper level/advanced courses is: 10-20
Most of the courses in the Art program are studio lab classes which meet for 2.5 hours two times a week for a total of 5 hours per week. There are also courses offered in lecture, seminar or tutorial (Independent
Study) format. There is a limit of two independent study (ART 499) courses per student.
In the Department of Art , what do teaching assistants (TAs) do?TAs teach some of the 100- and 200-level introductory courses. Freshman foundation courses may be taught by full-time faculty, adjunct
lecturers or TAs.
The Department of Art faculty is comprised of practicing artists, who are additionally engaged in scholarly research and/or writing in their field. The Art faculty exhibit artwork and receive fellowships, residencies, and commissions for their artistic
production.
Art faculty members have received grants and awards from such organizations as the Fulbright Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Tiffany Foundation, the
Rockefeller Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Government of the Netherlands, Polaroid, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Their works have been exhibited in many prestigious public and private collections,
including the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. Museum of Modern Art ,NY, the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art, the Smithsonian Museum, the Carnegie Institute, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, among others.
Reinhard Reitzenstein, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, is available to address student concerns.
Please visit our department website for additional information about our faculty.
Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities
Notable Program Features Department of Art Speaker Series The Department of Art Speaker Series is a required, one credit course that is comprised of a yearly program of lectures by visiting artists, critics, historians, and designers
during the fall semester. These lectures are organized by the Department of Art, and are co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Media Study and University Galleries.
Buffalo Metropolitan Area The Department of Art also has activities and cultural programming at off campus locations, and collaborates with area alternative media and exhibition spaces, galleries, and
internationally recognized institutions.
Buffalo's diverse intellectual and cultural heritage attracts and sustains artists in the visual arts, performance, video/film, theater, poetry, literature, music, and architecture. Grass-roots and alternative
spaces dedicated to new and experimental genres include CEPA, Hallwalls, Big Orbit, Buffalo Arts Studio, Squeaky Whell, and Western NY Book Arts Center, complement institutions such as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
and the Burchfield Penney Art Center and provide opportunities for the exhibition of new work in all genres. The Theater District in downtown Buffalo is home to numerous experimental theaters. Locally-owned movie theaters,
along with Hallwalls, regularly show acclaimed films not available for widespread commercial distribution.
Toronto, a ninety-minute drive from Buffalo, is the largest metropolitan center in Canada. It has hundreds of alternative spaces and commercial art galleries including the Power Plant and the Ontario Gallery
of Art.
Student Organizations The Student Visual Art Organization (SVAO) provides leadership opportunities to university undergraduate students and organizes exhibits and events, open figure drawing sessions,
and trips to museums and galleries.
Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience
Study Abroad Students interested in study abroad have the opportunity to participate in numerous art programs around the globe.
Semester Internships Semester-long internships are available in prominent design and art studios in New York City and elsewhere.
Local Internships Advanced students in all BA/BFA concentrations may enroll in an Art internship course, ART 496, in their junior or senior year to gain
practical experience. Placements with local companies include design studios; commercial photographers; galleries; and alternative art spaces. There is a limit of two Internship courses per student.
Honors, Awards, and Scholarships
Honors scholarships and performing/creative arts scholarships are awarded by the University, not by the Art Department. See the UB Honors College section for further information. Honors students intending to
major in art are automatically accepted to the program without a portfolio review.
Departmental scholarships, available to currently enrolled art majors, range from [ CATALOG : PAGE CONTENT ],000 to ,000. The following annual awards are designated for art-related travel and study, art supplies,
tuition help, and general support:
Evelyn Lord Rumsey Scholarship
Sally Hoskins Potenza Scholarship
Seymour Drumlevitch Painting Award
Frances Morrison Memorial Scholarship
Julius Bloom Scholarship
Kerry Grant Award
Philip C. and Virginia Cuthbert Elliott Painting Scholarship
Dennis Domkowski Memorial Scholarship
Eugene L. Gaier Award for Excellence in Printmaking
Carl E. and Virginia W. Sentz Memorial Award
Alan E. Cober Memorial Scholarship
Allentown Village Society Scholarship
Townsend Photography Scholarship
Art Department Sculpture Award
Extracurricular Activities
The Student Visual Art Organization provides leadership opportunities to all interested university students and actively organizing special exhibits and events, open figure drawing sessions, and trips to museums and galleries. The Director of SVAO is
Jeffery Sherven - jsherven@buffalo.edu.