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Art Program

Art and Design Department

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As an art student, you’ll learn how to unify technique and theory across an array of media and disciplines with the option of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts tracks. A strong foundation in art will prepare you for a career as a professional artist, educator, curator and more.

Department Overview

Art Course

Immerse yourself in the world of art.

The Art and Design Department emphasizes an academic approach to artistic training centered on a strong foundation in design and drawing. In studio courses, you’ll have access to faculty who are equally versed in traditional and cutting-edge artistic practices, technologies and industry-standard software. Through the comprehensive curriculum, you’ll acquire tools to explore critical contemporary issues and a broad foundation in western and worldly art history and theory.

Programs in Western Colorado University’s Art and Design Department will prepare you to pursue a career in graphic design, photography, animation, teaching and museum curation. Areas of study include Art Education Licensure, Art History, Graphic Design, Ceramics and more. This department also encompasses our Master of Gallery Management & Exhibits Specialization.

Artistic expression

Western art students are given the tools to explore critical contemporary issues and a broad foundation in western and worldly art history and theory.

Areas of Study

Art Program

Art

Major | Minor | K-12 Licensure

Art
Art History Program

Art History & Theory

Emphasis

Art History & Theory
A photo that shows a student's hands smoothing the sides of a pot while learning how to throw pottery in a ceramics class.

Ceramics

Emphasis

Ceramics
Graphic Design

Graphic Design

Major

Graphic Design
NEW
A student examines different font styles in a typography class.

Graphic Design Certificate

Certificate

Graphic Design Certificate
NEW
Jewelry

Jewelry

Emphasis

Jewelry
painting program

Painting

Emphasis

Painting
Photography program

Photography

Emphasis

Photography
Printmaking

Printmaking

Emphasis

Printmaking
Sculpture

Sculpture

Emphasis

Sculpture
Art and Design Department

Studio Art

Emphasis

Studio Art
Web design

Web Design & Development – Art

Minor

Web Design & Development – Art

Scholarships

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

  • This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
  • Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
  • GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

  • This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
  • Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
  • The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
  • The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
  • GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

  • Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
  • The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
  • The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

News & Research

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Spotlight

Art and Design Department

Mallory Logan

Alumni

“I’ve always excelled in smaller environments, and Western fit that perfectly. The school attracts high quality professors because this community and the land around us is incredible."

Art and Design Department

Barbara Szabo

Alumni

“It’s not easy to balance these things [academics and athletics], especially when your goal is to make it to the Olympics straight out of college. “Balancing responsibilities became a good skill I learned for sure.”

Department Information

Art and Design Department

Department Chairperson

Tina Butterfield, MFA

Professor of Art; Art and Design Department Chair

Administrative Assistant

Autumn Coleman

Administrative Assistant II

Contact Information

970.943.3093

970.943.2329

Campus Location

Western Colorado University
Quigley Hall 202
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

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