The West Elk Range at sunrise with wildflowers in the foreground.

School of the Arts

Create boldly. Perform fearlessly.

Western Colorado University’s School of the Arts is an art school in Colorado dedicated to your growth as an artist. With art, design, film, music, and theatre programs, you will build a strong artistic foundation, collaborate across disciplines, refine your skills, and graduate prepared to thrive in creative industries. Our small class sizes, passionate faculty, and hands-on approach to learning create a meaningful art school experience in the Rocky Mountains.

Why art school in Colorado? Our postcard-like location in the Western Slope features dramatic landscapes and changing seasons, offering endless inspiration. At the School of the Arts, students benefit from an interdisciplinary approach, exploring a range of artistic mediums to strengthen their own. Custom degree paths are also available, allowing students to tailor their education to their unique goals.

Explore Our Programs

Go to Art Program
A student is seated at a potter's wheel and starts forming a pot with clay.

Art

Explore mediums, master technique, and build a strong portfolio.

Go to Art Program
Go to Design Program
A graphic design student stands in front of a class and gives them an overview of a poster she designed during a critique.

Design

Create through branding, digital media, and hands-on design.

Go to Design Program
Go to Film Program
A student operates a camera during a lighting demonstration for a film class.

Film

Share and tell powerful stories through visual media.

Go to Film Program
Go to Music Program
A student plays the saxaphone during practice with the jazz band in Kincaid Concert Hall.

Music

Shape your sound through performance and collaboration.

Go to Music Program
Go to Theatre Program
In a dramatically lit theater scene, Western students sing and dance while swinging from trapezes.

Theatre

Deliver unforgettable performances and explore real-world production.

Go to Theatre Program

Experiential Education

  • Group photo of the Western Jazz Band after a performance at The Almont.

    Music Concerts

    Western's Music Department offers many different concerts and events for the community and beyond.
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  • Student plays the saxophone during practice with the jazz band

    Ensembles

    Students explore their passions through ensembles, including opportunities to perform and create music.
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  • Two students sit on grass and watercolor paint a scene with their canvases on their laps.

    Artistic and Professional Growth

    Western Art students gain real-world experience through internships, exhibitions, and creative projects—with many opportunities to get paid for their work.
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“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."

Mallory Logan

Graphic Design
Mallory Logan

Department News

  • Tina Butterfield, assistant professor of art, discusses a painting with senior Silas McDonough in the painting studio of Quigley Hall.

    Professor Tina Butterfield Brings a Touch of Humanities to Leadership After WICHE Academy

    Today, most colleges and universities are led by people trained in education, business, and the sciences. But an effort to bring more faculty from the…
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  • Fox21 News Visits Western Colorado University

    Fox21 News Visits Western Colorado University

    Fox21 News recently spotlighted Western in their series, “We Are Gunnison County.” This series provided an overview of the university’s campus life, history, and connections…
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  • Western’s Art & Design Department Chair Chosen for Prestigious Fellowship

    Western’s Art & Design Department Chair Chosen for Prestigious Fellowship

    Training humanities faculty for leadership GUNNISON, Colorado: Western Art & Design Department Chair and Professor Tina Butterfield was one of only eight people from across…
    Read More

Faculty & Staff

Tina Butterfield, MFA

Professor of Art; Art & Design Department Chair

Mayela Cardenas, MFA

Professor of Art

Ashley Carlson, PhD

Associate Provost

Paul Edwards, PhD

Adjunct Professor

Edgar Girtain, PhD

Director of Choirs (Lecturer)

Heather Hughes

Artist-in-Residence, Instructor of Theatre

Steven Cole Hughes, MFA

Director of Theatre and Associate Professor of Communication Arts

Ben Justis, DMA

Chair of the Department of Music, Assistant Professor

Morgan Raspanti, MA

Technical Director of Media and Lecturer in Communication Arts

Cierra Rohrbaugh, MFA

Instructor of Art

Julian Rubinstein, MS

Filmmaker and Journalist-in-Residence

Ross Venneberg

Director of Bands and Brass

Martha Watson Violett, DMA

Emeritus Professor of Music, Lecturer in Music

School of the Arts

Interim Dean

Mountain Graphic