Art

About

Our Art Program offers classes in many areas including:

  • ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking, drawing, illustration, fiber arts, sculpture, visual culture and MORE!
  • We offer many classes to non-majors if you wish to give art a try!

Whichever degree option you choose, you’ll learn how to use your individual artistic passions to “create” your future career.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS:
2024 What Remains Transparent, EWU Art Gallery, Oct 3rd – Nov 8th, 2024

This exhibition features photography and video by New York-based artist and educator Sarah Knobel. An opening reception and artist talk by the artist will be held on October 3rd at noon.

BFA APPLICATION GUIDELINES HERE  – BFA APPLICATION FORM HERE


Contact Us

For further questions or concerns about Art, please contact:

Chris Tyllia
Program Director for Art, Lecturer
P: 509.359.6998
E: ctyllia@ewu.edu

138 Art Building
Cheney, WA 99004

Ready to declare an Art Major?

Why Should I Study Art at EWU?

We launch the careers of people who dream of contributing to the world through creativity — the making, curating, researching, and/or teaching of art.

Careers in Art

  • High School Art Teacher
  • Elementary Art Teacher
  • Art Education Director
    • Museum programs
    • Community based programs
  • College Instructor or Professor
  • Visiting Artist
  • Artist Residency Instructor or Technician
  • Art Teacher
    • Community centers
    • Art centers
  • Workshop Leader
  • Workshop Coordinator

  • What is Arts Leadership? Leadership roles in:
    • Public (Government Agencies) – City, State, and National programs for arts!
    • Non-Profit Organizations – Cultural and arts-based organizations!
    • Corporate/Private Industry – Corporations/Industries have art collections and/or creative teams.
  • Executive Director
  • Gallery Director
  • Residency Director
  • Creative Director
  • Art Consultant or Agent
  • Curator
  • Art Director/Project Manager
  • Program Director
  • Development Director/Coordinator

  • Working Artist
  • Grant Writer
  • Public Artist
  • Art Consultant
  • Curator
    • Gallery
    • Museum

  • Gallerist
  • Art Agent and Business Manager
  • Online Vendor

  • Art Therapy

  • Archivist
  • Foundation Accounts
  • Arts Preservation
  • Membership Officer
  • Museum Shop Manager
  • Preparator
  • Public Relations Officer
  • Registrar
  • Receptionist
  • Program Assistants
  • Curatorial Assistant
  • Museum Program Assistant
  • Research Assistant
  • Social Media Managers or Assistants
  • Marketing Assistants
  • Corporate Sponsorship
  • Grants writer
  • Press/PR Assistants or Directors
  • Event Management

  • Commercial Photography
  • Professional Photography
  • Illustrator
  • Graphic Designer
  • AV Technician
  • Studio Artist
  • Muralist
  • Studio Artist
  • Potter
  • Production Design
  • Set Design
  • Studio Artist
  • Freelance Illustrator
  • Freelance Designer
  • Creative Technologist
  • Craft Artist
  • Industrial Designer
  • Animator
  • Multimedia Specialist
  • Digital Designer
  • Digital Content Strategist
  • Tattoo Artist
  • Digital Image Specialist
  • Digital Video Editor
  • Videographer
  • Digital Asset Manager
  • Studio Assistant
  • Studio Technician

With 3.48 million people working for arts businesses, arts education is a critical tool in fueling the creative industries with arts-trained workers as well as new arts consumers.

“The arts develop skills and habits of mind that are important for workers in the new economy of ideas.”
– Alan Greenspan,
former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman

Art Scholarships

Background: Established by former faculty members Tom Askman and Barbara Miller for EWU Art Students

The recipient of this award should:

  • be a full-time junior or senior who is majoring in Studio Art or Art History
  • have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

The art faculty will select a student based on their determination of the most deserving and promising student.

Amount Awarded: $600-$1,200

 

Background: Established by EWU alumnus Phillip D. Grub in honor of his appreciation for art classes.

This award is for students who:

  • are juniors or seniors
  • demonstrate financial need and/or superior ability in art

Amount Awarded: $600-$1,400

Background: Established in honor of Ruby Gould Tyler and her love of Art.

The recipient of this award must:

  • be an art major
  • have a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • demonstrate financial need

Amount Awarded: $200-$500

Background: R. A. Hanrahan established her biannual scholarship in 1975.

Amount Awarded: $200-$1,000

Our scholarships help many students pay for tuition, fees, or art supplies.

Complete the general EWU scholarship application to be considered.

Apply Donate

Range of Facilities

We have multiple studios spaces that are bright and open for use – pretty much anytime! When they are not being used for classes, art students are welcome to use the spaces to create.

Some of the spaces include the:

  • Digital Art Lab
  • Painting Studio
  • Photography Darkroom
  • Ceramics Studio
  • Printmaking Studio
  • Student Gallery space
  • and more!

If you are interested in touring the spaces – head on over to the Visitors Center to schedule a campus tour and let them know you want to check out the Art Building!

Visiting Artist Lecture Series

Every year the Visiting Artist Lecture Series (VALS) brings working artists, critics, and educators to EWU. VALS promotes dialogue about contemporary art and art issues. Past panelists, lecturers, and exhibitors have included a roster of impressive creators/scholars including:

  • Wendy Red Star
  • Caledonia Curry (Swoon)
  • Natalie Ball
  • Raphael Soldi
  • Shana Moulton
  • Cara Levine

EWU Gallery of Art

The Department of Art houses a unique central gallery space. We offer an excellent exhibition program geared towards giving students first-hand knowledge of the work, ideas, and methods of successful visual artists working today.

Exhibitions occur throughout the academic year, with an end-of-the-year student symposium and BFA exhibition of student work. Exhibitions are often coupled with artist talks and/or critique sessions with students.

Head on over to their webpage to learn more about the EWU Gallery of Art.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should begin taking Art Foundations courses as soon as you think you might want to major in art. No matter which degree you choose, you’ll need the following:

  • ART 201 | Studio Art I: Image and Technology
  • ART 202 | Studio Art II: Techniques and Materials
  • ART 213 | The Visual Art Experience (BACR for humanities)

You’ll probably also take some General Education courses while taking your Art Foundations. During this time, you should work closely with a CAAR advisor to plan your degree program. Once you have declared a major in Art (BA Art, BFA Studio Art, BAE Visual Art Education) you will also work with a faculty advisor in Art.

Keep in mind, while taking general education credits, the Art Program has multiple General Education courses that can count towards your program. If you are not an art major, you can still take these classes! (some require ENG 201, so take that as early as possible!).

  • ART 213: The Visual Art Experience (BACR Humanities)
  • ART 313: The Body in Art, (GE Diversity)
  • ART 340: Native North American Art ( GE Diversity).
  • ART 331 Contemporary Art (GE Global Studies)

For the Studio Art (BA) or Art Education (BAE Visual Art Education) you do not have to apply. Declare your major here!

If you are interested in pursuing a BFA – Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art, there is an application process in the spring and you can learn more about the process on the Studio Art (BFA) page.

If you are interested in applying for the BFA program, make sure to talk to your faculty advisor.

Yes, the Art Program offers two art minors:

  1. Studio Art
  2. Visual Culture

An art minor is a great credential to add to many other degrees. It shows an exposure to creative thinking and problem solving: things important to fields such as business, design, or even law!

YES! EWU Art alumni have been accepted into a variety of top-notch universities across the USA. Our BFA students alone have been placed in over 300 universities across the country, including:

  • University of Texas – Austin
  • Cranbrook
  • San Francisco Art Institute
  • Pratt Institute
  • Claremont
  • California Institute of Arts and Crafts
  • Mills College
  • University of California – San Diego
  • Alfred University
  • University of Idaho

… and more!

For our program learning objectives, please see our individual degree pages:

Overall, we understand that art represents people, cultures, values and perspectives on being human. Studying art gives students the tools to interpret the world in which they live by cultivating creativity and stretching perceptions.

If you are a transfer student and you have a question about art coursework you have completed at other institutions, it is best to consult with the Art Program Director  upon being admitted to EWU. Though many transfers happen automatically, some don’t. We want to prevent you from taking duplicate art courses!

If you are interested in pursuing a degree or minor in Art and don’t see your question here, please feel free to reach out.

Chris Tyllia
Program Director for Art, Lecturer
P: 509.359.6998
E: ctyllia@ewu.edu

138 Art Building
Cheney, WA 99004