The Department of Art and Visual Technology offers students an environment in which the pursuit of a degree is a commitment to a way of life that centers on creative thought processes and the production of artworks. The curriculum and the faculty focus on cultivating students’ appreciation of and expertise in studio and digital arts. Students are encouraged to dedicate themselves to academic excellence, to skilled artistry, and to employing visual literacy within an atmosphere of creative freedom. The faculty’s ongoing engagement with artistic practice forms a vital part of the student—instructor relationship. By offering instruction in both traditional and contemporary technologies for artmaking, faculty members help students develop a strong foundation to realize their personal and professional goals.

A principle that underlies the AVT program is its focus on fostering student understanding and experience of interdisciplinarity in the visual arts. This focus is important because art today crosses the boundaries of traditional disciplines and integrates traditional and technology-based media into the creation of new art forms. All AVT undergraduates are introduced to this interdisciplinary focus in such required courses as Aesthetics and Writing for Artists.