Arts & Visual Culture Major

Arts and visual culture majors at Stonehill concentrate in one of three areas: Arts Administration, Studio Arts or Visual Studies. The program offers minors in arts administration, studio arts or art history.

Program Type Undergraduate Major
Degrees Offered B.A.
Mode of Study On Campus
Department Visual & Performing Arts
School May School of Arts & Sciences
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A Major Customizable to Your Career Goals 

All arts and visual culture students begin their study with a core curriculum that prepares them for further exploration of the managerial, artistic or theoretical applications of the visual arts. From there, students diverge into specific concentrations. 

Our Arts & Visual Culture program is unique in that it mirrors the contemporary professional world where students will be asked to work in a culture of professional diversity and disciplinary overlap. For this reason, our program takes an integrated approach to learning in the arts. 

Students prepare for a life in which those who have the depth of experience and training to navigate between traditional roles are best equipped to thrive. All this while passionately pursuing their dreams. 

Upon graduation, students will be able to: 

  • Place a work of art within its historical, philosophical and socioeconomic context 
  • Demonstrate knowledge of at least three art historical methodologies by employing critical theory 
  • Demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to form, line, shape, rhythm, volume, place, pattern (repetition and variation), texture, space, value, color, content and style as it applies to 2D/3D and time-based media 
  • Develop appropriate vocabulary for describing visual and artistic phenomena 
  • Begin to form personal vision and identify taste or preference for various modes of visual expression as well as recognize certain thematic interests 

All arts and visual culture students also participate in a Capstone experience that brings artists, administrators and scholars into the same room to conceptualize, produce and oversee an exhibit of their making. 

Arts & Visual Culture Areas of Study

The Arts Administration concentration is for those who aspire to work in a museum, performing arts company, non-profit organization or other cultural institutions.

It is offered as both a concentration under the Arts & Visual Culture major and as a minor. 

Our Studio Arts concentration offers students strong fundamental training in a nurturing environment where they will be exposed to a rich array of conceptual and formal approaches to artmaking.  

It is offered both as a concentration under the Arts & Visual Culture major and as a minor. 

The Visual Studies concentration encourages students to study visual products from the past and present, including paintings, sculpture, architecture, film and mass media.

The Art History minor at Stonehill blends in-depth study of artistic periods and individual artists’ styles with experiential learning that can put students in a local teen art program or in a museum halfway around the world.

A sense of playfulness is often minimized in education, but playful exploration of how one discovery leads to another is what builds critical thinking. At Stonehill we don’t teach cookie cutter classes — and our students walk away inspired and empowered.

Recent Accolades

Organizations involved in assessing U.S. colleges and universities continually cite Stonehill as being among the best in the nation when it comes to value, outcomes and a commitment to making the world a better place. See full list of accolades.

Sample Courses

Introduction to Visual Thinking

VPA 102
This class is meant as an introduction to the theories and practices of our contemporary visual world. We will look at a range of imagery from fine art, to advertisements, to family photographs as a way to understand the images but also as a way to understand ourselves. Foundational concepts in visual art theory and composition will be introduced through reading texts, looking at art, and engaging with artists. The class will also use these concepts as a lens to explore contemporary culture as we experience it in the news, online and at home.

Global Visual Traditions (History Cornerstone)

VPH 181
This one-semester survey explores major developments in art and architecture from Antiquity through the 19th Century, considering historical events and ideological shifts which contributed to the stylistic changes. Trips to Boston museums enhance class content.

Early Renaissance Art: Italy and the North

VPH 215
Introduction to the art of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Italy and the North. Students explore different types of art such as altarpieces, civic art, and court art. Artistic exchanges between Italy and the North are examined, and the role that patrons, the economy, and the military played are investigated.

Museums: Past and Present

VPN 332
This course explores the history, philosophy, and evolving practices of museum and exhibition culture. Students will study current approaches and strategies of exhibition, collection, and educational programming with special attention given to how museums are handling problematic colonial pasts. Visits to regional museums and galleries will enhance class material.

Career Development Resources

The Stonehill Career Development team offers extensive assistance to students seeking employment, pursuing advanced studies or participating in postgraduate service opportunities. By completing internships and utilizing mentors, students are empowered to build lifelong career management skills.

Visual & Performing Arts Specific Career Resources

  • Extensive on-campus recruiting program for internships and entry-level positions
  • Annual career fairs
  • Various industry-specific career lunches – arts administration, nonprofits
  • Externships and internships in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. (weeklong and semesterlong programs).

Active Mentors

  • Boston Interactive Web Designer
  • Cengage Learning Associate Content Project Manager
  • Gibbes Museum of Art Membership Coordinator
  • New Hampshire Historical Society Education Programs Coordinator
  • Smithsonian Institution Education Specialist

Visual & Performing Arts Internship Opportunities

Places where visual and performing arts students have recently interned include:

  • Boston Ballet
  • Museum of Fine Arts
  • Boston Magazine
  • Peabody Essex Museum
  • Seventeen Magazine
  • Nickelodeon

Partnerships & Special Programs

Stonehill College has developed academic affiliations with colleges and universities that enable our students to augment the degree they earn at Stonehill with graduate and undergraduate degrees that further enhance their opportunities.

Compassionate Leadership Through the Arts

The Arts Outreach program pairs under-served children from the nearby city of Brockton with Stonehill mentors. Because most of the Stonehill students who participate have little experience in art, the projects they undertake – ranging from photography and videography to painting and sometimes dance – provide an opportunity for the mentors and mentees to learn and do something new together.

Learn more about Stonehill's Arts Outreach program.

Contact Us With Any Questions

Adam D. Lampton

Associate Professor of Visual & Performing Arts, Visual & Performing Arts Department Chair, Studio Arts Program Director, Art History Program Director
alampton@stonehill.edu
508-565-1954
Cushing-Martin 30
Visual and Performing Arts

For You