Are you drawn to beauty and are eager to understand your creative side through the context of God as our Creator? Maybe you’ve wondered if a career in the art world was possible. We’re here to tell you that it is!
There are careers to be had in art! The industry is growing across the nation, and our alumni are thriving as professional painters, running educational programs, curating galleries, installing exhibitions, and, best of all, getting paid to do what they love!
Where Can a Career in Art Take You?
Our major prepares you for a wide range of possible career paths in the industry. As a studio arts major, you will:
Be equipped to develop, manage and direct creative organizations
Learn the historic, curatorial and business administration skills needed to pursue a career in the leadership and management of arts-related organizations as part of the major's arts administration emphasis
Get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run an arts organization, facilitate community events, and curate an exhibition through working with George Fox’s galleries and existing art collection, regional nonprofits, and arts institutions
Our studio arts major fosters the development of collaborative, resourceful, and creative makers who work in a research-based practice informed by contemporary and historical art and culture.
We work in a variety of two- and three-dimensional media including, but not limited to, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and lens-based media, print media, and utilitarian ceramics.
Creative Thinking and Technical Precision
We place an emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving, and risk-taking throughout the program, encouraging you to develop the confidence to experiment and the self-reliance to become a courageous life-long learner.
Instruction in technical competencies and skills of the studio practice is partnered with conceptual strengthening projects and polished off with professional and business practice capstone work to send our emergent practitioners out equipped for a life of successful creating and earning.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Interested in another art degree option? Our Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree offers a more in-depth alternative to the bachelor of arts degrees in graphic design, illustration, and studio arts and arts administration. This 77-credit degree supports cross-disciplinary exploration and prepares students for advanced roles in the art world and graduate studies.
Designed for flexibility, the BFA allows students to deepen their expertise by blending foundational coursework with electives that suit their unique interests.
Finding My VOICE in Art School by Asking One QuestionClose
Program Distinctives Why Study Studio Arts & Administration at George Fox?
You’ll learn from professors who are dedicated Christians and be part of a family-oriented community where you will be known, encouraged and heard.
You’ll have multiple opportunities to create work on commission and sell your art at local First Fridays and other events.
Our robust mural program and deep ties to the creative industry in our region provides you with multiple touch points to practice your work.
You will get the opportunity to participate in multiple community-based events, including an art retreat where majors travel to the Oregon Coast to spend a weekend of artmaking, worship and getting to know one another.
Before graduation, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your work in a solo or group exhibition. This includes the art and design showcase YLW, an annual event hosted at Wieden & Kennedy connecting industry professionals to students.
The Cornerstone Core is a set of 12 courses across 10 academic disciplines that undergraduate students take at George Fox to cultivate their character within the Christian context.
A seminar course designed to acclimate students new to the GFU Art & Design department with its culture, expectations, processes, and community. Through online materials and four weeks of in-person events at the start of the semester, new students get to know the department and their fellow cohort members while planning for success in their program. Student enrollment is mandatory for the first semester of study. Additional course fee is required.
A hands-on technical course offering an introduction to materials, processes, and theory foundational to creative visual practice. Technical material use, research, ideation, design principles, and elements are explored through two-dimensional exercises and projects. Additional course fee is required.
A project-driven course offering an introduction to materials, techniques, and theory related to three-dimensional design and interdisciplinary collaboration. Construction methodologies, research, design principles, and creative ideation are explored through exercises, projects, and proposals. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering an introduction to industry-standard design software and applications, including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp, and other applications tailored to the instructor's expertise. Students can access the Creative Suite on campus computers in Lemmons. Students not accessing on-campus computers should anticipate purchasing the Creative Suite for a personal device. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering students an expansive understanding of drawing as both an artistic act and a part of the daily creative process. Through skill-building exercises, sketchbook work, concept-driven projects, and critique sessions, students explore the history, techniques, and impact of mark-making. Students develop foundational skills of observational drawing, as well as being introduced to drawing practice's other facets. Additional course fee is required.
A seminar course focusing on the study of Christianity's integration within historic and contemporary art and design practices - from the conceptual, theological, and theoretical to the practical. Additionally, students evaluate and articulate how their own practice and their faith/values inform one another. Additional course fee is required.
A seminar course preparing students for an internship or professional experience that will follow this course as a dynamic program graduation requirement. Additionally, students gain exposure to common business practices such as the development of contracts, estimates, invoices, accounting, promotion, and project management. Prerequisite: Junior status or instructor approval.
A seminar course focusing on art and design's expressions outside of the 'canon' and how non-Western cultures, such as African, Asian, and Latin American, have influenced history. Topics are rotated. Prerequisite: ARTS 206 Art and Design History I, ARTS 207 Art and Design History II, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A survey course focusing on art and design's historic, social, and aesthetic developments. Through formal analysis, research, and creative exercises, students engage with primary sources and theory to uncover the rich fabric that makes up our visual histories and cultures. This course develops students' understanding of all Art and Design history with special attention to the first half of the department's foundations timeline. Additional course fee is required.
A survey course focusing on art and design's historic, social, and aesthetic developments. Through formal analysis, research, and creative exercises, students engage with primary sources and theory to uncover the rich fabric that makes up our visual histories and cultures. This course develops students' understanding of all Art and Design history with special attention to the second half of the department's foundations timeline. Additional course fee is required.
Professional Networking - Complete 5 credit hours:
A weekly seminar course focusing on both professional practice and the application of theory, concepts, and methodology of contemporary art and design practices by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Additional course fee is required.
A weekly seminar course focusing on both professional practice and the application of theory, concepts, and methodology of contemporary art and design practices by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Additional course fee is required.
A weekly seminar course focusing on both professional practice and the application of theory, concepts, and methodology of contemporary art and design practices by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Additional course fee is required.
A weekly seminar course focusing on both professional practice and the application of theory, concepts, and methodology of art historical study by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Additional course fee is required.
A weekly seminar course focusing on both professional practice and the application of theory, concepts, and methodology of art historical study by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Additional course fee is required.
A course continuing students' understanding of drawing's multiple media and the students' daily creative process. Through sketchbook work, research, thematic-driven projects, and critique sessions, students explore the history, techniques, and impact of mark-making in contemporary and varied practices. Students develop technical drawing skills and dive into drawing practice's other facets (esp. conceptual, non-representational, and figurative work). Prerequisite: ARTS 111 Drawing I. Additional course fee is required.
A course focusing on applied and theoretical spaces outside of historical research and interpretation. Students develop their research, presentation, and even technical skills as they apply their creative skills and knowledge to pressing contemporary discussions and practices ranging from Arts Administration to Contemporary Art Forms. Topics are rotated. Additional course fee is required.
A capstone course focusing on the organization and preparation of a portfolio showcasing a student's creative work in preparation for employment in the field of design. Students explore visual organization and display, document assembly methods, and various reproduction image management techniques. Computer design and printing processes are used to create consistent paper and digital portfolios. The course may be taken two times. For BFA students taking Portfolio Development the second time, they are expected to create an informed, focused, and in-depth body of work, which is developed through research and critical feedback with instructors and visiting practitioners. In recognition of the transition from student to professional, this process represents students' work in their studio spaces, largely in a self-directed manner, in consultation with the faculty. This work should reflect mature and independent decisions made regarding content and means of expression. Prerequisites: Declared Art and Design major/minor with Junior or Senior status, or by instructor permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course structured around applied design projects that allow students to work collaboratively with regional clients. Within this course, students work in teams as they move projects from concept and quote to preparation for production. Designers develop work across a variety of media and learn to manage client relationships while producing work that meets the needs of real audiences. Prerequisite: Junior Status. Additional course fee is required.
Complete 5 of the following (3 Intro, 1 Intermediate, 1 Advanced):
A course offering an introduction and development of students' skills and techniques for effective painting with acrylics and oils. Students study color mixing, create effective compositions, develop depth, space, and form with paint, and gain confidence in painting ability by understanding techniques and progressing the ability to apply them. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTS 111 Drawing I, or instructor's permission.
A course offering studio development of students' skills and techniques for effective painting with acrylics or oils. Students study more complex color mixing and gain further confidence in ones painting ability by understanding additional techniques and gaining the ability to apply them. Prerequisite: ARTS 210 Beginning Painting, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering studio development of students' skills and techniques for effective painting with acrylics or oils. Students focus on individual artistic development as they combine techniques and subject matter into a personal style of visual communication. Prerequisite: ARTS 310 Intermediate Painting, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering an introduction and investigation of additive, subtractive, assembled, and cast sculptural techniques. Students use diverse media (such as metals, glass, plaster, clay, and wood) to explore conceptual and theoritic questions at the heart of sculptural practice. Prerequisite: ARTS 102 3D (Mixing Medias), or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering studio development of sculptural practice in a variety of media. Students explore more complex techniques and gain further confidence in diverse media (such as metals, glass, plaster, clay, and wood) to explore conceptual and theoritic questions at the heart of sculptural practice. Prerequisite: ARTS 220 Beginning Sculpture, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering studio development of students' skills and techniques in sculptural practice in a particular three-dimensional media. Students explore advanced techniques and gain further confidence while clarifying their conceptual and theoretical questions at the heart of the work. Prerequisite: ARTS 320 Intermediate Sculpture, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering further studio development of skills and the introduction of more advanced photographic techniques. A focus on medium and large-format camera use is explored, with cameras available for checkout. Prerequisite: ARTS 230 Beginning Photography, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
Focuses on the individual artistic development of students as they combine techniques and subject matter into a personal style of visual communication. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTS 330 Intermediate Photography.
A course offering an introduction to techniques and methods of historical and contemporary printmaking. Rotating topics include silkscreen printing, relief, etching, and lithography. Students explore the production and conceptual questions around the print as an art object. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering study into further techniques and methods of historical and contemporary printmaking. Rotating topics include silkscreen printing, relief, etching, and lithography. Intermediate students mix previous print knowledge with current offerings to diversify mark-making abilities. Intermediate students begin conceptualizing intended messages with the specific print media. Prerequisite: ARTS 240 Beginning Printmaking, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering studio development of students' individual printmaking process and production skills. Students focus on a dedicated process and develop work that combines techniques and subjects into a personal style of visual communication. Prerequisite: ARTS 340 Intermediate Printmaking, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering an introduction to the materials, methods, and basic techniques and skills of ceramic practice, including hand-building, wheel-throwing, and surface design. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering further studio development of the students' ceramics knowledge and skill in hand building, wheel-throwing, and firing techniques. Prerequisite: ARTS 250 Beginning Ceramics, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A course offering studio development of students' individual artistic development as they combine ceramic techniques and subject matter into a personal style of visual communication that clarifies their conceptual and theoretical questions. Prerequisite: ARTS 350 Intermediate Ceramics, or instructor's permission. Additional course fee is required.
A lower-division rotating lecture/studio course that focuses on an area of interest and specialty for the instructor. Media and techniques such as watercolor, kiln-worked glass, jewelry, alternative processes in photography, or paper and bookmaking may be explored. Students may repeat this course under a different topic. Students may need to purchase additional supplies. Additional course fee is required.
Dynamic Requirements for Graduation
Complete the following:
Pre-Gate Review
Gate Review
Senior Portfolio or Project Review
Internship
Extra-Curricular Portfolio Display or Exhibition
Our spaces/Where Will I Learn?
Art & Cinematic Arts Building
Create and collaborate in open studio spaces designed for studio arts, illustration and cinematic arts students. Art students work in a large ceramics and pottery studio, dedicated glass and sculpture spaces, and a partially covered courtyard with a kiln for hands-on making.
Cinematic arts students can edit video, record audio, film in a studio space, and share their work in a dedicated screening theater.
Located between the Maker Hub and Pennington Residence Hall, this 12,000-square-foot facility gives you the space to create and gain industry experience.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment as an art and design worker is expected to grow 2% between 2024 and 2034, and roles for art directors are growing at a 4% rate.
The Portland metro area is well-known for its thriving arts community, bringing in millions of dollars annually and supporting a significant population of artists. As the world becomes more “visual,” the role of the "traditional artist" has shifted and organizations of all types have been creating opportunities for artists.
Our students have received full-ride scholarships to grad school, and we boast a large number of alumni who are supporting themselves with their practice.
100% of art and design students at George Fox complete an internship in their field before they graduate. Here's where some of our student interned during the 2023-24 school year:
Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education (art education)
Occupations & Earning Potential
Below are some of the common career paths our studio arts and administration graduates pursue or are well-equipped to go on to. Keep in mind that while a bachelor's degree provides a strong foundation, certain specialized or advanced roles may require additional education or experience.
Art Directors
$106,500
Postsecondary Teachers
$82,270
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
$59,300
Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians
$57,120
Museum Technicians and Conservators
$48,670
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026)
A Community of Art
George Fox art and design students recently had the opportunity to partner with Newberg's Rotary Club to create a mural in the heart of town, creating a piece of art that builds on themes of environmental protection and familial community.
My time at George Fox allowed for transcendence to take place – a transcendence that I hadn’t anticipated would take form, a transcendence that changed my entire perspective toward relationship, toward art, toward faith, toward the world. George Fox’s professors and peers allowed space and opportunities for me to become a better human being, which is something I’ll forever be grateful for.
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