Nestled on the banks of the Red Cedar, the Department of Art & Art History offers study in Studio Art, Apparel & Textile Design, History of Art & Visual Culture, and Art Education to approximately 400 majors. Degree programs include the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Art, and the Master of Fine Art. Areas of concentration within studio art include ceramics, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

Through its many activities including student exhibitions, visiting artist and scholar lecture series, and outreach events, the Department of Art & Art History is a hallmark of engaged and active learning. An incubator of creativity and innovation, the visual arts contribute significantly to the cultural life of our community, inspire a stewardship of our built and natural environment, internationalize our perspective on issues, broaden our framework of understanding, and build our capacity to think beyond convention. Students in the Department of Art & Art History are encouraged to develop aesthetic and conceptual awareness, perceptual and creative problem–solving skills, and informed judgment in a learning environment that values the development of personal vision, critical inquiry, and philosophical reflection.