Fine Arts

The principal courses in the fine art major allow you to explore the media and practices of drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture:

Drawing: Drawing courses develop skill in the use of material, techniques and processes relevant to observational and experimental modes of drawing production. Traditional and contemporary approaches to drawing allow students to engage, through research, production, reflection and analysis, with the relationship between their drawing practice and contemporary culture.

Painting: Painting develops technical proficiency and critical thinking skills beginning with a focus on observational painting leading to explorations of abstract, non-objective and expanded notions of the medium including non-conventional use of material, surface and process. A program goal is to produce well-balanced and versatile graduates whose knowledge allows them to participate in the diverse realm of contemporary artistic culture.

Printmaking: Printmaking courses are designed for students who are interested in using print media as a part of an interdisciplinary practice, or for those who are committed to specializing in the discipline. Course work provides students with opportunities to develop unique methodologies for making artwork while also introducing them to the diverse range of print media’s historic and contemporary applications. Printmaking at NSCAD facilitates an exploration of print media that values experimentation and emphasizes exploratory research. Long-established printmaking processes—lithography, screenprint, relief, intaglio, letterpress and book arts—are taught alongside post-modern processes of collaboration, appropriation and dissemination. Area faculty offer courses and mentorship at the BFA, Post- Baccalaureate and MFA levels.

Sculpture: The sculpture program will provide you with the opportunity to articulate your creativity in the material world. Your ideas will be manifested in form and you will gain an understanding of sculpture from a historical context, as well as explore contemporary sculpture as it relates to both new and existing technologies. Interdisciplinary practices are welcomed and encouraged, whether it is in object making, installation, performance, art in public spaces, or a host of other cross disciplinary approaches–the choice is yours. Traditional sculptural materials such as wood, metal, concrete, plastics, fibers, etc. can be explored and incorporated with current and future technologies in digital media and computer aided design. Our program welcomes a wide range of methodologies and inquiry, and encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to sculptural practice.

In addition to your chosen area of study, you will have the opportunity to take other courses that explore a diverse range of visual arts concerns from an interdisciplinary approach. At the senior level, these courses also provide you with opportunities for internship placements in galleries, museums and artist-run centres.

Graduates of NSCAD’s fine art major are successful studio artists, gallery administrators, film/theatre set designers, illustrators, professional printmakers and arts writers. Many pursue graduate studies and become critics, curators, architects, gallery/ museum archivists and college/university professors.