Students gain deeper understanding of art practice through artists’ lectures including the ART NOW: Visiting Artist Lecture Series (generously funded by Hogue-Sponenburgh), which brings multiple artists to campus each year. These visiting artist not only present public lectures, but frequently meet with senior art majors one-on-one to provide valuable feedback on their thesis projects. Additionally, field trips to museums, studios, and workshops in Salem, Portland, and Eugene further connect students with contemporary art, artists, peers, and faculty.
Every spring, the Senior Art Exhibition opening draws a crowd of hundreds to the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Weekly exhibitions in the Student Gallery, and throughout the Art Building, showcase current work from all studio classes. The Roger W. Rogers Gallery offers further access to art viewing through semester-long exhibitions of professional artists’ work.
Student learning is supported and enriched by a variety of internships, scholarships and grant-funded summer projects. These include departmental scholarships and awards, internships at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, and grant programs that offer unique opportunities to connect and collaborate with faculty on intensive summer projects. These summer projects include the Carson Undergraduate Research Grant, the LARC grant (Liberal Arts Research Collaborative in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) and the Learning by Creating grant. These grant programs promote student and faculty collaboration and immerse students in intensive studio work.
