Department of Visual Studies
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
202 Center for the Arts, North Campus
Buffalo, New York 14260-6010
T +1 716 645 6878
What is Visual Studies?
The UB Department of Visual Studies unites the disciplines of art, graphic design, art history, and visual theory in a comprehensive program that professionalizes students for careers in art, education, and the creative industries.
The Visual Studies Faculty at UB take a full-spectrum approach to developing all the cognitive skills of our students to help ensure their success in their future endeavors. Students are given ample opportunity in the classroom and in the studio to exercise, develop, and refine their analytical and technical skills along with their creative and expressive abilities.
Faculty include Sylvie Bélanger, Charles Carman, Millie Chen, Adele Henderson, George Hughes, John Jennings, Jonathan Katz, Steve Kurtz, Joan Linder, Gary Nickard, Elizabeth Otto, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Stephanie Rothenberg, Renee Ruffino, David Schirm, Jasmina Tumbas, Benjamin Van Dyke, Paul Vanouse, and Livingston V. Watrous.
Recent visiting artists and critics include Wafaa Bilal, Xu Bing, Blast Theory, Maurizio Cattelan, Mel Chin, Douglas Crimp, Stan Douglas, Karen Finley, Dan Graham, Gary Hill, James Luna, Lorraine O’Grady, Catherine Opie, Trevor Paglan, William Pope L., Sara Reisman, David Rokeby, Carolee Schneemann, Rebecca Schneider, and The Yes Men.
Visual Studies offers undergraduate degree programs in Fine and Studio Art and Art History:
BA and BFA in Art:
The Department of Visual Studies offers two types of bachelor’s degrees in art: the BFA, which is a focused fine art program, and a BA, which is a liberal arts-based program. The BA degree focuses on studio art within a broad program of general studies that allows the student to pursue a minor or double major in another program. The BFA degree focuses on intensive work in studio art concentrations, as listed below, supported by a smaller, more defined program of general studies.
BFA in Fine Art
Concentrations:
Graphic Design
Photography
Painting
Print Media
Emerging Practices
Sculpture
General Studio
BA in Studio Art
Concentrations:
Graphic Design
Photography
General Studio
BA in Art History:
The Art History Program introduces students to the artwork and monuments of diverse cultures throughout history and explores the visual arts’ contributions to culture. Students acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to understand the visual world that envelops them by examining everything from traditional media such as painting to architecture to digital media. Elements of the fabric of visual culture, such as taste and patronage, myth and narrative, gender and race, and intercultural relations are pursued though a global approach to art history.
Careers and further study:
As one would expect, department alumni include many artists who have national and international reputations via their acclaimed exhibitions, commissions, and awards. Alumni have also had great success in education, becoming professors or lecturers at leading colleges and universities or teachers at community colleges and secondary schools. In addition, alumni have entered a range of professions in places such as art galleries, museums, alternative art spaces, auction houses, design and advertising firms, and government agencies for culture as directors, designers, curators, preparators, installers, and art handlers, as well as finding themselves in conservation, fabrication, fund raising, and community outreach programming.
Directors of Undergraduate Studies:
BA and BFA in Art
Reinhard Reitzenstein
[email protected]
BA in Art History
Charles Carman
[email protected]
Visit the Department of Visual Studies to learn more about these and other programs.
Department of Visual Studies
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
202 Center for the Arts, North Campus
Buffalo, New York 14260-6010
T +1 716 645 6878
