For people in Colorado to be successful in an art career, they must first obtain the proper training from an accredited school to strengthen their talents.
There are many schools in the state that offer various art programs such as painting, illustration, graphic design, sculpture, photography, and even game design. Whatever field of art that people enjoy, there is a school that is perfect for them.
Following are some of the best art schools in Colorado offering these and many other art programs for aspiring artists.
Colleges and Universities
Below are some of the best Colleges for Art Courses, Classes and Degrees for any Artist.
Adams State College
Adams State College in Alamosa offers superior art programs including art, music and theater, all accredited with the Higher Learning Commission. Prospective students can learn about the enrollment procedures by calling Adams State at-719-587-7011 or by visiting the college online at-http://www.adams.edu. They may also write to the college at-208 Edgemont Blvd., Alamosa, Colorado, 81101.
Students, who wish to earn their bachelor of fine arts degree in painting, will need to complete various general education and art-specific courses. The required general education curriculum includes the following courses-Communication Arts I and II, Major Themes in Literature, Mathematics, two Social and Behavioral Science courses, two History courses, two Physical and Natural Science courses (one must have a lab), and Business Computer Applications.
The art-specific courses they will need to complete are the following classes-Art Appreciation, Introduction to Music or Introduction to Theater, Introduction to Art Criticism, 2D Design, 3D Design, Drawing I through IV, Art History elective, Women in Art History, Professional Seminar, Photography 2D Studio, Printmaking 2D Studio, Fiber or Sculpture 3D Studio, Ceramics or Metals 3D Studio, Painting, Intermediate Painting I and II, Advanced Painting I and II, Thesis, Graphic Design, and at least one additional art-specific elective.
Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College, located in Durango, offers several magnificent art programs including art, art history, art education, graphic design, music, and theater, all accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Students, who want to train in any of these areas, can phone Fort Lewis at-877-352-2656 or write to them at the following address-1000 Rim Drive, Durango, Colorado, 81301. They can also read all about the college and its programs at the college’s website-http://www.fortlewis.edu.
Those students, who wish to earn a bachelor of arts degree majoring in art history, will need to complete the following basic skills course work-two Communications courses, Mathematics, two Humanities electives, one History course, Social and Behavioral Science, and two Physical or Life Science courses with labs.
They must also complete the following art-related course work-Drawing, Visual Foundations I and II, Art History I/Ancient World to the Middle Ages, Art History II/Renaissance to the Modern World, Sophomore Seminar, Modern Art History/1945 to the Present or Contemporary Art World or Contemporary Art-Process/Theory and Criticism, Senior Seminar, and at least five additional art-related electives.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Accredited with the Northcentral Association of Colleges and Schools, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs offers several fascinating art programs including art history, music, theater and studio art. Those persons in the Colorado Springs district, who would like to attend the university, can call their main desk at-719-255-8227 or write them at their mailing address-1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80918. They can also check out the university’s website at-http://www.uccs.edu.
The requirements to earn a bachelor of arts degree in visual arts consist of several general education and program-related courses. Following are the general education courses that students will need to take-Rhetoric and Writing I and II, four Humanities electives, Freshman Seminar, four Social Science electives, Reasoning Skills course, four Natural Science courses (at least one with a lab), Oral Communication course, and three additional General Education electives.
The program-related courses that students will need to take to earn their degrees are-Beginning Studio 2D, Beginning Studio 3D, Beginning Drawing, Art and Ideas/Michaelangelo to Basquiat, Contemporary Art, Seminar in Studio Problems, Capstone, Professional Seminar, one 1000-Level Foundation course, three 2000-Level Visual Arts electives, two Cross-Disciplinary courses, three 3000-Level Visual Arts electives, and two 3990 Visual Arts core courses.
University of Colorado at Denver
The University of Colorado at Denver offers fabulous programs in studio art, art history, photography, music and theater, accredited with the Higher Learning Commission. If students would like to schedule a visit with the school, they can do so by calling-303-556-2704. They can also obtain information by writing to the university at-Campus Box 167, Post Office Box 173364, Denver, Colorado, 80217 or by visiting the school’s website at-www.ucdenver.edu.
Those students, who choose to earn their bachelor of arts degree in studio arts, will need to take all of the following basic education courses to earn their degrees-First-Year Seminar, English Composition I and II, Mathematics, two Humanities electives, two Behavioral and Social Science courses, two Biological and Physical Science courses, International Perspectives, and Cultural Diversity.
They will also need to take all of the following program-oriented courses-Introduction to Photography, Painting Methods and Materials, Bronze Casting, Media of Drawing, Introduction to Digital Photography, Wood and Metal Sculpture, Interdisciplinary Practices, Silver Fine Print, Digital Fine Print, Drawing II/Artistic Visualization, Digital Bookmaking, Painting and the Printed Image, Life Drawing, Web Design and Digital Imaging, Modeling/Casting the Figure, Non-Western Art History, Abstract Painting, Installation Art, Contemporary Art, and six Visual Arts Foundation courses.
Western State College of Colorado
Located in Gunnison and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, Western State College of Colorado offers several outstanding art programs including art history, studio art, graphic design, art education, music and theater. If people would like full details pertaining to any of these programs, they can phone the college’s main office at-970-943-3045, or they may write to them at-600 North Adams Street, Gunnison, Colorado, 81231. They may also choose to visit them online at-http://www.western.edu.
For students to earn their bachelor of arts degree in studio arts, they must complete a variety of basic education classes as follows-Academic Writing or Honors Academic Writing, Academic Writing and Inquiry or Honors Academic Writing and Inquiry, Mathematics, three Social Science courses, two Natural Science courses, three Humanities or Arts courses, and two additional Basic Education electives.
They must also take many different art-oriented classes as follows-eight Exhibition/Convocation Attendance electives, Foundation Drawing I and II, Foundation Design 2D, Foundation Design 3D, Art History I and II, Intermediate Drawing, Artist’s Portfolio/Senior Exhibition, three Level 200 Art electives, three Level 300 Art electives, and two Level 400 Art electives.
Schools of Art and Design
Below are some of the biggest and best Art Schools in Colorado.
The Art Institute of Colorado
Located in Denver and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, The Art Institute of Colorado offers a vast array of art programs for those people interested in art careers. Some of the excellent programs that the institute offers include graphic design, interior design, fashion design, photography, video production, web design, and culinary arts. People in the Denver area, who would like to apply to the institute, can find out how by calling-303-837-0825 or by visiting the institute’s website at-http://www.artinstitutes.edu/denver/. They can also write to them at-1200 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado, 80203.
Before students can begin training at the institute, they will need to undergo an interview with a school official to discuss their educational and long-term goals. They will also need to submit a brief, 150 word essay describing how they wish for their training to help them reach their career goals. Some programs may require students to submit a portfolio of their work, as well.
Those students, who want to pursue their bachelor of arts degree in filmmaking and video production, will need to pass the following basic skills courses with at least a C-College Algebra, College Physics, Critical Thinking, English Composition I and II, General Education Capstone, Fundamentals of Statistics, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish I and II, Speech, and Western Civilization to 1600.
They will also need to pass the following program-related courses with a C or above-Advanced Camera and Lighting Practicum, Advanced Editing, Advanced Scriptwriting, Advanced Video Production, Art History II/Renaissance to 1800, Basic Web Design, Broadcast Layout, Color Correction and Keying, Compositing, Contracts/Negotiations and Copyright Laws, Current Topics, Design for Interactive Media, Design for Media Production, Digital Cinematography, Digital Documentary, Digital Illustration, Digital Image Manipulation, Directing, DVD Authoring, Electronic Field Production, Fundamentals of Audio, Fundamentals of Design, Fundamentals of Editing, Fundamentals of Lighting, Fundamentals of Scriptwriting, Fundamentals of Video Production, History of Motion Media and Mass Communication, Intermediate Audio, Intermediate Editing, Intermediate Video Production, Media Literacy, Media Theory, Motion Graphics I through III, New Media, Portfolio I through III for Digital Filmmaking and Video Production, Producing, Sound Design, Topics in Post-Production, and Studio Production.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Located in Denver and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design offers exemplary programs in fine arts, animation, art education, game art, graphic design, illustration and interior design. Those individuals, who are pursuing careers in any of these fields, can contact the college at-303-753-6046, or they can write to them at-1600 Pierce Street, Denver, Colorado, 80214. They can also read about the college and all of these programs at the college’s website-http://www.rmcad.edu/.
Students, wishing to attend the college, must meet with an admissions counselor to discuss their educational goals. They must also submit a portfolio of their most recent and best art work and a short essay describing what they want out of their education. Portfolios should ideally include 10 to 15 pieces of work in digital format.
Students, who choose to earn their bachelor of arts degree in animation, will need to complete approximately 39 credit hours of basic education courses in such areas as English, Mathematics, Communications, Social Science, Science, History, Humanities and Computer Science.
They will also need to complete a variety of program-specific courses in such areas as Creative Visualization, 2D Animation, Stop Motion Animation, 3D Animation, Advanced Dynamics, two Studio electives, Advanced Character Animation, Motion Studies, 2D Drawing, Advanced Software/3D, Anatomy and Figure Studies, Modeling, Character Design, Virtual Environments, Storyboarding, and Line of Action.
Other Superb Art Schools in Colorado
- Colorado Christian University-Lakewood
- University of Denver-Denver
- Metropolitan State College-Denver
- Colorado College-Colorado Springs
- University of Colorado-Boulder
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Naropa University-Boulder
- Colorado State University-Pueblo
Checklist of Requirements for New Colorado Art Students
Requirements and Supplies for Artists are as follows:
1. Admissions Requirements
a. Admissions Applications and Fees
b. High-School and/or other Transcripts
c. Placement Tests
d. Portfolios, Auditions and/or Work Experience
e. Essay and/or Letter/s of Recommendation
f. Orientation, Interview and/or Tour
2. Supplies Requirements
a. Drawing Books/Pads
b. Writing and Drawing Utensils, Erasers, and Sharpeners
c. Masking Tape and Glue Sticks
d. Cutting Tools (Scissors and X-Acto Knife)
e. Measuring Tools (Tapes, Steel Ruler and T-Square)
f. Staple Gun
g. Digital Camera
h. Basic Painting Supplies
3. Requirements for Graduation
a. Apprenticeship or Internship and/or
b. Art Capstone or
c. Junior or Senior Project or
d. Thesis
