Art careers are not only extremely popular today, but they are also extremely diverse.
There are many different fields, that creative people may choose to work within, from painting and ceramics to game design and fashion design.
The best way to become successful in an art career is to train within an accredited art school, and for those people in West Virginia, there are many fantastic institutions for them to choose among.
Following are some of the best art schools in the state.
Schools of Art in West Virginia
Below are some of the best Art Schools that offer Art Classes, Courses, Programs and Degrees for Artists.
College of Creative Arts
The College of Creative Arts, located in Morgantown and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is an extension of West Virginia University and offers first-class programs in art education, art history, graphic design, ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Those people in the Morgantown area, who would like to attend the College of Creative Arts, can find out about the enrollment process by calling-304-293-2140 or by writing to-1549 University Avenue, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506. They can also visit the college online at their website-http://artanddesign.wvu.edu/.
For students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in art history, they must complete several basic education classes as follows-English I and II, Mathematics, two Science courses and one lab, Contemporary Society, The Individual in Society, American Culture, Western Culture, Non-Western Culture, four Foreign Language electives, two Humanities electives, and one additional History elective.
They must also complete several art-related classes to earn their degrees. These classes are as follows-Survey of Western Art I and II, two Studio Art courses, Classic Art History elective, Western European Traditions Art History, Modern and Contemporary Studies, Art History Seminar, Methods of Research in Art, Modern Art Theory, Senior Research Project, three Art-Related electives, three additional Art History electives, World Architecture, Native American/Africana Studies, Museum/Curatorial, Historic Presentation, Women in Art, and two additional Studio or Art-Related electives.
West Virginia Colleges and Universities
Below are some of the most popular Colleges that offer Courses for aspiring Artists.
Concord University
Located in Athens and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, Concord University offers several astonishing art-related programs including art education, graphic design, advertising, music education and studio art. If people would like complete details pertaining to any of these programs, they can read about them online at the university’s website-http://www.concord.edu. They may also request a catalog by calling-888-384-5249 or by writing to-Vermillion Street, Post Office Box 1000, Athens, West Virginia, 24712.
Those students, who want to work towards a bachelor of arts degree in advertising/graphic design, will need to complete an intense curriculum of general education and program-oriented course work. The general education courses that they will need to complete are the following classes-Composition and Rhetoric I and II, World Literature I and II, Fundamentals of Speech, Personal Wellness, four Social Science electives, two Science courses with labs, two Mathematics courses, and two Foreign Language courses.
The program-oriented courses they will need to fulfill consist of the following classes-Introduction to Visual Arts, Introduction to Music, Introduction to Theater, Drawing I and II, Design I and II, Painting I, Ceramics I or Ceramic Sculpture, Photography I, Art History I and II, Water Color Painting, Sculpture I, Printmaking I, Basic Computer Graphics, Basic Production Techniques, Typography, Basic Illustration Techniques, Advanced Illustration, Graphic Techniques, Advertising Design and Copyrighting, Web Design, Advanced Advertising Design, Advertising/Graphic Design Internship, Television Commercial Production, Principles of Marketing, and Advertising and Sales Promotion.
Davis and Elkins College
Davis and Elkins College, located in Elkins and accredited with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, offers terrific programs in art, design and technical theater, theater arts, and theater education. People, who have an interest in any of these areas, can phone the college at-304-637-1900 or write to them at-100 Campus Drive, Elkins, West Virginia, 26241. They can also view the programs online at-http://www.dewv.edu.
For students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in art, they will need to take the following basic education courses-First-Year Seminar, Public Speaking, English Composition, Literature electives, Writing elective, two History courses, Philosophy, Religion, two Mathematics courses, two Science courses and one lab, two Social Science electives, and Health and Wellness.
They must also take the following art-specific courses to earn their bachelor degree-Drawing and Design, Dimensional Design I and II, Computer Graphic Elements, Art History I and II, Drawing Tactics, Color Theory, Painting, Imagery and Illustration, Senior Studio, Printmaking, and two additional Art-Related electives. Students must also complete a minor outside of the performing and fine arts department.
Marshall University
Marshall University in Huntington, accredited with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, offers superb programs in art education, art history, graphic design, ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking, music and theater. Those people in the Huntington area, who would like to study within any of these areas, can phone the university at-304-696-6760 or write to the following address-1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, West Virginia, 25755. They can also find useful information online at-http://www.marshall.edu.
Those students, who choose to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in visual arts/sculpture, will need to complete a variety of general education and art-related courses, of which the general education courses are as follows-English Composition I and II, First-Year Seminar, two Fine Arts electives, Fundamentals of Speech/Communications, Mathematics/Concepts and Applications, Physical or Natural Science, Humanities, Social Science, and five additional General Education electives.
The art-related courses that students will need to complete to earn their bachelor degrees are as follows-Introduction to Art for Art Majors, six sessions of Co-Curricular Experiences, Introduction to Design, Drawing I and II, Three-Dimensional Design, Digital Media, History of Art I and II, Sculpture, two 2-D Studio electives, two 3-D Studio electives, BFA Portfolio Review, Advanced Sculpture, Cast Metal Sculpture, Carved Sculpture, 20th Century Art, Welded Sculpture, Mold Making and Casting, Professional Practice, Figure Drawing, Figure Sculpture, one additional Art History course, Assemblage Sculpture, BFA Senior Capstone Project, and at least two additional Art-Related electives.
University of Charleston
The University of Charleston, accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, offers unique programs in art, interior design and music. Students can call the university at-304-357-4800 or write to the campus at-2300 MacCorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston, West Virginia, 25304. They can also find program information online at-http://www.ucwv.edu.
Those students, who wish to major in art, will need to fulfill several general education requirements in the following areas-Citizenship, Communications, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Ethical Practice and Science. They will also need to fulfill the following art-specific requirements-Drawing, Design Foundations, Appreciation of Visual Arts, History of Design through Art I and II, Painting Techniques I and II, Art History/Modern Art, Printmaking, Photography, Exploration of 3-D Art Forms I and II, Digital Imaging I, and at least two Advanced Studio electives.
West Virginia Westleyan College
Located in Buckhannon and accredited with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, West Virginia Westleyan College has top-notch programs in art, graphic design, music, music education, painting and drawing, and theater. Those people, who would like to begin careers in any of these fields, can find out how to apply to Westleyan College by calling them at-304-473-8000 or by writing to the campus at-59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, West Virginia, 26201. They can also find the application procedures online at-http://www.wvwc.edu/.
Students, who want to major in art/drawing and painting, will need to take a variety of general education classes as follows-Physical Science with lab, Biological Science with lab, Quantitative Inquiry elective, Introduction to the Humanities, Literature elective, Aesthetic Expression elective, Composition I and II, Fundamentals of Oral Communication, Philosophy elective, Religion elective, Physical and Mental Well-Being elective, United States Cultural Studies elective, International Cultural Studies electives, and two Social Science electives.
They will also need to take a variety of art-oriented classes as follows-Drawing I and II, Design Fundamentals, Concepts and Ideation, Digital Photography, Painting I and II, Life Drawing, Survey of Art I/Ancient and Medieval, Survey of Art II/Renaissance and Modern, History of 20th Century Art, Advanced Painting or Advanced Drawing, Printmaking, Internship, Open Studio, Senior Seminar I and II, and at least one additional Art-Related elective.
West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University in Institute offers splendid programs in art and music, accredited with the Higher Learning Commission. For people to learn how to apply to the college, they can call them at-800-987-2112 or write to them at their mailing address-Post Office Box 1000, Institute, West Virginia, 25112. They can also find the application procedures online at-http://www.wvstateu.edu.
Students, who choose to pursue a bachelor of arts degree in art, will need to take the following general education courses-Mathematics, two Foreign Language courses, Philosophy, two Communications electives, English I and II, two Fine Arts electives, Social Structures, two History courses, American Traditions, and two Natural Science with labs.
They will also need to take the following art-oriented courses to earn their degrees-Studio III/Design, Drawing I, Painting I, Western Art I and II, Printmaking I, Sculpture I, Ceramics I, Computer Graphics, Arts Management Seminar, Senior Exhibit, Photography I or Figure Drawing or Digital Photography I, at least two electives from the student’s chosen concentration, and at least six of the following courses-Non-Western Art, Renaissance/Baroque and Early 19th Century Art, Modern Art, American Art, African and Afro-American Art, American Indian Art, Appalachian Arts and Crafts, African Art, African-American Artists, Art History Seminar, Contemporary Artists, and Women Artists.
Ben Franklin Career Center
Located in Dunbar and accredited with the Northcentral Association Commission, the Ben Franklin Career Center offers an exemplary graphic communications/design program for those people interested in the field. If people would like to apply to the center, they can phone them at-304-766-0369 or write to them at the following address-500 28th Street, Dunbar, West Virginia, 25064. They can also read about the school and the program online at-http://bfcc.kana.tec.wv.us/.
Some of the areas of study within the graphic communications/design program include the following-Job Planning and Layout, Composition, Platemaking, Preparing Copy for Reproduction, Layout and Stripping the Flat, Offset Press Fundamentals and Operations, Darkroom Procedures and Film Developing, Offset Inks, Line and Halftone Photography, and Paper and Bindery Work.
Shepherd University
Located in Shepherdstown and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, Shepherd University offers excellent programs in art education, graphic design, painting, printmaking, sculpture and photo/computer imagery. Prospective students, who would like to study within any of these areas, can find out how to enroll to Shepherd University by calling the school’s general office at-304-876-5000 or by writing to them at-Post Office Box 5000, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, 25443. They may also choose to visit the university’s website at-http://www.shepherd.edu/.
Students, who wish to major in art education, will need to fulfill several general education requirements as follows-English I and II, two Communications electives, three Humanities or Fine Arts electives, Economics elective, two History courses, Political Science elective, Sociology elective, two Life or Physical Science courses with labs, Mathematics, and one Physical Education elective.
They must also fulfill several program-related requirements as follows-Visual Thinking Skills I and II, Survey History of Western Art, Contemporary Art, Drawing I and II, Sculpture I, Printmaking II, Graphic Design, Black and White Photography I, Art Criticism and Aesthetics, Inclusive Approaches to Art Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and at least three Studio Art electives.
Beginning a Successful Career in West Virginia
The first step to beginning a career in art is gaining entrance to an accredited art school. While the admission requirements vary among various schools, there are many common requirements that applicants will need to fulfill before they can begin studying. Some of these common requirements are listed below.
Basic Art Requirements
- Admission’s Application and Application Fee
- High-School and/or Other Applicable Transcripts
- Placement Tests for English, Mathematics and Writing
- Portfolios or Auditions
- Letters of Recommendation, Essays and/or Work Experience
- Orientation, Tour and Interview
Art Materials Needed
Once students gain entry to the school of their choice, they will want to make sure they purchase all of the necessary supplies. They can find many of the supplies that they will need in the college or university book store. Although the supplies they will need will vary depending on the program students may choose, some basic supplies that are necessary for many programs include the following materials.
- Drawing Utensils and Drawing Tablets
- Various Erasers and a Sharpener
- Basic Paint Supplies
- A Staple Gun or Stapler
- A Digital Camera
- Cutting and Measuring Tools
- Glue Sticks and Masking Tape
Project Requirements
For students to complete their programs and earn their degrees, there are various requirements they will need to fulfill. These requirements also vary depending upon the program, as well as, the school that students may choose. However, the common requirements that students will have to fulfill are the following.
- Internship/Externship or Apprenticeship
- Art Capstone
- Junior or Senior Thesis
- Junior or Senior Project
