Art

Why Should I Study Art at EWU?

We launch the careers of people who dream of contributing to the world through the Visual Arts through the making of art—or the curating, researching and/or teaching of art.

Careers in Art

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High School Art Teacher
Elementary Art Teacher
Art Education Director
- Museum programs
- Community based programs
College Instructor or Professor
Visiting Artist
Artist Residency Instructor or Technician
Art Teacher
- Community centers
- Art centers
Workshop Leader
Workshop Coordinator

High School Art Teacher
Elementary Art Teacher
Art Education Director
- Museum programs
- Community based programs
College Instructor or Professor
Visiting Artist
Artist Residency Instructor or Technician
Art Teacher
- Community centers
- Art centers
Workshop Leader
Workshop Coordinator

Working Artist
Grant Writer
Public Artist
Art Consultant
Curator
- Gallery
- Museum

Gallerist
Art Agent and Business Manager
Online Vendor

Art Therapy

Archivist
Foundation Accounts
Arts Preservation
Membership Officer
Museum Shop Manager
Preparator
Public Relations Officer
Registrar
Receptionist
Program Assistants
Curatorial Assistant
Museum Program Assistant
Research Assistant
Social Media Managers or Assistants
Marketing Assistants
Corporate Sponsorship
Grants writer
Press/PR Assistants or Directors
Event Management

Commercial Photography
Professional Photography
Illustrator
Graphic Designer
AV Technician
Studio Artist
Muralist
Studio Artist
Potter
Production Design
Set Design
Studio Artist
Freelance Illustrator
Freelance Designer
Creative Technologist
Craft Artist
Industrial Designer
Animator
Multimedia Specialist
Digital Designer
Digital Content Strategist
Tattoo Artist
Digital Image Specialist
Digital Video Editor
Videographer
Digital Asset Manager
Studio Assistant
Studio Technician

With 3.48 million people working for arts businesses, arts education is a critical tool in fueling the creative industries with arts-trained workers as well as new arts consumers.

Americans for the Arts: Research reports in support of art careers
Fortune: Critics are wrong about liberal arts degrees
Forbes: Creativity as a strategic necessity

“The arts develop skills and habits of mind that are important for workers in the new economy of ideas.”
– Alan Greenspan,
former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman

Art Scholarships

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Background: Established by former faculty members Tom Askman and Barbara Miller for EWU Art Students

The recipient of this award should:

be a full-time junior or senior who is majoring in Studio Art or Art History
have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

The art faculty will select a student based on their determination of the most deserving and promising student.

Amount Awarded: $600-$1,200

Background: Established by EWU alumnus Phillip D. Grub in honor of his appreciation for art classes.

This award is for students who:

are juniors or seniors
demonstrate financial need and/or superior ability in art

Amount Awarded: $600-$1,400

Background: Established in honor of Ruby Gould Tyler and her love of Art.

The recipient of this award must:

be an art major
have a 3.0 GPA or higher
demonstrate financial need

Amount Awarded: $200-$500

Background: R. A. Hanrahan established her biannual scholarship in 1975.

Amount Awarded: $200-$1,000

Our scholarships help many students pay tuition.

Complete the general EWU scholarship application to be considered.

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Range of Facilities

We have multiple studios spaces that are bright and open for use – pretty much anytime! When they are not being used for classes, students are welcome to use the spaces to create.

Some of the spaces include the:

Digital Art Lab
Painting Studio
Photography Darkroom
Ceramics Studio
Printmaking Studio
Student Gallery space
and more!

If you are interested in touring the spaces – head on over to the Visitors Center to schedule a campus tour and let them know you want to check out the Art Building!

Visiting Artist Lecture Series

Every year the Visiting Artist Lecture Series (VALS) works with national & international contacts in the art world to bring working artists, critics, and educators to the Spokane area.

This is a great opportunity for our students and the community to learn more about careers in the visual arts.

Established in 1993 with grants from the National Education Association, the Visiting Artist Lecture Series (VALS) is a community consortium that promotes dialogue about contemporary art and art issues. Past panelists, lecturers and exhibitors have included a roster of impressive creators/scholars including:

Amalia Mesa-Bains,
James Luna,
Mel Chin,
Kiki Smith,
Janine Antoni,
Sue Coe,
Enrique Chagoya, and more!

Visit our Facebook page to see about current VALS events and for further questions or concerns, please contact Jenny Hyde at jhyde@ewu.edu.

EWU Gallery of Art

The Department of Art houses a unique central gallery space. We offer an excellent exhibition program geared towards giving students first-hand knowledge of the work, ideas, and methods of successful visual artists working today.

Exhibitions occur throughout the academic year, with an end-of-the-year student symposium and BFA exhibition of student work. Exhibitions are often coupled with artist talks and/or critique sessions with students.

Head on over to their webpage to learn more about the EWU Gallery of Art.

Frequently Asked Questions

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You should begin taking Art Foundations courses as soon as you think you might want to major in art. No matter which degree you choose, you’ll need the following:

ART 201 | Studio Art I: Surface/Image/Practice
ART 202 | Studio Art II: Space/Form/Materials
ART 203 | Digital Art I (except Art History majors)
ART 213 | The Visual Art Experience

Many art history courses require ENGL 201 as a prerequisite, so we encourage you to take that course as early as possible.

You’ll probably also take some General Education courses while taking your Art Foundations. During this time, you should work closely with a CAAR advisor to plan your degree program. Once you’ve decided to declare a major (art education, art history, or studio art), you’ll be assigned an ART advisor.

Keep in mind, while taking general education credits, the Art Program has multiple General Education courses that can count towards your program:

ART 213: The Visual Art Experience (humanities breadth area)
ART 310: World Art,
ARTH 303: The Body in Art,
and ARTH 340: Native North American Art (diversity requirement).

For the Studio Art (BA) you do not have to apply. Email the Art director for an appointment to declare an Art Major.

If you are interested in pursuing a BFA – Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art, there is an application process in the spring and you can learn more about the process on the Studio Art (BFA) page.

If you are interested in applying for the BFA program, make sure to talk to your faculty advisor.

Yes, the Art Program offers two art minors:

An art minor is a great credential to add to many other degrees. It shows an exposure to creative thinking and problem solving: things important to fields such as business, design, or even law!

YES! EWU Art alumni have been accepted into a variety of top-notch universities across the USA. Our BFA students alone have been placed in over 300 universities across the country, including:

University of Texas – Austin
Cranbrook
San Francisco Art Institute
Pratt Institute
Claremont
California Institute of Arts and Crafts
Mills College
University of California – San Diego
Alfred University
University of Idaho

… and more!

For our program learning objectives, please see our individual degree pages:

Overall, we understand that art represents people, cultures, values and perspectives on being human. Studying art gives students the tools to interpret the world in which they live by cultivating creativity and stretching perceptions.

If you are interested in pursuing a degree or minor in Art and don’t see your question here, please feel free to reach out.

Professor Jenny Hyde
Program Director for Art
P: 509.359.6997
E: ArtDepartment@ewu.edu