The Department of Art and Visual Culture emphasizes creative play as an honorable and valuable process that leads to authentic expression. We ask our studio art majors to take creative risks by dancing on a dangerous precipice where the possibility of disaster is imminent. Indeed, we believe one learns more from a colossal failure than a timid success. We rely on a culture of critique in which students and the faculty routinely meet to discuss recently completed art or work in progress. These moments occur as often out of class as they do in class. Many of our majors are given their own studios and informal critiques occur in these spaces almost daily. Our majors interact with one another closely and form a community of ambitious artists who push one another to excel.

The art faculty at Linfield, each a practicing artist and/or scholar, guides students through course work in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, electronic media, alternative media, and art history. (See links to our individual sites and on-line portfolios in the faculty section of this site.)

Our studio art majors are simultaneously scholars and citizens of the world. Our students allow their interests to inform their creative work. Inasmuch, a critique session is likely to touch on such diverse disciplines as political science, anthropology, biology, or philosophy. Through our institution’s emphasis on study abroad, many of our majors take the opportunity to study for a semester in such locales as Oaxaca, Mexico; Nottingham, England; or Aix-en-Provence, France (Paul Cézanne’s hometown), to name a few. As a faculty, we are committed to encouraging our students to embrace the value of a liberal arts education by exploring and deepening their innate curiosity.

Linfield graduates in studio art have historically gone on to pursue Master of Fine Arts degrees in studio art and doctorates in art history, or have entered the job market directly as gallery directors, graphic designers, commercial artists or, more recently, videographers. Others have been accepted to artist residencies or combined their love of art with other disciplines to pursue careers in elementary and secondary education, arts administration, art therapy and biomedical illustration.

In recent years the art department has had seniors accepted into some of the finest graduate programs in the country, including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Academy in Rome, the Boston Museum School, Pratt Institute in New York City, Lesley University in Boston, University of Southern California, Claremont Graduate University, Maine Art Academy, Sotheby’s Institute of Art (London), and so on. This extraordinary success is the result of a concerted effort on our part to encourage the creative voice of our students within the framework of professionalism and creative excellence.

In addition to these graduate study initiatives, other recent students have immediately entered the field of web and graphic design, often with impressive results. Others have entered the field of arts management, such as gallery directors. During your years at Linfield, you may also elect to pursue an internship. Recent Linfield art students have done so with graphic and interior designers, cutting-edge art institutions and contemporary art galleries.

In the life of a young artist there is a state of focus on intense feelings, thoughts and visions that shapes the experience of making art. To formally study art is but a start of what is, for many, a life-long process of intellectual and creative development. These are but a few of the many exciting aspects of studying art at Linfield College. If any of this excites you, join us! If you would like to visit the campus, please let me know. I am always pleased to share my enthusiasm about teaching and working with inspired and dedicated art students.

Sincerely,

Brian Winkenweder, PhD
Chair, Department of Art and Visual Culture
Linfield College

wink@linfield.edu