Visual Arts Program

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Visual Arts students will find Alderson-Broaddus an artist's paradise. Breathtaking local scenery, spacious studios and a supportive faculty create a positive atmosphere for artistic investigation.

It is the mission of the Visual Arts faculty to help students develop skills and to encourage sophistication in thought. Each student develops his or her own visual language. The process meshes studio abilities with an understanding of past and contemporary forms. Students and faculty meet regularly in formal critiques and informal discussion groups to review their work and ideas.

Beginning Visual Arts classes are open to students in any major, but advanced classes are limited to Visual Arts majors and minors so that students have plenty of access to individualized instruction. It is not unusual for students to drop by a professor's office for a chat or an impromptu critique.

Visual Arts majors have opportunities to explore all areas of the visual arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and digital arts, as well as to specialize in a chosen area. Many of the materials for these classes are provided by the school at no additional cost.

A unique opportunity exists at Alderson-Broaddus for students who are interested in gallery experience. Students may apply for the work program or for performance scholarships to work with Daywood Gallery, gaining valuable skills in organizing exhibits for professional artists. Working with the gallery director and visiting artists, students can learn the aesthetic and technical skills required to publicize, strike and care for exhibits.

Daywood Gallery at Alderson-Broaddus hosts about six exhibits each year. Visiting artists discuss their work in gallery talks and formal lectures. In addition, students have only a two-hour drive to important museums and galleries in Pittsburgh, PA.

For more information about the major in Visual Arts, contact Professor Grant Johnson, Assistant Professor of Art, Ph. 304.457.6273.