Fine Arts | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Fine Arts

Create Art,
Create Community

The Fine Arts Department at MCAD prepares students for life-long studio and community practices relevant to a changing art world. An interdisciplinary curriculum, supported by rigorous technical and conceptual development, fosters growth and self-confidence. The department encourages aesthetic and cultural diversity in a program that is immersive and collaborative. We strive to create professional opportunities for students to engage in a broader dialog with the world beyond the classroom and to be fully prepared for a meaningful post-MCAD experience.

Fine Arts majors select a concentration in Drawing and Painting, Sculpture and Expanded Media, or Print Paper Book Arts.

Student in their studio surrounded by their artwork

Learning Outcomes

Fine Arts Majors will:

  • Identify and develop the core concepts within their artwork through medium-specific, intermedia and interdisciplinary study.
  • Create a cohesive body of work articulating their perspective and situating themselves as contemporary artists.
  • Demonstrate advanced technical skills through materials-specific and intermedia coursework.
  • Develop professional practice, self-criticality, and self-reliance
  • Demonstrate critical reading, writing and speaking skills that address their artistic goals within the field of contemporary art
  • Develop an understanding of contemporary and traditional art theory and practice
  • Analyze and critique the work of others while in service to each other and the community.
  • Experience professional exhibitions, internships and community programs.

Hear about the student experience

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Class Highlights

This Bachelor of Fine Arts program enables students to learn advanced technical and critical thinking skills through materials-specific and intermedia coursework. Class highlights include:

  • Fine Arts Studio: Art & Ecological Futures
  • Fine Arts Studio: Storytelling
  • Print in Public: Zines, Posters, Eco Graffiti
  • Papermaking
  • Sculpture: Casting & Mixed Media
  • Painting: Materials & Techniques
  • Operative Drawing
Degree Information

After MCAD

There are many paths to explore with a degree in Fine Arts Studio. Potential careers include:

  • Contemporary Artist
  • Curator
  • Arts Administrator
  • Arts Writer
  • Creative Cultural Leader
Additional Careers

See what students in the major are making

“I started out as a photography major, but I switched to fine arts studio so I could have more freedom with my photography work, incorporating sculptural elements. I felt like my classes allowed for a lot of experimentation.”

Jamie Thomas ’14, Freelance Photographer

Address

2501 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Contact Us

612.874.3700
800.874.MCAD (6223)
Fax: 612.874.3701

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Land Acknowledgement

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


Nondiscrimination Policy

MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.