Program Overview

Introduction to the Art and Art History Program

The Art and Art History program at Colorado State University offers a comprehensive education in the arts, with a focus on creative studio practice, research, and critical inquiry.

Undergraduate Programs

• BA in Art History
  • Art History Certificate (Majors)
  • Art History Minor (Non-Majors)
• BA in Integrated Visual Studies
• BFA in Art Education
• BFA Studio
  • Drawing
  • Electronic Art
  • Fibers
  • Graphic Design
  • Metalsmithing
  • Painting
  • Photo Image Making
  • Pottery
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture

Graduate Programs

• Master of Fine Arts

Metalsmithing Program

The Metalsmithing and Jewelry MFA program at Colorado State University is a three-year, 60 credit course of self-guided study with a focus on creative studio practice and research. Our program encourages students to deepen their understanding of the field and their place within it, to expand their practice and develop a stronger individual artistic voice, and contribute to the growing and evolving visual and design culture that metalsmithing and jewelry encompasses.

Program Description

Students are expected to participate in the technical and conceptual development of their own work and cultivate a creative approach that is relevant to their own intentions and sensibilities. Our program encourages continuing dialog between the student and their professor in development of that work, as well as engagement with other graduate students. We encourage interdisciplinary studio work that can encompass photography, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, painting, fibers, drawing, and electronic media.

Coursework

Students will develop technical and conceptual skills. In addition to in-area studio work, the curriculum includes studio electives, art history coursework, graduate seminars, and non-art electives. A continuous exchange of ideas and critiques with a faculty Graduate Thesis Committee will assist in defining and setting the pace of your personal advancement. Individual artistic practice is both supported and challenged through an ongoing series of meetings and critiques.

Thesis and Exhibition

The successful graduate student will develop an in-depth body of work for an MFA qualifying exhibition at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art. Students prepare a written thesis to accompany their MFA thesis body of work. They will present both their work and written thesis to their graduate committee in their MFA Thesis Defense.

Facilities

The 2,000 square foot Metalsmithing & jewelry studio includes a large, well-ventilated main studio area outfitted with jeweler's benches, two large worktables, rolling flex-shafts, & a wide selection of specialized hand tools. There are separate rooms for raising & forming, casting, enameling, buffing & grinding, welding, & blacksmithing processes. Graduate students have their own studio space, which is next to the main Metals studio.

Faculty

• Haley Bates
  • Associate Professor of Metalsmithing
  • Graduate Advisor for Metalsmithing

Program Opportunities

Graduate students are presented with vast opportunity to participate in an R1 research institution through interdisciplinary collaborations. Students often enroll in courses outside of the department to enhance their studio work and deepen their research. The Metalsmithing Guild is a student-run guild that helps bring nationally or internationally recognized metalsmiths to campus for lectures, demonstrations or workshops, and one-on-one critiques with graduate students. The Colorado Metalsmithing Association (CoMA) is a statewide organization that hosts its yearly annual conference in Salida, Colorado. The conference offers excellent opportunities to meet nationally recognized and local artists working within the field.