Our introductory-level courses aim at developing in students a lifelong appreciation for the visual arts from a global perspective. Our upper-level curriculum continues this goal while also preparing students for graduate study or for positions within the art world, including museum administration, publishing, communication arts, and design.

The graduate program in the Department of Art and Art History encourages a high "Idle Hands" graduate exhibition 2009: April Livingston, "Wisdom Teeth."level of creative thinking and intellectual inquiry, training students to become practicing artists, teachers in higher education, or professionals in other art or art-related fields. Programs within the department provide an informative, resourceful atmosphere that encourages artistic initiative and scholarly investigation. Faculty members are committed to teaching excellence, research, and service.

They incorporate traditional methods with emerging scholarship in their teaching and research, regularly publish in regional, national, and international publications, and participate in exhibitions and public presentations. With the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art and its Permanent Collection and a full schedule of visiting artists and lecturers, the Department of Art and Art History is an important resource for the university and is an integral part of the local and statewide arts scene.