Department of Art and Design
Location: Building 45, Room 2022 in the Fine Arts Center
Phone: (904) 620-4037
Web Address: http://www.unf.edu/coas/art-design
Chair: Debra Murphy, Ph.D.
Mission
The nationally accredited department of Art and Design provides undergraduate degree programs in Art History, Painting/Drawing/Printmaking, Graphic Design and Digital Media, Photography, Ceramics, and Sculpture. Our nationally and internationally accomplished faculty participate in exhibitions and commissions, engage in ground-breaking scholarly research, and as experts in their fields, provide outstanding undergraduate instruction through a broad and diverse curriculum. The department’s dynamic and innovative programs go beyond curriculum and classroom walls to foster experiential and transformational learning through internships, community engagement, undergraduate research and exhibition, study abroad, and gallery practice and museum study opportunities in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville, a cultural institute of UNF. The department of Art and Design prepares its students to excel as creative thinkers, makers, and cultural entrepreneurs, to excel in their disciplines, and to be successful in a broad range of graduate programs and professions in the arts and beyond.
The Program
The Department of Art and Design offers courses of study leading to career preparation in fine arts, graphic design & digital media, and art history as practitioners, teachers, artists or consultants; provides service courses in art and art history to other disciplines in the University; and fosters individual professional growth and cultural enhancement by promoting artistic production and scholarly research on the part of the faculty and students. The department seeks to enrich the cultural atmosphere and intellectual awareness of the University and Northeast Florida through art exhibitions, lectures, seminars, workshops and study abroad opportunities.
The comprehensive, multifaceted art curriculum is designed to produce an artistically sophisticated graduate with realistic expectations to compete in the job market or pursue graduate study. Program concentrations are in painting, drawing and printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and graphic design & digital media. All studio and design concentrations emphasize a hands-on approach and feature opportunities for exhibition and presentation. Access to the greater Jacksonville area lends additional professional appeal because of its vibrant arts community, numerous exhibition venues and art museums. The Department works closely with MOCA Jacksonville, a Cultural Institute of UNF, and the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. UNF faculty members are involved in curating exhibitions at the museums, presenting lectures and serving on museum committees.
The Department of Art and Design received the prestigious accreditation from the National Association of School of Art and Design (NASAD) in October 2106. NASAD accreditation signals the department’s excellence in faculty, programs, and curriculum, and the wide support it receives from the university administration and staff.
Majors and Minors
The department offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations in painting/drawing/printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography and graphic design and digital media. A Bachelor of Arts in Art History is also offered. Minors are offered in Fine Arts, Photography, Art History and Ceramics.
Study Abroad
The department sponsors an annual six-week study abroad program in Italy where students can study and experience first-hand some of the most important works from western civilization. Art History and studio courses are offered. Students visit both smaller towns and large urban centers such as Florence and Naples while the majority of the program is anchored in Rome. Other study abroad programs are offered on a rotating basis such as graphic design and digital media programs in Brazil, Ireland and Ireland.
There are several competitive scholarships available for majors in the department to help support study abroad opportunities.
Opportunities for Student Exhibitions and Internships
There is a highly competitive annual Juried Student exhibition held every year in the University of North Florida Gallery in Building 2/1032, Founders Hall.
Students interested in Museum Studies and gallery work may be interested in internships at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and MOCA Jacksonville. The Department also maintains and curates a regular exhibition schedule in the UNF Gallery at MOCA.
Internships are also available in graphic design firms and corporations, photography studios, various galleries, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, and area hospitals that coordinate art therapy programs.
Student Organizations
There are a number of student organizations in the department including the Sculptors’ Guild, the Pottery Guild, the Photo Club, the Print Guild, the Painting Guild, and The Osprey Design Club
The Faculty
The faculty of the Department of Art and Design is composed of award winning professors and artists who have established national and international reputations. The Faculty holds membership in a variety of professional organizations including the College Art Association, the Southeastern College Art Association, the Renaissance Society of America, Southern Graphics International, AIGA, the Society for Photographic Education, and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, among others.
The Barbara Ritzman Devereux Artist Workshop
Through generous support from the family of the late Barbara Ritzman Devereux, an artist of national stature is invited annually to campus to work with students, exhibit and lecture.
Department of Art & Design Faculty
Debra L. Murphy, Professor & Chair
David J. Begley, Associate Professor
Louise F. Brown, Professor
Peter S. Brown, Professor
Blake Coglianese, Associate Professor
Vanessa B. Cruz, Associate Professor
Alexander Diaz, Associate Professor
Nofa F. Dixon, Associate Professor
James R. Draper, Instructor and Curator
Trevor T. Dunn, Associate Professor
David Fenner, Professor
Sheila Goloborotko, Assistant Professor
Mauricio Gonzalez, Professor
Jennifer Hager, Professor
Elizabeth B. Heuer, Associate Professor
Stephen E. Heywood, Professor
Jason C. John, Associate Professor
Paul C. Karabinis, Associate Professor
Andrew Kozlowski, Assistant Professor
Kally Malcom, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth B. Nabi, Associate Professor
Claudia Scaff, Associate Professor
Christopher W. Trice, Associate Professor
Lisa West, Instructor
