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, England, 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
David J. Begley, Associate Professor and Chair
Amy Bennion, Assistant Professor
Peter S. Brown, Professor
Blake Coglianese, Associate Professor
Vanessa B. Cruz, Associate Professor
Alexander Diaz, Associate Professor
Trevor T. Dunn, Associate Professor
David Fenner, Professor
Sheila Goloborotko, Associate Professor
Jennifer Hager, Professor
Elizabeth B. Heuer, Associate Professor
Stephen E. Heywood, Professor
Jason C. John, Associate Professor
Andrew Kozlowski, Assistant Professor
Kally Malcom, Associate Professor
Debra L. Murphy, Professor
Elizabeth B. Nabi, Associate Professor
Claudia Scaff, Associate Professor
Christopher W. Trice, Associate Professor
Lance Vickery, Assistant Professor
Lisa West, Instructor
Jessica Boursky, Gallery Director/Instructor
Professors Emeriti
Louise Freshman Brown, Professor Emerita
Robert Cocanougher, Professor Emeritus
Nofa F. Dixon, Associate Professor Emerita
Paul Ladnier, Associate Professor Emeritus
Paul C. Karabinis, Associate Professor Emeritus