FINE ARTS
The focus of the Fine Arts program is to cultivate the individual voice and vision of the Fine Arts student and prepare them to sustain their professional lives as practicing artists. The Fine Arts concentrations are designed to recognize the breadth of choices artists have today and the directions student may choose, from tradition to experimental. Students learn about creating art for public spaces, private commissions, gallery exhibitions, publications and/or marketing your own work.
After completing the foundation year of developing the building blocks of a visual language, Fine Arts majors can choose to enter Drawing/Painting or Sculpture as their primary concentration. Both concentrations follow a similar path taking introductory level courses in both Drawing/ Painting and Sculpture their sophomore year. In the third semester students begin their advanced courses in their chosen concentration. Each area of concentration is infused with a broad range of options allowing students to sharpen their focus and shape their personal vision. Through the combination of intense studio experience and a rigorous study of liberal arts, each area encourages both artistic and cognitive growth through technical/formal and conceptual exploration.
To prepare Fine Arts majors as professional artists, courses at CVA teach students to document, display and market their work. Students learn how to identify and reach their audience and to contribute their unique problem solving skills to society at large. Students ready themselves for the workplace by developing a cohesive portfolio, speaking and writing abilities, and flexible thinking skills.
Fine Arts students work closely with faculty mentors who are established professional artists. Through faculty relationships students will find models for making a living as an artist, which may include teaching, arts administration, curatorial positions, arts writing and/or working as freelance artists. All students participate in the culminating professional practice course that prepares students to enter the world as a professional with-in their respective discipline.
DRAWING/PAINTING
Students who choose Drawing/Painting as their concentration begin by strengthening their powers of observation while exploring the many ways which drawing and painting can capture their realizations, whether it is through observing the human body or creating a complex interior space. Materials and methods are explored as relationships between form and content are developed. Intermediate level students become familiar with the theory and practice of painting and drawing through extensive studio exploration, visiting artists, readings on contemporary issues and working with an experienced faculty who are accomplished within their fields. In keeping up with contemporary issues in painting and drawing, students are encouraged to explore the relationship between painting and drawing and other media such as video and photography.
 The advanced drawing/painting student is challenged to create bodies of work for exhibition in the community and will learn about the broad range of
professional opportunities to pursue—from working in theater set design, creating public murals, working on commissions, illustrating, teaching,
and preparing to exhibit and sell your work. The Fine Arts Portfolio course prepares students for the professional world with instruction
in resume and cover letters, grant writing, presentation, artist residencies and more.
SCULPTURE
From the well known and whimsical "Spoonbridge and Cherry" at the Walker Sculpture Garden, to the artistic details on the new light rail train stations,
a bronze piece in a private home or the numerous public arts "gateways", sculpture is everywhere and in countless imaginable forms. The CVA sculpture
student discovers the 3-Dimensional world with its form, function and aesthetics, and how sculpture comes to life in a myriad of materials and techniques.
By experiencing, exploring and creating, the sculpture student shapes his or her artistic path and builds a range of skills that are highly marketable
in today's workplace.
The CVA sculpture shop is a fully equipped, well maintained wood and metal facility with an outdoor working area overlooking the St. Paul river valley. Students work with a trained staff learning how to safely operate equipment and a range of hand tools to create lasting works of art. Intro and intermediate level students weld metal, construct wood, carve, and create molds from clay and plaster. Advanced sculpture students are offered courses in: Public Art, a growing field requiring additional insight and managerial skills from the artist; Advanced 3-D, where sculptural form can range from fabricated steel to inflatable or sewn form; and Installation/Performance, where the dialects of constructing space are explored through multimedia installations, site specific events, and interactive performances.
The Fine Arts Portfolio course prepares sculpture students for the professional world as they learn about the ways to apply for public commissions, write proposals, and apply their skill sets to a broad range of industry and work place opportunities, or prepare their portfolio for entering graduate school. CVA sculpture graduates work in architectural renovations, artist run metal fabrication shops, 3-D advertising and design companies, and they have produced pieces for interior and environmental design firms, galleries, museums and public and private commissions.
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