Painting

Studying painting at the College of Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth offers professional, studio-based training in the visual arts with all the advantages of a university education.

Learn fundamental skills and contemporary practices through a wide spectrum of course offerings such as:

form
color & space
the human figure
concept-development
mixed media
abstraction
time-based media
installation

You'll develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining painting with printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, and other disciplines in contemporary art making. You'll also be able to explore fields across the university, such as business, engineering, and science.

Fine artists are inherent problem-solvers, negotiators, collaborators, and team-players; they have excellent hand/eye coordination and can illustrate their ideas—often quickly—so that others can understand a concept beyond the written or spoken word. The skills of a fine artist can be applied in education, business, advertising, set design, and arts management (gallery directors, administrators), to name a few.

Students who wish to focus their studies on painting may major in studio arts, which offers concentrations in painting, drawing, 2D sculpture, and 3D integrated studio arts.

The BFA program in studio art and the expanded field culminates in each student’s BFA capstone exhibition in a professional gallery or museum setting. A graduating BFA student from our program has the experience and confidence to boldly enter a career in the visual arts and build a creative life amid the limitless possibilities available to the artist today.

For the BFA in art + design: studio arts and the expanded field, you'll complete 78 credits in courses related to your major, and 120 credits overall.

For the minor, you'll complete 18 credits. A minor in painting will provide you with the aesthetic, technical, and intellectual training necessary to succeed in the professional art world.

Painting student work

Connor Chan, painting, color pencil and acrylic on canvas

Student success

Alison Paige Borges '23

Alison's paintings tell a story of empowerment as I explore the intensity of the unknown.

Internships

The RISD Museum

Career Placements

School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Graduate Schools

University of Washington School of Art, Art History & Design

College of Visual & Performing Arts undergraduate median starting salary:
$55,000

NACE Data Collection of Class of 2023 Undergraduate Alumni

UMassD advantages

Internships: enhance your studies while gaining first-hand experience in creative fields
Studio facilities: our studios feature state-of-the-art equipment and ample work areas
Campus Gallery: exhibit your work and gain exposure to the work of contemporary artists

Expand your opportunities

Master of Fine Arts: Develop your personal voice and advance your creative skills with a master's degree. You can specialize in drawing, painting, printmaking, or sculpture.

Master of Art Education: With an emphasis on how the arts are integrated into daily life, the MAE program leads to a single-level professional certification in Massachusetts as an art teacher in grades Pre K-8 or 5-12.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Fine Arts: Designed for artists who have earned BFA or BA degrees, and would benefit from immersion in an academic/studio environment. Applicants may wish to develop their artwork for application to graduate school, professional residency or to launch a professional career.