Art

MFA_Qualifying_Exhibition
SMU_MFA_Studios-11

The Division of Art educates students within our liberal arts university to become productive in the fields of art. We value artistic excellence in the forms of rigorous inquiry, outstanding production, & professional success. We believe that art made in this way moves freely among disciplines and finds its place in a national and international environment. We recruit the best students and faculty to create a community seeking knowledge, to nurture commitment to the study of art across a wide spectrum, and to provide a guiding force in society.

Undergraduate Majors/Minors
Graduate Majors/Minors

Meet Our Faculty

David Challier David Challier

David Challier

Adjunct Lecturer, Visiting Artist

Melanie Clemmons Melanie Clemmons

Melanie Clemmons

Associate Professor of Art
Digital/Hybrid Media
Director of Undergraduate Studies

Jer'Lisa Devezin JerLisa Devezin

Jer'Lisa Devezin

Assistant Professor of Practice
Interdisciplinary Art

Ryan Goolsby Ryan Goolsby

Ryan Goolsby

Technical Manager

Ian Grieve Ian Grieve

Ian Grieve

Visiting Lecturer

Kerry Maguire Kerry Maguire

Kerry Maguire

Visiting Professor of Practice

Brian Molanphy BrianMolanphyArt

Brian Molanphy

Professor of Art
Division Chair

Olivia Arratia Olivia Arratia

Olivia Arratia

Visiting Lecturer
Photography

Tippi Polo Adcock Tippi Polo

Tippi Polo Adcock

Coordinator, Division of Art and Pollock Gallery Business Manager

Nishiki Sugawara-Beda Nishiki Sugawara-Beda

Nishiki Sugawara-Beda

Associate Professor of Art
Painting and Drawing 
Director of Graduate Studies

Tabatha Trolli Tabatha Trolli

Tabatha Trolli

Adjunct Lecturer

Philip Van Keuren PhilipVanKeuren

Philip Van Keuren

Professor of Art
Printmaking and Foundations

woman making ceramics in an art studio

Ceramics Studio

The Division of Art ceramics facilities are available to Art majors, minors and other students enrolled in ceramics courses. They are located on the lower level of Owen Arts Center and include a fabrication studio (OAC B640), a glaze room (OAC B660) and a kiln room (OAC B615), plus shared use with sculpture classes of a kiln yard (B613), decal printing and 3D printing studio (B620), and plaster room (B670) for earthenware, stoneware and porcelain production.

Featured Courses

ASAG 3310

Art in the World

 Students study the world of art by visiting museums, galleries, notable architecture and installations, attending public lectures and symposia, and more. All student work is written or made in relation to the experiences in these venues.

ASAG 3380

Critical Issues

 A seminar for art majors in their third year of studies. This course investigates topics in current critical theory in the arts as well as the historical context of their development. Readings are taken from philosophy, literary criticism, art theory and art criticism.

ASAG 5315

Advanced Studio I

 A forum for art majors in the fourth year of studies that facilitates the students' ability to articulate their work as artists and to defend and present it in a peer–group setting. Serves as a culmination of the study of art through the production of a body of work for exhibition.  
NicolasGonzalez speaks to patrons in front of his art

Nicolás González ’16 – Evolution of a Young Artist

A Path Less Taken charts that journey while hinting at a growing career.

Read His Story

Student Work

SMU_In_Taos

SMU-in-Taos

The program at Fort Burgwin, Taos, N.M. offers several approaches to independent and directed study each summer, including the Open Media Workshop, an interdisciplinary studio workshop, as well as sculpture, printmaking and photography. 

Art News

Upcoming Art Events