While one of the most traditional of the fine arts, painting now encompasses a variety of media. Professional painters may work as independent studio artists or in a wide range of professional fields, from museum curation to multimedia and film.
The SCAD painting department welcomes conceptual approaches as well as traditional academic methods of painting.
Visiting artists spend a term at SCAD giving presentations, teaching classes, conducting critiques and visiting studios. Past artists-in-residence or distinguished faculty include Steve Locke, Matt Blackwell and Adam Cvijanovic.
Students learn the practical skills to succeed: editing a portfolio, approaching a gallery, creating a self-promotional Web site and more.
Advanced painting students may compete for a
studio residency in New York City.
At the undergraduate level, emphasis is placed on technical skill, understanding of traditional and contemporary approaches to painting, and the concept of personal vision.
Graduate painting students may be sponsored to attend the annual College Art Association conference, where they make valuable professional contacts in the field.
Through SCAD eLearning, the painting M.A. and M.F.A. programs are offered with a limited residency requirement, allowing educators to gain advanced standing or meet district requirements, or to gain terminal qualifications while continuing to teach. Students begin in residence in Savannah or Atlanta, take courses online from fall through spring, then finish in residence in Atlanta or Savannah. These are cohort-based programs requiring a summer start.
Graduate students work in private studios with ongoing mentoring and critical feedback from faculty. Rigorous studio classes encourage development of personal vision. Courses in contemporary art, art criticism and criticial theory offer advanced perspective.
Department-sponsored exhibitions and conferences offer valuable opportunities to network and gain exposure to the professional world.