About

The Department of Art at the University of Maine offers dynamic, interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs: the B.A. in Art History; B.A. in Art Education; B.A. & B.F.A. in Studio Art; M.A., M.F.A., & Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Intermedia; and minors in Art History, Graphic Design & Studio Art.

Our undergraduate, graduate, and gallery programming is at the forefront of contemporary concerns in art practices; art history, criticism, and theory; and art pedagogy. The department balances a need for a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with intensive study of the visual arts. By researching, critiquing, producing, exhibiting, and teaching art, our students become informed and creative contributors to 21st-century global culture.

Lord Hall, a 1904 brick building, is home to the Art Education and Art History programs as well as Lord Hall Gallery, the department’s gallery of contemporary art. It also serves as the home for design and digital art studios. The Wyeth Family Studio Art Center, opened in 2013, is home to modern studio classrooms for printmaking, painting, drawing, 3D foundations, and photography. The newly-renovated Goos Family Studio houses our ceramics studio and the Fire Station Building houses our fully-equipped sculpture studio.

The department also collaborates closely with the University of Maine’s Zillman Art Museum in downtown Bangor to develop learning, internship, and programming opportunities for students and the public.

Opportunities to Excel

The Department of Art offers a number of scholarships to qualified students. Scholarships are awarded on merit and evidence of accomplishment in studio art, art education, or art history. In addition, Department of Art students have ample opportunity to compete for awards, internships, and work-study employment. Among the many awards granted annually by the Department are the Vincent Hartgen Award, which grants funds for research travel; the Zillman Art Museum Internship, which allows students to intern as part of their coursework or professional development; and the David Shoemaker Award, which grants research funds.

Our Undergraduate Programs

• Art Education: UMaine’s Art Education program is the largest and most comprehensive in the State. It offers students an integrated liberal arts program that places both theory and practice at the center of their learning experiences. As a result, students are not only prepared as “highly qualified” art teachers, they are also well educated in the complexity and diversity of art and our visual and material culture.
• Art History: The History of Art program stands out for its emphasis on theory, diverse methodologies and interdisciplinary research. The curriculum stresses research by teaching students the essential value of primary sources and peer-reviewed secondary sources as they work through their studies.
• Studio Art: The emphasis of the Studio program is creative work in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and digital art. Elective studio work is available in photography, graphic design and ceramics. UMaine’s Studio Program is internationally recognized as a leader in sustainable and green initiatives and research.
• Graphic Design: In an era when digital technologies have brought professional design to the world at large, the Department of Art offers a minor in which students bring together aesthetics, design history, cultural studies, and internship possibilities in the professional world of Graphic Design.

Our Faculty

The Department’s faculty members are highly educated working artists, art historians, and art educators with national and international reputations in their fields. They publish books, essays and reviews; exhibit their work in leading galleries and museums; serve as editors of prominent academic journals; chair and participate in major conferences and symposia; curate museum and gallery exhibitions; and have received prestigious grants, fellowships, and residencies. In addition to their professional accomplishments, faculty members are dedicated teachers and are active in their communities, volunteering their expertise to local cinemas, schools, museums, galleries, and environmental sustainability programs throughout the region.

How do I Apply?

Visit go.umaine.edu for an application, as well as information about academics and life at UMaine.

Contact

General Inquiries

um.art@maine.edu
207.581.3245

Justin Wolff, Chair & Professor of Art History

justin.wolff@maine.edu
207.581.3246

Jeannie Bauer, Administrative Specialist

jeannie.bauer@maine.edu
207.581.3245