Art

Academic Department Introduction

The Art Department is an umbrella for five programs: Art History, Studio Art, Architecture, Cinema and Media Studies (CAMS), and Media Arts and Sciences (MAS). Students can major or double major in any of these fields, and they have the option to minor in art history, studio art, or CAMS. We believe the rigorous study of art and visual culture is critical to a liberal arts education and to a person’s power to interpret, shape, and master their environment.

Programs of study

Studio art

Investigate a range of artistic media to acquire technical proficiency and develop a personal material language.
Art history

Gain a critical awareness of visual culture and knowledge of art in its historical and global contexts.
Architecture

Apply interdisciplinary methodologies, critical theories, and professional ethical codes to interpreting architecture and urban form.
Cinema & media studies

Develop agency in the fight against censorship, misinformation, and surveillance that affect media production and consumption.
Media arts & sciences

Examine, analyze, interpret, and critique digital media applications to achieve a well-rounded understanding of both art and computer science.

Course highlights

Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture: The Power of Images

ARTH100

Art and visual culture from around the world with an emphasis on thematic and historical context and cross-cultural connections specific to the instructor's area of specialization.

Because images, buildings, and environments shape our ways of understanding our world and ourselves, learning how to look closely and analyze what you see is a fundamental life skill. Within a global frame, this course provides an introduction to art through a series of case studies from the ancient world to the present day, exploring concepts of gender and race, cultural appropriation, political propaganda, materials and media, cultural ownership and repatriation, and other issues relevant to our world. We will engage with the rich art and architectural resources of Wellesley's campus and beyond.

Seminar: The Landscape Painting of China, Korea, and Japan

ARTH341

Landscape painting, or more accurately, shanshui (literally "mountain-and-water/river"), rose as an independent and major art form in the tenth century in East Asia as a great tradition in the history of world art. How did it develop so early? What did it mean? How was it used for? How does its past serve as inspiration for the present? And why does shanshui remain a major subject of significance in modern and contemporary East Asian art? Following the development of shanshui from the early periods to the twentieth century, the course explores such critical issues as shanshui and representation of nature, shanshui and power, shanshui and national development, shanshui and environment, shanshui as images of the mind, the tension of tradition and creativity in painting shanshui. Comparisons will be made with Dutch, English, French, and American landscape painting to provide a global perspective.
The Art of Science in the Islamic World

ARTH278

In the medieval Islamic world, creating scientific instruments wasn't just practical—it was an art form. Artists and builders used their knowledge of chemistry, metallurgy, geometry, astronomy, and anatomy to produce objects and monuments that were both beautiful and crucial to the discovery of new phenomena. In this class, we'll analyze the intertwined practices of artistic creation and scientific exploration, spanning the seventh to the fifteenth centuries. You'll investigate the discoveries behind objects, images, and monuments, such as astrolabes and zoological manuscripts. We'll cover fascinating topics like the secrets of constructing robotic automata, the alchemy of turning plants into vibrant textile dyes, and the geometric principles guiding the design of astronomical observatories and tile patterns. Our field trips to Special Collections and hands-on activities will bring these concepts to life. You'll learn to see the world through both an artist's and a scientist's eyes, gaining insights into how medieval Islamic innovations continue to influence our modern world. (ARTH 278 and MAS 278 are cross-listed courses.)

Explore all courses

Exhibitions

Our galleries

We exhibit work by visiting professional artists and our own student artists in galleries throughout the Jewett Arts Center and in Pendleton West. At the end of each academic year, all of the spaces are turned over to the Senior and Thesis Exhibition, as our graduating seniors showcase their work.

Recent exhibitions

Places and spaces

Art Library. Our art and architecture library collections cover the history, theory, criticism, and practice of the visual arts. They include books, exhibition catalogs, periodicals, and access to the major databases for the visual arts
Book Arts Lab. Students learn typography, letterpress printing, hand bookbinding, and decorated papers techniques in the Book Arts Lab, home to the Annis Press imprint.
Collins Cinema. Featuring two 35 mm projectors and cinema seating with a capacity of 175, Collins Cinema hosts CAMS courses, special programs, and student Film Society screenings.
Davis Museum. Home to distinguished permanent collections from around the globe, the Davis Museum holds a rich, wide-ranging collection of global art from ancient Egyptian sculptures to contemporary photography. We make extensive use of the collections to teach in the direct presence of art.
Digital fabrication studios. A number of digital fabrication processes, including 3D printing, laser cutting, vacuforming, and soldering, are available in the digital fabrication studios. Art students create prototypes, props, and works of art that combine digital rendering and preparatory processes with physical materials, exploring new ways of working in both 2D and 3D.
Equipment cage. The cage is a one-stop shop for art students who need equipment rentals or art paper. Students can buy exclusive art paper for painting, drawing, and printmaking classes, or borrow media equipment for photo, video, and new media classes.
Digital output and flex media room. In this room, art students can work on a variety of projects in both physical and digital media, using scanners, photo printers, projectors, and computers with color-calibrated monitors.
Jewett Art Gallery. The Art Department’s marquee exhibition space, the Jewett Art Gallery is an extended teaching facility for the Studio Art Program.
Jewett Sculpture Court. This light-filled, multilevel room serves as an exhibition space, a meeting place for art-related student clubs, and a spot for students, faculty, and staff to hang out or work between classes.
Lighting studio. In this dedicated studio space, students create flexible and customizable lighting setups for a variety of photography, video, and installation-based projects. The attached audio recording suite has a soundproofed room and a mixing and editing space.
Media Arts Lab. The Media Arts Lab contains Alienware computers with dual monitors and Wacom tablets, as well as high-quality printers, flatbed scanners, an HD projector, a 3D printer, and a vinyl cutter. A variety of software packages are installed on the machines, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro X, and Autodesk Maya.
Photography darkroom. With enlargers, developing baths, and other equipment, the darkroom is home to analog photography classes and projects.
Printmaking studios. Dactyl Press, the Art Department’s printmaking studio, has a variety of presses and other equipment necessary to make lithographs, etchings, woodcuts, and many other kinds of prints. A separate studio is dedicated to papermaking and screenprinting
Video editing suites. These soundproofed rooms have permanently installed equipment to facilitate the editing of digital video, animation, and audio-based work.
Wood, metal, and plaster shops. The wood shop spans several rooms and includes a hand tools work area, sculpture area with a plaster room, and spaces with more complex machinery. The shop has a circular saw, band saw, drill press, and CNC machine.

Opportunities

Access to local museums

Wellesley students, faculty, and staff enjoy free admission to the Harvard Art Museums, the Museum of Fine Arts (with ID), and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (with code).
Funding for students

Available to Art Department majors and minors, the Alice T. Friedman Endowed Fund supports research, travel, internships, or special projects intended to help students prepare for careers in the arts.
Davis Museum collaboration

Students can apply to work at the Davis Museum as student workers/docents, summer interns, and members of the Davis Museum Student Advisory Committee
Early career support

The Alice C. Cole ’42 Studio Project Grant provides project-based funding to recent Wellesley College graduates for the development, production, and exhibition of new work in painting and sculpture. The Alice C. Cole ’42 Fellowship is awarded to an emerging painter or sculptor, funding one year of unimpeded time and space to experiment, develop a body of work, and focus on future artistic goals.

Beyond Wellesley

Most of our graduates work in creative fields, such as fine arts, architecture, film and television, advertising, and design. Some pursue careers in software development and online industries. A considerable number of graduates earn advanced degrees, with some working in higher education.