The Department of Art seeks to help students acquire visual literacy, that is, the ability to understand and critically respond to our current visual culture and how it has been influenced by the traditions of visual representation from the past.
Faculty
Our faculty are both scholars and teachers who devote their careers to making important contributions to their disciplines through writing and research. They are committed to undergraduate education and teach everything from first-year seminars to advanced courses.
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The art department has created programs of major study that are deeply integrated with the overall liberal arts education that is the hallmark of Oberlin. A chief goal of the department is to help students acquire visual literacy, that is, the ability to understand and critically respond to our current visual culture and how it has been influenced by the traditions of visual representation from the past. Students also acquire sophisticated written, technical, and visual abilities that allow them to convey their ideas, their understanding, and their appreciation of art through formal as well as new media.
The department’s access to campus facilities, including the internationally acclaimed Allen Memorial Art Museum, and the college’s proximity to the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Toledo Museum of Art enrich the art major’s overall academic development and experience.
Art News
Art Facilities
Allen Memorial Art Museum
Founded in 1917, the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) is recognized today as one of the five best college and university art museums in the United States.
Art Studios
Art department studios serve many functions. Faculty, students, and some staff use these spaces for instruction, project development, collaboration, individual study, and to exhibit their works.
Clarence Ward Art Library
A visual feast for those who love art and the creative process, the Clarence Ward Art Library has more than 100,000 books, exhibition catalogs, and bound periodicals, as well as about 250 journals.
Clarence Ward ’37 Art Building
The Clarence Ward ’37 Art Building, also referred to as the Ward Art Building, features the Fisher Gallery for student exhibitions, art history classrooms, painting and silkscreen studios, and the Visual Resources Collection.
Hales Art Studio
Hales Art Studio is a space on the lower level of the Hales Gymnasium. Students who take certain art department classes meet here for instruction and to work on large-scale projects.