art class

The Art Department comprises areas of emphasis in both studio art and art history and covers a wide range of courses within both areas.

The art program provides a wide array of courses for the major and for the non-major alike. Courses in many media are taught using traditional and new media and technologies to provide the breadth and depth necessary to ensure that the art experience at Presbyterian College enhances the mission of a liberal arts institution while training students in the practice of art production.

Studio Art

The student in studio art courses will find small classes, with a lot of individualized attention from the professors, and interaction among fellow students in critiques. The studio art major features a unique four-semester seminar culminating in an exhibition of graduating seniors’ work. These students have dedicated studio space allotted to them to allow them to realize their individual studio art goals. The exhibition is a point of pride for the department; the art majors organize and carry out the entire undertaking under supervision from the gallery director, from publicity, organizing and hanging the show, setting up lighting, coordinating the reception, and finally enjoying the fruits of their labors.

Art History

The art history program at PC enhances the liberal arts curriculum by intersecting with other disciplines, as varied as chemistry, history, international studies, business, and general humanities, as well as serving general education requirements in the fine arts. Students who choose the art history emphasis in the art major learn not only about the major monuments of human culture, but also how to analyze visual material, to place objects in historical, cultural, and social context, and how to conduct effective research, to present that research, and to write a well-documented and reasoned research paper.

Study Abroad

Students who take art history classes find themselves more aware of their surroundings, at home and abroad.  Many students avail themselves of the opportunity to engage in short-term study abroad with art history.  In recent years, the art history Maymesters have included travel to Greece, Spain, England, and Cuba. Students who study abroad for longer terms find that art history prepares them to see more and understand more of what they see.

After Graduation

Students who have majored and minored in art at PC have gone on to graduate work at noteworthy institutions such as New York University, Florida State University, Tulane University, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and others. They pursue careers in teaching, graphic design, art auctioning, historic preservation, and other fields such as well as architecture, medicine, and law.