Department of Art and Design

The art program at Spring Arbor University encourages students to express both technical and creative skills. The various studio courses are structured in order to develop traditional academic competence in visual and tactile forms. The uniqueness, however, is the attention given to the development of each individual student, guiding them in discovering their own personal philosophy and artistic style.

Education becomes meaningful only when active interdependence exists between growth, development and creation. Victor Lowenfeld describes the complexities of creation and says that beyond the picture or sculpture, an artist gives us “a part of himself; how he thinks, feels, and sees.” The Christian perspective of art further clarifies values and attitudes. In our art program, you will learn to think, see and create while simultaneously addressing emotional and spiritual needs.

As Bob Briner states: “There is no reason why our Christian colleges cannot ‘feed’ decent, remarkable art into the cultural mainstream.” SAU’s Department of Art & Design is here to make a difference in our visual culture.

Majors and Programs

Beyond the professions in which making art is the primary focus, such as a studio artist, illustrator, graphic designer or teacher, countless opportunities exist for creative people with artistic sensitivities and training.

The art major offers concentrations in:

• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Painting
• Sculpture