Hello, we're

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

Nice to meet you.

Located in Richmond, Virginia

Branch campus in Doha, Qatar

Connections all over the world

VCUarts is the #1 ranked public art and design program in the country.

So says US News & World Report (since 2003)

and we're ranked #2 in the nation among both public and private schools

But our ranking is just part of the story.

VCUarts is an amazing VALUE.

Our relatively low tuition

and financial aid assistance

combined with the quality of a VCUarts education and the reputation and ranking of VCUarts

=

awesome.

(value)

Richmond is an incredible city with a low cost-of-living.

it is...

Beautiful.

Inspiring.

Arts-centric.

There's Always something cool to do and see.

VCU Institute for Contemporary Art

Richmond is...

Outdoor Magazine's #1 River City

the Third most tattooed city in the U.S.

One of 8 under the radar foodie cities in the world

As ranked by U.S. News Travel

One of 10 best cities for finding employment

According to Forbes

Near everything you'd want

VCU is a major public research institution

Now let's talk about our majors

These majors start with AFO

Art Education

Communication Arts

Craft/Material Studies

Fashion Design

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Kinetic Imaging

Painting + Printmaking

Photography + Film

Sculpture + Extended Media

What is AFO?

Art Foundation

A studio-based experience in the fundamental issues of art and design. It exposes students to a vast forum of ideas & concepts preparing them for a wide range of disciplines.

Drawing

Surface

Space

Time

Art Education / BFA

Train to be an idea-based artist and learn to design instructional strategies. Spend time student-teaching in local schools.

Art Education grads become teachers, school administrators, artists…

Communication Arts / BFA

Illustration.

Medical Illustration.

Electronic imaging for print, television, film and web.

The study and exploration of the qualities, disciplines and technologies that enable us to create and communicate with insight, vision and voice.

Communication Arts grads become art directors, illustrators, animators, 3-D modelers, graphic novelists…

Craft/Material Studies / BFA

Metal – make objects and jewelry with soldering, stone setting, hollow forming, and enameling techniques

Fiber – learn to weave, embroider, and knit, and silkscreen on cloth

Wood – study carving, joinery and lathe work to make sculpture and furniture

Glass – explore glassblowing, slumping, lampworking, and casting

Clay – learn hand building or wheel throwing pottery techniques

Fiber #1 Glass #1 Metal #5 Clay #6

Among all public U.S. art & design programs. US News & World Report

Craft grads become textile, furniture and jewelry designers, studio artists, craftspersons…

Fashion Design / BFA

Learn both the creative and professional processes for concept development, fashion illustration, patternmaking, draping and garment construction.

Fashion Design grads become fashion designers, product developers, fashion historians, associate designers…

Graphic Design / BFA

VCUarts Graphic Design is ranked #1 among all public U.S. art & design programs. US News & World Report

Graphic designers integrate form and information for the purpose of effective visual communication. Print. Web. Anyplace else where ideas are communicated.

Graphic Design grads become creative directors, art directors, graphic designers, web designers…

Interior Design / BFA

Problem solving for the near built environment. It’s not about merely making a room look good.

Interior Design grads become contract designers, hospitality designers, retail designers, residential designers, space planners…

Kinetic Imaging / BFA

For students with vivid imaginations and inexhaustible curiosity, attracted to video, sound or animation art.

Kinetic Imaging grads become media artists, producers, motion graphic artists, animators, video editors, web designers, game artists, film makers, sound technicians…

Painting + Printmaking / BFA

VCUarts Painting is ranked #2 among all public U.S. art programs. Printmaking is ranked #9. US News & World Report

Practice and theory as a foundation for independent exploration and artistic development.

Exceptional, sun-filled facilities and enhanced computer lab

Painting and Printmaking grads become artists, printmakers, painters, museum administrators, art critics…

Photography + Film / BFA

VCUarts Photography is ranked #4 among all public U.S. art & design programs. US News & World Report

Students may focus on still photography, filmmaking, or both.

Study traditional and contemporary photographic and film media.

Photography + Film grads become photographers, film editors, filmmakers…

Sculpture +Extended Media / BFA

VCUarts Sculpture is ranked #1 among all public and U.S. art & design programs. US News & World Report

One of the largest and most widely recognized programs in the country.

Learn construction methods and techniques and how to communicate ideas through artworks.

"Extended Media" includes video, performance, robotic, sound, and more.

Sculpture grads become art educators, sculptors, museum and gallery owners, designers…

Art History / BA

Students study two- and three-dimensional works of art in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, film and performance art.

Internships at major museums, galleries, historic buildings and archeological sites. Students have traveled to Peru, Scotland, Tibet, Ecuador, and Spain.

Art historians examine the creation and meaning works of art as well as their social, political, and historical contexts.

Art History grads become museum curators, conservationists, researchers, gallery administrators, restoration specialists, appraisers, art consultants…

Cinema / BA

What’s the difference between a BA in Cinema and a BFA in Photography and Film?

Cinema offers a BA degree. Students learn to create narrative films and work in teams. Emphasis on writing, casting, directing, camera work and editing in the collaborative, industry model of production.

Photography and Film offers a BFA degree. Students work individually and in small groups to create artisanal narrative shorts, documentaries and single-channel experimental films and videos.

Focus on narrative film and combine the use of new digital technologies

Cinema grads become film makers, directors, editors, producers, critics, sound designers, directors of photography, production designers…

Fashion Merchandising / BA

Knowing how to have the right merchandise at the right time at the right place and price with the right sales promotion

Fashion Merchandising grads become retail buyers, fashion directors, fashion forecasters, fashion historians, visual merchandisers...

Dance + Choreography / BFA

Equal focus on performance and choreography.

Students train in modern dance and ballet techniques as well as in creative-track courses.

VCU Dance is represented annually at major dance competitions.

Dance grads become choreographers, performers, dance teachers, artistic directors, dance therapists…

Music / BA, BM

Students study in one of these areas:

Performance

Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Strings, Vocal, Woodwind, or Brass emphasis, Jazz Studies

Students have the chance to perform and study with musicians around the world

Music Education

Teachers perform regularly and are leaders in the fields of music performance and music education.

Music grads become solo and orchestral performers, music educators, opera singers, music managers, band directors, conductors, professors…

Theatre / BFA, BA

Performance

Costume Design

Scenic Design

Lighting Design

Stage Management

Theatre grads become actors, voice over artists, set, costume, light and special effects designers, fight choreographers, stunt artists, producers, stage managers…

your major is just part of your experience.

Research grants

The Yellow House

Kay Milne, Art Education Gerry Perez, Art Education Warren A. Hamilton II, Kinetic Imaging Dennis Williams, Theatre and Art History Rebecca Rudolph, Theatre (Scene Design) Brian Glass, Kinetic Imaging and Computer Science Emily Rosko, Theatre (Stage Management)

Award: $2,500

World of Wearable Art

Grace D. Johnston, Sculpture + Extended Media Melanie J. Hearn, Fashion Design

Award: $3,000

Multimedia Art Advocacy

Kevin Estes, Music Performance; Peter Soroka, Music Performance; Brittany Shade, Sculpture + Extended Media; John Labra, Graphic Design

Award: $2,500

Travel

Dean's International Study Grants

VCUarts Qatar

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Fashion Design

Painting and Printmaking

Art History

VCU Faculty-led programs

Honors College

Smaller class sizes

Priority class registration

Access to more scholarship funding

Honors Idea Exchange

Weekly discussions on pertinent topics

Outstanding lecture series

Honors undergraduate research program

Curriculum based on professors' research interest

Special library privileges

Honors-only housing

da Vinci Center

Collaboration between Arts, Business, Engineering and Humanities & Sciences

Center for the Creative Economy

Creative Entrepreneurship

Student organizations

VCU has nearly 400 registered student organizations

Our gym

Award winning dining hall

What about JOBS?

Internships

Local, regional & national organizations tap our talent

VCU Career Services

Arts Career Advisor

Connections

Faculty, students, and advisors connect students with careers

Where Are They Now?

Find out what our alumni have done with their degrees, upcoming events, news, and more on arts.vcu.edu/watn

How to apply

Go to This website

arts.vcu.edu

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By This date

Audition

Dance

Music

Theatre

Essay

Cinema

Art History

Portfolio

Art Foundation

Art Education

Communication Arts

Craft/Material Studies

Fashion Design

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Kinetic Imaging

Painting + Printmaking

Photography + Film

Sculpture + Extended Media

Theatre Technical Tracks

Portfolio Requirements

Submit 12 to 16 works of art that you have created within the past two years that show your promise in visual art and design.

Present your strongest work and demonstrate your potential to develop a diverse set of skills and ideas.

We prefer to see a diverse range of 2D and 3D media. Drawing from observation is recommended.

You can get feedback on your work before you apply.

Summer Intensive

Residency Program for high school students

the last three weeks of July

Thanks!