Fine Arts

Art

From Vast Beauty to the Deeper Meaning Within

What’s the most noble and worthwhile activity an artist can undertake? The pursuit of beauty. It’s a pursuit that requires knowledge, character, and curiosity. That’s why we help our students develop critical thinking, exploration, and analysis—skills at the core of the study of classical liberal arts—while coming to understand the vital role art has played through Western European and American history and continues to play today. You’ll develop your talents in traditional and new media while exploring the history of art and your place in it. You’ll have access to a diverse variety of studio courses, and the work you develop in them will culminate in your own exhibition in a Hillsdale gallery. Our faculty members are experienced working artists, dedicated to helping you become a force for beauty in our world. Art is offered as a major and minor.

View Student and Faculty Art

Mission

The mission of the Hillsdale College Art Department is to accomplish the following:

  1. To instill in students an understanding and appreciation of the greatest traditions in the visual arts and how they contribute to a richer understanding of life
  2. To build on the honored examples of representational art as found in the established traditions of western European and American art through the avenues of courses in art history and studio practice, as well as through the exhibits and lecture series sponsored by the department
  3. To provide training in design guided by belief that good design reflects order in the construction of the world
  4. To foster respect for craftsmanship in the traditional media of painting, sculpture and drawing, as well as technology-based media of photography and graphic art
  5. To promote a belief through art that the world makes sense and is beautiful—that artists have a vital role to play in making this truth known
  6. To promote a belief that beauty is a relevant and vital term for the artist today—that the pursuit of it requires knowledge, skill and character and is therefore an elevating and enriching experience.

Art Scholarships

A palette with paint colors

Incoming freshmen interested in pursuing an art major or minor can apply for partial tuition scholarships.

Learn More about Art Scholarships


Facilities

Fine Arts Building

 

The Art Department is housed in the Fine Arts Building. In addition to several art studios and classrooms, art faculty and students have access to a gallery and a graphic design lab.

Learn More about the art department facilities

Alpha Rho Tau

A student working a on a sculpture

Alpha Rho Tau is a campus honorary that promotes activities in the Art Department, such as field trips to art museums and bringing artists, art history programs and exhibits to campus.

Learn More about Alpha Rho Tau