The Painting / Drawing Program teaches a contemporary approach to line, form, color, composition, and space as they relate to painting, drawing, and visual and conceptual experience. As students progress, the emphasis of the coursework shifts to guided experimentation and individual expression.
Senior students have dedicated studio spaces—an advanced experience modeled on the first year of graduate school. The goal of this final year is to develop a mature and coherent body of work, culminating in a senior show.
The program emphasizes familiarity with contemporary art, culture, and visual studies. A well-established visiting-faculty program brings artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other major art centers to teach and critique student work. An ongoing lecture series brings to campus other visiting artists, who share their perspectives and keep students connected to the local and international art world.
CCA offers large painting studios and a number of well-lit drawing studios, which are all available more than 70 hours a week. Several on-campus galleries provide space for rotating student exhibitions.
Our alumni are among today's leading contemporary artists. Alumni and faculty work appears regularly in major exhibitions at institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Artists Space, New York; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
