Department of Art & Art History, University of Puget Sound

Welcome to the official page for the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Puget Sound Digital Imaging is offered as an elective.

The Department of Art and Art History's educational mission includes the following aims: to teach critical thinking to prepare students to become productive and responsible citizens and to develop our students’ ability to articulate their ideas in a sophisticated manner that will allow them to be successful professionals and mindful citizens. In addition, we aim to teach students how to successful

ly convey and reflect on aesthetic experiences derived from encounters with works of art - we consider this to be an essential element in their training of visual literacy, which in turn is a fundamental tool of critical thinking. The training we offer not only provides our majors and minors with first rate specialized education but offers all students who take courses in our department an opportunity to learn about the history and methods of our disciplines. We believe this knowledge results in a more nuanced understanding of the self as well as in a more sophisticated view of the world and the society we live in. The Department of Art and Art History offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in two distinct, though related, areas of study - Studio Art and Art History. Students in either major are required to take supporting courses in the other area to ensure breadth and depth in their knowledge of art and its history. The department's goal is twofold; to provide a rich and varied experience in studio art or art history while maintaining the quality of content for those majors and minors who aspire to a career in art. Particular attention is paid to the university's emphasis on writing; therefore, all art courses include a writing component. Though the specific education of artists and art historians is our priority, the department strongly emphasizes the goals of a liberal education and to this end many of our courses also serve non-majors. Therefore, we tailor courses to accommodate both majors and non-majors, fostering an interest in the arts and communicating the profound effects of the creation of works from the past and the present. The Department of Art and Art History occupies three buildings with Kittredge Hall and its galleries as the nucleus. Approximately eight exhibitions are held each academic year in the galleries including the juried Art Students Annual Show and the Senior Show. STUDIO ART

It is the goal of the department that studio majors should be able to demonstrate a mastery of process, an understanding of the principles of design, a familiarity with art history, and sensitivity to expression in visual language. The studio areas are well equipped for an institution of our size. Areas of concentration include ceramics, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. In addition to instruction from the regular staff, a number of visiting artists are brought to the campus each year to lecture and work with students. Studio classes average 14 students per class, providing opportunities for close relationships between faculty and students. The studio faculty is exceptionally well qualified. All are exhibiting artists, showing their works in national and international competitive exhibitions and museum exhibitions, as well as in regional and local shows. ART HISTORY

Art history majors develop skills to analyze artwork from a wide range of cultures. This includes the study of methodology for analyzing art in the context of a particular civilization. Written work culminates in the presentation of a major paper that demonstrates the student's ability to apply methods of research and analysis. Courses in art history cover the surveys of Western, Asian, and modern art history, with upper division (300-400 level) studies in Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, 19th and 20th Century European and American Art, Mexican, and several areas of Asian art history. Sophomore level standing or consent of instructor is required for 300 level courses.

02/07/2025

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Art Students Annual! We’re celebrating the incredible talent of our student artists—each bringing creativity, passion, and vision to this year’s show.

Award Winners:
100-level: Viviann Garcia, Tattoos
200-level: Eric Borquist, Coral Noodle
300-level: Bey Anderson, Yin and Yang
Honorable Mention for Best in Show: Irene Harris-Odum, Night Stand
Best in Show: Niko Buharin, Evolutions

A huge thank you to all the artists who shared their work—this exhibition wouldn’t be the same without your creativity. Stop by and see these incredible pieces in person!
Pictured: Rene, Niko, Viviann, Bey, and our gallery manager Peter Stantley

09/12/2024

A day of learning, collaboration, and sharing summer research projects. 5 students from the the Art & Art History department will be show casing their work, along with students from multiple departments. The event starts today at 4pm in the Wheelock Student center. Here's to pushing boundaries and making discoveries together!

04/16/2024

04/03/2024

It is with great pleasure that we extend our warm invitation to the much-anticipated 2024 Senior Show at Kittredge Gallery. This annual event showcases our graduating seniors' incredible talent and creativity, offering a glimpse into their artistic journeys throughout their time here at the University of Puget Sound.

Come join us as we celebrate the work of Isabella Yates, Indi Reynolds, Kendall Taylor, Hendrik Grzybowski, Liss Keenan, Lily Rand, Chloe Knopf, Holly Hudson, Belinda Garrow, Jackson Waterman, and Erin Murphy.

The Senior Show will kick off with an Opening Reception on April 17th at 5:00 PM in the Kittredge Gallery. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet the artists, discuss their work, and celebrate their achievements together.

We are excited to announce that the gallery will be open to the public during the following hours:

Monday through Friday: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Special hours on May 4th and 5th: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

We encourage all University of Puget Sound community members, including students, faculty, staff, families, and friends, to visit the gallery and show your support for our talented seniors. Your presence and appreciation mean a lot to our artists as they prepare to embark on their next chapter.

Whether you're a connoisseur of the arts or simply curious to witness the creativity of our graduating class, we promise you an enriching experience at the 2024 Senior Show.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at Kittredge Gallery to celebrate our seniors.

Photos from Department of Art & Art History, University of Puget Sound's post

02/29/2024

Some pictures of Wendy Cabrera Rubio’s open studio hours! We are so lucky to have Wendy participating in the inaugural International Artist-in-Residence Program! The program is sponsored by a collaboration between the Latina/o Studies Program and the Department of Art & Art History.

Her work features intricate textile work that examines the historical study of culture specifically through cartoon imagery. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by during her open hours she has two more days open to students; March 1st 12pm-2pm and March 4th from 12pm-2pm!
I hope you all find time to come visit her studio this week, and if not no worries because her show opens March 6th in which you will be able to see her work on display in Kittredge Gallery!

02/05/2024

Join us for an evening of original music and lighting design featuring Striking Music, a Seattle-based percussion ensemble with Storm Benjamin, Rebekah Ko, James Doyle, and Benjamin Marx; in collaboration with Puget Sound’s Department of Art and Art History, designer Mare Hirsch, assistant professor of art and digital media.
Striking Music will combine a fresh new multimedia work by Marx, Feynman Diagrams, with Hirsch’s stunning design incorporating interactive technologies, sequenced visual elements, and live synthesized lighting.
All are invited to a reception following the program hosted by the SAI international music organization.

Tickets: $20, general; $15 sr. citizen; military, Puget Sound faculty, staff and Community Music participants.
Admission is free for current Puget Sound and K-12 students. Please obtain a complimentary ticket and present your student ID at the door.
Tickets can be bought at https://www.pugetsound.edu/events/jacobsen-series-striking-music or through clicking the link in our bio!

02/01/2024

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR CURRENT UPS STUDENTS!! The Offield Endowment Travel Fellowship provides a $4000 stipend to up to four students in support of a trip to a national or international location to experience visual art. Sophomores and Juniors may apply for trips during the Summer of 2024 or Winter break of 2024-25. Seniors must apply for trips during Summer 2024. APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 23, 2024 (Awards will be announced by early April.)
ELIGIBILITY: Art and Art History Majors of sophomore, junior, or senior standing. For more information on how to apply visit https://www.pugetsound.edu/art-art-history-current-students/awards-scholarships/offield-endowment-travel-fellowship or click the link in our bio!

01/31/2024

Mark your calendars for next week on February 8th at 5pm, because the University of PugetSound is having the distinguished professor David Schowalter give a talk on doing archaeology during challenging times. The lecture is open to all, and will be located in Wyatt 109!

01/22/2024

Please join us in the opening of the 2023 Students art Annual tonight at 5pm, This marks the official opening of Kittredge Gallery for the spring semester!

11/16/2023

Community partners, educators, and students from the Salish Sea and the Columbia Basin Came together two weeks ago to share place-based knowledge practices and understandings of how to listen and learn from local ecologies at the Flow Art and Ecology Symposium and the concurrent exhibit, In the Flow.

10/31/2023

The Flow Art & Ecology Symposium on November 3rd & 4th and the concurrent gallery exhibit, In the Flow, brings together community partners, educators, and students from the Salish Sea and the Columbia Basin to share material and place-based knowledge practices and understandings of how to listen and learn from local ecologies.
The symposium is free but interested participants will need to register online at https://placebasedthinking.com/ or by clicking the link in our bio

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Location

Tacoma

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Website

http://www.pugetsound.edu/art

Address

N. Lawrence Street
Tacoma, WA
98416

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 7pm
Tuesday	10am - 7pm
Wednesday	10am - 7pm
Thursday	10am - 7pm
Friday	10am - 7pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm