Exploring the Vibrant World of HBCU Art Programs
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rich legacy of fostering talent and shaping successful individuals across various fields. Among these, the arts hold a significant place, with HBCU art programs playing a vital role in nurturing artists and preserving African American artistic heritage. These institutions have produced successful visual artists whose work has graced galleries and museums nationwide and been collected by prominent figures. This article delves into the diverse and impactful landscape of HBCU art programs, highlighting their accreditation, unique offerings, notable alumni, and contributions to the art world.
Accreditation and Standards
Many HBCU art programs maintain high standards, with several accredited by the National Association of Colleges of Art and Design (NASAD). This accreditation underscores the quality of these programs and the employability of their graduates.
Diverse Program Offerings
HBCUs offer a wide array of art programs catering to various interests and career aspirations. These include:
- Fine Arts: Concentrations in areas like painting, sculpture, ceramics, and printmaking.
- Graphic Arts/Design: Programs focusing on design principles, digital media, and visual communication.
- Art Education: Programs preparing students to integrate visual arts into school curricula.
- Art History: The study of art from historical and cultural perspectives.
- Animation: Training in animation techniques and digital storytelling.
- Photography: Exploration of photographic arts, techniques, and visual storytelling.
- Interior Design: Principles of design for interior spaces.
Spotlight on Specific HBCU Art Programs
Here are some examples of outstanding HBCU art programs and their distinctive features:
- Alabama State University (Montgomery, AL): Through its Department of Visual Arts, Alabama State offers a Bachelor of Arts with concentrations in Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, and General Arts, as well as a minor in Visual Arts. This undergraduate program offers students support with exhibition opportunities, regional workshops, internships, and service learning projects. Students can display their artwork at the ASU Callie Warren and Arthur Britt Fine Arts Galleries.
- Bowie State University (Bowie, MD): Bowie State's visual communication and digital media arts (VCDMA) program offers five concentrations in Advertising Design, Animation & Motion Graphics, Digital Cinema & Time-Based Media, Digital Media Arts and Fashion Design and Maryland’s first program in hip-hop studies and visual culture. Campus organizations and opportunities include Artist Guild Student Group, a student group of AIGA DC and courses in ceramics printmaking, photography, installation and public art. Notable alumni include: Pinkie Strother.
- Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA): Clark Atlanta University has established a solid art program anchored by an art museum that has become a national forum for artists of African descent. The museum began as the annual Exhibition of Paintings, Prints and Sculpture by Negro Artists of America inaugurated by artist Hale Woodruff who led the art department. The department sponsors visiting artists, designers, and industry professionals to meet with students and provide advice for their careers and has an emphasis on awareness of African-American artistic developments.
- Coahoma Community College (Clarksdale, MS): The art program at Coahoma Community College provides students with the opportunity to showcase their artwork on campus and in the local community. CCC hosted the first Mississippi College Art Program Portfolio Day which provided students with the opportunity to display their artwork and receive feedback from the area's top art critics. Students can study 3D design, ceramics, drawing, painting, illustration, character design and computer art.
- Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL): The list of FAMU's art alumni is a Who's Who list of the African-American art world. Offering courses in textile design, Serigraphy, mural painting and Introduction to Nonprofit Art Organizations, students who graduate from the program are well-rounded artists regardless of the area of art they choose to master. Students can participate in the Fine Arts Society, attend the ARTalks series and intern at local galleries and museums. The colleges offers workspaces for painting, digital design, sculpture/ ceramics.
- Hampton University (Hampton, VA): Long a fixture in the African-American art world, Hampton University is home to the oldest African-American museum in the country. It also publishes The International Review of African American Art, Two of its alumni established the art departments at Texas Southern University. Students can select to study drawing, painting, sculpting, ceramics, photography or digital animation. Student artwork has been featured in competitions and exhibits across the region. Note: since this was published, Hampton University eliminated Art as an academic program.
- Howard University (Washington, D.C.): Howard recently reinstated its college of arts as the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. The undergraduate program offers majors from Art History to Interior Design. Graduate students can pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art with multiple specializations from ceramics to fashion design. Students can intern with many nearby D.C. institutions including the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum. Howard University has produced many notables in the art world. Long led by James A. Porter, considered the founder of the field of African-American art history, Howard offers ceramics, design, electronic studio, painting, photography, and sculpture and was ranked the top program for animation in DC. Students can pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Fine Art. The university art gallery hosts an annual student exhibition and an annual faculty exhibition.
- Jackson State University (Jackson, MS): Jackson State has maintained its accreditation since 1978. This Historically Black University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art (i.e. Painting, Printmaking Sculpture) and Graphic Design. Nearby, the Mississippi Museum of Art and the Smith Museum and Robertson Cultural Center offer students additional opportunities. The Art Program at Jackson State was the first in the state to become accredited. There are three art galleries and computer labs with complete image generation, typography, and multimedia capabilities. Seniors in the graphic arts and studio arts program participate in a semester-long internship. Offering painting, ceramics, printmaking, and sculpture, JSU partners with numerous galleries, The Mississippi Museum of Art and the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center. Animation Career Review ranked it one of the top colleges in the state for Graphic Design. Notable alumni include: Jamea Richmond-Edwards, Reshonda Perryman, John Jennings and Marcus E.
- Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, NC): Johnson C. Smith's committment to the Arts is visible in the establishment of its arts factory building which opened a decade ago. It houses classrooms for art and graphic design students and laboratories for communication arts students. Graphic arts students can study design, photography and animation. Smith's Arts Advisory Board provides access to the arts and inside information about volunteer, internships and job opportunities at places like The Mint Museum of Art andThe Light Factory.Notable alumni include: Jefferson Eugene Grigsby and T.J. Reddy.
- Lincoln University (Lincoln, PA): The Visual Arts Program within Lincoln’s Visual and Performing Arts Department offers a diverse curriculum that challenges talented students academically, aesthetically, and technically in the production, analysis, and promotion of visual arts. The program fosters a nurturing environment where students learn about the significant contributions of African Americans in the visual arts, encouraging them to understand their own role in a technologically driven global context and preparing them for advanced studies and contemporary careers. The program offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in Visual Arts.
- Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD): Morgan State is the first HBCU to offer a student group of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, allowing students to engage with the local design community. The art department and the college's art gallery were developed by sculptor James E. Lewis and offers students programs in Art History, Graphic Design, Illustration or Multi-Media Studio. Notable alumni include: Marie Johnson Calloway, George Nock and Vinnie Bagwell.
- Norfolk State University (Norfolk, VA): Norfolk State University offers students state of the art labs, studios and equipment for design, photography, fashion, sculpting and printmaking. It also offers a Master's degree in art. Students can participate in bi-weekly seminars and workshops as well as university sponsored conferences and artist talks.
- North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, NC): A&T’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, joining Elon University as the only accredited journalism and mass communication programs in North Carolina.
- South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, SC): South Carolina State offers a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with concentrations in ceramics and sculpture, digital media, painting and drawing and printmaking and photography. The institution has a state of the art Fine Arts Building and on-campus internships with the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium. The art department at South Carolina State was developed by Leo Twiggs, the first African-American to earn a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Georgia. The college offers art students cross-disciplinary activities through collaborations with the Music, Drama and other university programs. Students can choose to focus on Studio Art, Photography/ Printmaking, Ceramics/Sculpture, Digital Media or Painting/Drawing. There is a lab or studio for every concentration offered and students can display their work in the FAB Gallery on campus. Students can also participate in visiting artist series and open studio sessions.
- Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN): The Department of Art and Design offers a Bachelor of Science in Art with concentrations in Studio Art (i.e. photography, sculpture) and Art Education and Design. The Tennessee Department of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) have accredited TSU's teacher certification program in Art as well. How could a program that was founded and led by the renowned John Biggers not be amazing? For decades its mural project has allowed art students to leave their mark on the campus. Punctuated by a highly regarded art museum (that includes works by students who have graduated from the program) the art program at TSU provides training in Ceramics, Design, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture. The Space for New Media at TSU gives students and artists a place to produce and display digital, experimental and performance-based art. The art gallery hosts 6 annual exhibits and gives students and faculty an opportunity to showcase their work. Students also exhibit locally in Nashville. Tennessee State owns an extensive art collection, hosts artist talks and lectures and sponsors a chapter of Kappa Pi International Art Honor Society. Notable alumni include: Michael J.
- Tougaloo College (Tougaloo, MS): For nearly 25 years each summer TOUGALOO COLLEGE has offered a week-long Artist Colony for artists, art educators, art students, hobbyists, art enthusiasts. World-renowned artists come and teach classes in a wide range of areas including pastel painting, jewelry making, and sculpting.
- University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, AR): This Historically Black University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education and a B.S. in Visual Arts. Each student in this program must present a one-person show in addition to an approved portfolio to complete their graduation requirements. UAPB has a decades-old collaboration with Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, an art gallery (Leedell Moorhead-Graham Art Gallery) and faculty and alumni who have received national acclaim for their work. The department sponsors art competitions and exhibits for students. All graduates must complete a one-person show. Even though the college is located in Arkansas, students have the opportunity to intern at the Smithsonian.
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, MD): The art program at UMES includes visiting professional artists, trips to art museums along the East Coast from Baltimore to New York and an annual international trip. Students enrolled in the graphic illustration and sequential arts programs also participate in comic cons. Students have work published with independent comic books studios, in the student art magazine, The Talon and have installed murals locally.
- Virginia State University (Ettrick, VA): VSU offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Studio Arts, Animation and Graphic Design. The Meredith Art Gallery is on campus and is operated by the Department of Art & Design. Students have the opportunity to intern at these Richmond institutions: Sycamore Rouge Theatre, New Millennium Studios and Richmond Magazine as well as in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
- Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem, NC): WSSU’s bachelor’s degree in arts offers you affordability and excellent value compared to other North Carolina arts colleges. Winston-Salem's campus is home to a sculpture garden and a world-class collection of public art by artists such as John Biggers, Mel Edwards, Beverly Buchanan and Tyrone Mitchell. Its Diggs Gallery is home to one of the South's largest showcases dedicated to African and African-American art. Students are taught by award-winning professors like Scott J. Betz, winner of the 2020 Board of Governors Teaching Award as well as instructors who continue to create and exhibit their work in galleries across the country. Recent accollades for the college's art program include being recognized by Animation Career Review as one of the top programs in the nation for Graphic Design and HBCU Digest as the Best HBCU Fine Arts Program. Notable alumni include: Selma Burke, T. H. Finally, every senior art major showcases their unique artwork during the Senior Exhibit at the Diggs Gallery.
- Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans, LA): XULA art village houses spaces for ceramics and sculpture; drawing, painting, photography and printmaking. The campus features an art collection and sculpture garden. Students are able to participate in an annual showcase sponsored by the Links and held at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Notable alumni include: David Anthony Geary, Frank Hayden and Ashley Lorraine.
Experiential Learning and Opportunities
HBCU art programs emphasize hands-on experience and provide students with various opportunities to enhance their skills and build their portfolios. These include:
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- Internships: Partnering with museums, galleries, design firms, and other arts organizations.
- Exhibitions: Showcasing student work in on-campus and local galleries.
- Workshops and Seminars: Engaging with visiting artists and industry professionals.
- Community Projects: Applying artistic skills to benefit the community.
- Study Abroad Programs: Expanding artistic horizons through international experiences.
- Competitions: Participating in regional and national art competitions.
Notable Alumni and Their Impact
HBCU art programs have produced a remarkable array of talented and influential artists. The work of HBCU alumni has been seen on tv shows like Empire and Good Times and graced the cover of TV Guide. It is even believed to have inspired the image of Roosevelt on the dime. James A. Porter, considered to have established the field of African-American art history, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden all studied at HBCUs. Fans of 'The Cosby Show' will remember the episode where Claire won a family heirloom at an art auction. That painting, 'The Funeral Procession', was painted by Kentucky State alumnus, Ellis Wilson.
The HBCU Arts Act
Recognizing the importance of supporting arts education at HBCUs, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., introduced the HBCU Arts Act. This bill aims to remove financial and other barriers to arts education and conservation for HBCUs, making these programs more accessible to their students.
Specifically, the HBCU Arts Act:
- Provides financial and other assistance to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs.
- Establishes outreach programs and development offices for arts, arts education, and cultural arts departments.
- Provides comprehensive wraparound services for arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising.
- Exhibits, maintains, monitors, and protects African American art collections in exhibition and in storage.
- Provides well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and cultural institutes.
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