The Painting major at ACAD engages students as disciplined studio practitioners in the context of contemporary art.
Students examine diverse historical and contemporary approaches to painting its materials, techniques, subject matter, and theory that will assist them as they move towards an energetic individual studio practice. Students become active members of the community, exchanging ideas with peers, visiting artists, and faculty who bring a breadth of critical perspectives and expertise to the major. Student works and ideas are discussed and evaluated in individual and peer critiques, seminars and faculty jury reviews.
At the introductory level, students engage the world with paint as they utilize and question traditional painting methods and issues.
Second-year students examine recent art movements and develop unique solutions to painterly problems. Third-year Painting majors receive individual studio spaces where, working with faculty advisors, they begin to develop a self-directed painting practice based on personal interests and research.
Their experimentations may also incorporate disciplines such as drawing, video, photography, sculpture, or installation. Electives such as watercolour and life painting complement this research and the third year course in the history of contemporary painting informs and provides a critical framework for studio work.
In their graduating year, students progress toward the creation of a confident, mature body of work, supported by a major research paper. The final semester concludes with a Painting major exhibition. The successful Painting graduate is poised to enter a graduate program or to begin a professional studio practice.
Students in all ACAD programs can access individual program requirements within the Academic Calendar, and are responsible for meeting the outlined requirements of their academic program.
The BFA program at the Alberta College of Art + Design is one of Canada’s most prestigious studio-based fine art programs. Graduates from the program create successful and fulfilling careers in Canada and throughout the world as fine artists, scholars, cultural workers, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. What programs did they start with, and what did they study?
Our Painting Program faculty are respected, experienced artists, actively engaged in contemporary artistic practice in a variety of media, with exhibitions in Canada and abroad. They bring an extraordinary level of dedication and passion to the studio learning environment, encouraging students to explore and grow in their own practices as well. They are: