BA in Art

Studio Angelico is Siena Heights University’s nationally accredited art department, offering degrees in Graphic Design, Art History, and Fine Arts. As part of these degrees, you can explore art media such as animation, ceramics, drawing, graphic design, metalsmithing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video editing, and web design. In addition, opportunities are available for you to combine your art degree with various other majors, minors, and certifications in areas such as business, psychology, chemistry, museum studies, and teacher education, which will help you prepare for careers in such fields as advertising, art therapy, art conservation, museum work, and art education.

At Studio Angelico, you will enjoy small class sizes, personalized attention, up-to-date facilities, and a supportive and diverse community of learners that will foster your growth as an artist. Our Visiting Artists Program connects you with experts from around the world; the Klemm Gallery in Studio Angelico not only features the work of our visiting artists but provides a professional venue for our BFA majors’ senior projects. Educational travel opportunities are also available.

We invite you to meet our faculty, tour our facilities, and present a portfolio of your artwork for possible scholarships.

The program’s primary goal is to develop the visual artist. Students are encouraged to take risks, speculate, explore, research, create and pursue artworks of quality. Students are asked to deal with materials and ideas, to explore past perceptions of the world of art and their interior and exterior worlds of imagination and values. These expectations call for a commitment to study, a disciplined approach to work, and a willingness to integrate personal and cultural identities in their artwork.

Klemm Gallery

The Klemm Gallery provides a venue for a broad range of art exhibitions supporting the University’s mission and reflecting the concerns and interests of the faculty and students in the Art program.

The gallery is named after Sister Jeannine Klemm, former chair of the Art program.

Each fall semester the gallery schedules three month-long solo or group exhibitions.

Program and Degree Options

The Art Department offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees. The BFA is an intensive studio program intended for students interested in pursuing either graduate school or professional studio careers. The BA is a strong liberal arts degree well-suited for students interested in combining the visual arts with other disciplines such as psychology, literature, or business.

Offerings include:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art
• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art
• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art History
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art with Visual Arts Education K-12 Certification
• Minor in Art History
• Minor in Art

The Art Program has concentrations in:

• Art Therapy
• Ceramics
• Drawing & Painting
• Foundations
• Graphic Design
• Photography & Digital Media
• Printmaking & Book Arts
• Sculpture

Siena Heights University is a Catholic university founded in 1919 and sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Enrolling a diverse community of traditional-age and working adult students, Siena Heights is a coeducational institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission that was founded in the liberal arts tradition, offering associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. The University is headquartered in Adrian, Mich., with degree completion centers in Dearborn, Southfield, Benton Harbor, Monroe, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Jackson, and Online.

Mission

The name Siena honors St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century Italian Dominican who dedicated her life to a quest for truth and social responsibility. Similarly, the mission of the institution – to help students become more competent, purposeful, and ethical – grows out of the philosophy of Siena.

Throughout its history, Siena Heights has built a proud tradition of innovative responses to challenging social needs. Originally a college for women who intended to become teachers, Siena broadened its offerings over the years and by the 1950s was recognized as one of the nation’s 10 best liberal arts colleges for women.

The mission of Siena Heights University, a Catholic University founded and sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, is to assist people to become more competent, purposeful, and ethical through a teaching and learning environment which respects the dignity of all.

Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission

In addition to the accreditation of Siena Heights University by the Higher Learning Commission, the following academic programs are accredited by their professional organizations:

• BFA and BA Programs in Art are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
• BSW in Social Work is accredited by the Council for Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation (CSWE).
• The Division of Education at Siena Heights University is granted Accreditation at the initial-licensure level by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
• The baccalaureate degree programs in nursing at Siena Heights University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
• The master’s degree program in nursing at Siena Heights University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

Siena Heights holds membership in the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Michigan Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, the Michigan Colleges Foundation (MCF), the Council of Independent Colleges, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Council for Opportunity in Education, the Association of Governing Boards, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, and several athletic conferences, including the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.

The University is authorized to prepare students for teacher certification in Michigan and other states. Upon request, students may review University accreditation at the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Sacred Heart Hall, Room 202, on the Adrian campus.