With the help of professors who’ll be there for you
Whether you’re interested in ceramics or sculpture, drawing or painting, photography or video, printmaking or art history, there’s a place for you here in Florida.
Our Visual Arts program teaches you the fundamentals and then sets you free to pursue your own passion. We even offer seven semiprivate student studios for 24/7 work within our 33,000-square-foot Nielsen Center for Visual Arts.
Liberal arts courses will round out your education; accessible and passionate professors will support you every step of the way.
Only@Eckerd
Senior thesis exhibitions
All Visual Arts majors put on one- or two-person exhibitions in one of our galleries. Look for senior theses listed on our Visual Arts Events calendar!
Stellar faculty
Arthur Skinner ’72 has won multiple awards for his teaching, including the John M. Bevan and Robert A. Staub awards.
Kirk Ke Wang exhibits his work in museums, galleries and private collections in the U.S. and Asia, including the National Gallery in Beijing.
In Their Own Words
“I remember, as a prospective student, introducing myself to Visual Arts Professor Arthur Skinner for the first time. He immediately started talking about my artwork! He not only knew my name from my application, but he was able to have a deep conversation about multiple photographs I had taken. I knew then that this was the college for me. But this small interaction was no one-off experience. All the professors I worked with throughout my time at Eckerd are what made my college experience extraordinary. Each professor is a true expert in his or her field and completely dedicated to helping guide students and facilitate growth.”
—Michael Specht ’11
Camera Image Quality Engineer, Apple
Beyond the Classroom
Take your pick of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Salvador Dalí Museum and The Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg or the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
Every Visual Arts major puts on a full exhibition in Elliott Gallery their senior year, either solo or as a two-person show.
Take a three-week Winter Term course in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Cuba or Peru or study Art History in London for an entire semester. Or spend your January creating photography, jewelry, ceramics or weaving at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.
Study Abroad Pics on FlickrStudents have painted a mural for the Alzheimer’s Unit at the Westminster Suncoast Nursing Home in South St. Petersburg. Our Visual Arts students also volunteer at Creative Clay downtown. All students are asked to take at least one designated Reflective Service Learning course, which includes at least 20 hours of service, before graduation, either on campus or internationally.
Service Pics on Flickr Sign up for more about Eckerd and our visual arts program
Popular classes
New Genre Art
Study and create art in the newest 4d media – installation, video, sound and concept.
Experimental Film and Video
In this course you’ll produce your own experimental films and videos, exhibiting your work for the college community. You’ll also study the history and theory of these relatively new art fields.
Facilities
The bold new Center for Visual Arts features:
- Printmaking, painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture & digital arts studios
- Semiprivate studio space for up to 28 students
- A ceramics and sculpture yard
- Digital lab
- Two galleries
- Plaza and patios
Outcomes
Photo above by Meg Iannantuono ’21
What can I do with a visual arts degree?
- Architect
- Art director
- Arts Management
- Community-based arts program director
- Fashion designer
- Gallery owner
- Graphic designer
- Painter
- Photographer
- Potter
- Sculptor
- Theatre set designer
- Urban planner
Where our visual arts majors go to graduate school
- Claremont Graduate University
- Lesley University
- Maryland Institute College of Art
- Pacific Northwest College of Art
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago: SAIC
- The San Francisco Art Institute
Where our visual arts majors go to work
Eckerd College Visual Arts news
- Study abroad inspires Eckerd College student’s first senior art thesis exhibition - February 28, 2024
- A way out and a therapeutic outlet for new Eckerd College visual arts professor and his students - October 5, 2023
- Helping students find their passion and voice is central goal of new Eckerd College visual arts professor - October 5, 2023
- Gallery showcase honored ceramist Brian Ransom before retirement - March 22, 2023
- A veteran’s story—Eckerd College alumnus carries professor’s insight with him into war and beyond - November 10, 2022
- Student advocacy organization uses art for the greater good - April 22, 2022
