Illustration + Design
The Illustration + Design program (I+D) encompasses a diverse faculty with expertise in graphic design, illustration, letterpress, book arts, visual narratives, animation, motion graphics, information design, and interdisciplinary collaborations with the environmental sciences. These specializations are reflected in a broad array of curricular offerings including: field trips, team projects with community clients, internships, and study abroad programs. Through an exploration of the relationship between authorship, personal expression, visual problem solving, and communication, students develop a body of self-authored work consistent with the breadth of the expanding profession. With a high quality portfolio and web presence, students are prepared to go directly into the field and/or apply to graduate programs.
Student animation work can be found here: https://vimeo.com/user27476192
Miles Fujimoto, Animation
This great sculpture was created by 2021 BFA Exhibitor and Design + Illustration student Savana Lynch. The piece is title “Retrial” and was made with wood, paper mache, paper clay, acrylic, tin scraps, twine, metal wire, and netting.
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My work is mainly self-reflective and works as a conduit for emotions and experiences surrounding being a neurodivergent artist and identifying as female in general. They also tend to center around the ideas of transformation and ambiguity. There isn’t precisely a purpose for my work; it is more like a way for me to interpret the world and illustrate my perspective. - @otswey
This digital artwork is titled “Connections” and is by 2021 BFA Exhibitor and Illustration + Design student Sophia Patch.
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See this piece and many more at the 2021 BFA Exhibition (bfaexhibition.art.arizona.edu) and join us for the Virtual Reception, Friday, April 23- 4:30-5 pm! Zoom link in bio!!
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“My subject matter is people. Not just figures, but the thoughts they contain, the connections they form, and the experiences they hold. My goal is to capture the human experience and add a fantastical twist – to capture the wonder in simply being.” - @anisopod
This great digital art piece is by Studio Art student Conor Ryan called “The Celestial.”
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“This work is exploring the idea of what could be out there in the universe. Is something waiting for our species in the stars? Is something looking down on us even now? The universe and its infinite possibilities interest me greatly, and through this piece, The Celestial, I strive to share this curiosity. I derive influence for this piece from wave-like CRT television glitches, and from themes in films like “Blade Runner 2049” and “Interstellar”. The being depicted here is supposed to embody the unknown of the universe, what might be out there.” - @conorwryan.art
2021 BFA Exhibitor and Illustration + Design student Wei Wei has four of her Red Thread series drawings currently on display, check them out at the link in our bio!
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“In Chinese culture, “red thread” indicated the destiny that binds all soul mates or lovers together. In ancient Chinese folklore, a mythical matchmaker name “Yue Lao” controls the fate that led lovers to meet. He did that by tying a red thread to each person. That’s why “red thread” also symbolizes “marriage.” I found it interesting that the color red signifies happiness and good luck in Chinese culture. But in western culture, it indicates danger and expresses warning. “Threads” also sounds similar to “Threats.” The topic of domestic violence towards women is what I want to discuss in this series of drawings.” - @weiwei.draw
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Red Thread 5 (monolith pencils, gouache)
Red Thread 1 (monolith pencils, watercolor graphite, gouache)
Red Thread 2 (monolith pencils, gouache)
Red Thread 4 (monolith pencils, gouache)
Check out 2021 BFA Exhibitor Sam Potter’s photographs at the link in our bio!
Pictured: Reflection 1 and Reflection 2 (digital photography)
2021 BFA Exhibitor Kate Louis took Marie Benoist’s “Portrait of Madeleine” and made it her own; check out “Modern Madeleine” at the link in our bio!!
We are so excited to announce that the 2021 BFA Exhibition is live! Each spring semester we look forward to highlighting the work of our studio and AVCE undergraduates, so click the link in our bio and keep checking in to this account to see us feature some impressive work from our student artists!
This really cool accordion fold art book was done by Johanna Woods who just recently received her degree in Illustration!
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This piece was done for Jim Cook’s Extended Media class. The title is “Emotion as a Mental Illness”. Each page of the book represents a segment of my life. The width of the page fluctuates as the amount of emotion in that part of my life went up or down. The emotions in my life have always run rampant and out of control, and have been lumped into mental illnesses. This book is a visual description of these ups and downs.”
Check out David Taylor’s feature in the Guardian! His drone images give a rare look at for-profit ICE detention centers in Amanda Holpuch’s article with interviews with ex-detainees on their trauma during Covid-19. Link in Bio!!
This powerful image is an illustration by Illustration + Design alumnus Mark Wang for GEN. The Arizona Arts family and School of Art stands in solidarity with our University in condemning violence of any kind, and we stand in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community. The University is committed to providing resources to address anti-Asian violence, xenophobia, and gender-based violence on our campus. The Provost’s message includes valuable resources to support our Asian American and Pacific Islander community and our entire campus community. For more information visit the link in our bio.
This beautiful body of work was done by UArizona School of Art alumna, Lauren Buchness who is now a contemporary artist & fat activist based in Tucson, Arizona. With her work, Lauren aims to question Western standards of beauty and create conversations that alter preconceived notions about the fat body.
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Feasts are held at times of celebration in the form of feasts usually with a centerpiece of meat surrounded by other foods. The fat body becomes the centerpiece for the viewer’s celebratory feast, celebrating and glorifying the fat body. While fat bodies, especially bellies, deserve to be celebrated, feasts are often held during the holidays when fat shaming and fatphobia are abundant.
The rope bondage is both beautiful and restricting, and can be dangerous if left on the body for too long. I use bondage to allude to the societal binds of unrealistic beauty standards placed on fat people and how the lasting effects of fatphobia are damaging and dangerous to fat people.
The combination of celebratory and restrictive imagery creates a dichotomy between how fat bodies should be treated versus how they are actually treated. While it is easy to say love yourself no matter the size and celebrate life, the reality of being fat is a lot more complicated than simple self love. -@ladybuchness
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Pictured: Blackberry Pie, Insta Pomegranates, Lemon Rosemary Roast, Pineapple and Cherry Glazed, Roast with Carrots and Golden Potatoes, Samhain IG, and Yule
The UArizona School of Art is excited to share that alumnus Elliott Jamal Robbins has received a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation! Congratulations Elliott, we are so proud of you and this amazing accomplishment!
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Pictured: Red Room, 2019, watercolor on paper, 29 x 28 inches
This amazing installation titled “Fixtures,” was created by MFA student, Kaitlyn Jo Smith and is currently being featured in the Joseph Gross Gallery. Link in bio!!
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Fixtures establishes a symbolic relationship between my family’s experiences and the socio-economic realities of 21st century blue collar workers. A broken porcelain handle my father excavated from the leveled American Standard plant becomes his surrogate. It is surrounded by 200 digitally fabricated PVA and porcelain replicas that were produced as stand-in’s that point to the anonymous millions that share his experience of displacement. Each copy is manufactured through the automated processes of 3D scanning and 3D printing, technologies frequently used in present day manufacturing. When combined with the original, these newly minted artifacts erect an abstracted, piecemeal, industrial ruin. - @kaitlynjosmith_art
Great oil painting by Galadriel Gross who is currently studying studio art and is working on her portfolio for an illustration emphasis!
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"Self Portrait After Rain"
This was my first self portrait, and it was a real joy to paint. Knowing there is a version of myself in this painting that is always at rest, always breathing fresh air after a rain, and always in close proximity to the mud is self-affirming and grants strength to my active, living self. While I really love visual drama and tension, these quieter and calmer pieces always resonate with me for a long time. - @goreladriel
Currently on display in the Lionel Rombach Gallery is After America Day by Day: A Counter-cartography by Mariel Miranda. Mariel is co-founder and director of the International Festival of Photography Tijuana (FiFT) a self-organized and feminist platform created for the undisciplined reflection on the image and its current modes of production. This great exhibition is compiled of evidence of Mariel’s counter-cartographic response to the 1947 road trip that Simone De Beauvoir took through the American Southwest. Link in bio!!
Here are more of our amazing student artists currently featured in the Lionel Rombach Gallery. Link in bio!!
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The School of Art and Art Advisory Board are celebrating the works of our accomplished scholars at the 2020-2021 School of Art Scholarship Exhibition in the Lionel Rombach Gallery. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients and thank you for representing the breadth of visual art making, teaching, and scholarship here at the School of Art.
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Artists featured are Alice Qinghui Chen with American Gothic, Perla Segovia with Transcendent Hope, and Danielle Jones with Rising Systems.
Mark your calendars, the UArizona Art History Graduate Student Association is hosting their 31st Annual Symposium! Tune into this free Zoom event on March 5, 2021 from 9am-5pm to listen to an amazing group of student speakers as well as our keynote speaker, Dr. Nicole Fleetwood discuss art in the era of mass incarceration.
This amazing sculpture is titled “Temporary Structures” by Marisa Lewon and is currently in the Alumni Exhibition in the Joseph Gross Gallery— link in bio!!
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Temporary structures is an amalgamation of sand, skin, self-understanding and time. I use personal history to understand how the experience of where and how we are raised can alter reactions and perceptions of new landscapes as adults. In this work, my perception of, and aversion to, ideas of home are echoed through exploration of personal memory.
The School of Art and Art Advisory Board are celebrating the works of our accomplished scholars at the 2020-2021 School of Art Scholarship Exhibition in the Lionel Rombach Gallery. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients and thank you for representing the breadth of visual art making, teaching, and scholarship here at the School of Art.
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Artists featured are Tehan Ketema with Netsela, Dan Newman with iusedtothinkthatway, and Ada Smith with Twelve Breakfasts.
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Link in bio!!
Last weekend the College Art Association, an international leadership organization in the visual arts, hosted their 109th Annual Conference virtually. We are so proud to have the University of Arizona and the School of Art represented at this event by Sama Alshaibi, Stacie Widdifield, Irene Bald Romano, Sara Moore, Jeehey Kim, Marie Teemant, and Faezeh Faezipour. Congratulations for this amazing opportunity and achievement!!
The School of Art houses excellent facilities including studio spaces, computer labs with Wacom Cintiq Touch screens and animation stations, a digital imaging lab with large format printing, mounting and other services, letterpress equipment, photopolymer platemaking equipment, metal and wood type collections, binding equipment, darkrooms, wood and metal shops, sculpture foundry, ceramics labs, and external resources such as: the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona Museum of Art and the Poetry Center as well as an excellent library that houses an extensive book art collection. The campus also houses the Learning Games Initiative Research Archive and the extensive Children’s Literature Collection.
Visit our Resources & Facilities page to learn more about the excellent facilities available for instruction in Illustration + Design.
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) student chapter
Visit the AIGA website
Book Art Collective
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UA Illustration + Design News
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Persona Magazine
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College Book Arts Association
Visit the website
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Illustration + Design Emphasis
- Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Illustration + Design Emphasis
Contact an academic advisor or set up an advising appointment to learn more about School of Art programs and admissions
Spring 2021 Undergraduate Illustration + Design Portfolio Review
Accepting applications from Friday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m. until Monday, March 15 at 9:00 a.m.
This annual Spring Portfolio Review accepts 18-22 students in the Illustration track and 18-22 students in the Design track. We also work with students interested in both illustration and design on an individual basis upon acceptance to one of the tracks.
Eligibility Checklist
- I have taken the majority of my First Year Experience (FYE) classes.
- I have taken or am currently enrolled in Art 265/Art 266. It is best to take at least one of these classes in the Fall before the review. But there is no penalty for going through the review multiple times so you should apply even if both required classes are being taken during the review semester. (Transfer students should make sure they have had the equivalent of Art 265/266. Check with the Division chair to confirm).
- A completed Visual Assignment (see below).
- Submit 10–12 art works in your portfolio. The Visual Assignment counts as one of these pieces.
Portfolio Review Procedures
- This Online Review will go live at 9:00 a.m. Friday, March 12 and be open until 9:00 a.m. Monday, March 15.
- Follow this application link starting 9:00 a.m. Friday, March 12.
- I+D Faculty will review and rank the applications. This procedure may take a few days.
- You will be notified via email of your acceptance and the required classes for your track. Please note that if you do not register for the required classes in the Fall, you will forfeit your place in the I+D program.
- You will also be notified via email of you are not accepted to the program. You will be able to sign up for advising appointments to discuss your next steps and get feedback on your portfolio.
Portfolio Review Guidelines
- 10–12 pieces of work including the Portfolio Review Visual Assignment (see below). The answer to the assignment will be the first piece in your portfolio. Other pieces should include projects from Art 265 and Art 266, but may be supplemented with work from other studio areas including self-initiated work. Transfer students should include work from transferred courses.
- Motion and Web design pieces can also be uploaded as well. It is best to upload a still and a hyperlink to online viewing such as YouTube or Vimeo.
Evaluation, Acceptance, and Advising
- The work submitted should: Show an eye for composition and application of formal principles (scale, balance, weight, texture, direction, etc.); Communicate an understanding of form and sensitivity to materials; Show a clear understanding of color relationships; Demonstrate excellent skills and attention to detail; Show a facility with software. Ideas embodied in the work should be innovative and strong. Digital uploads should be clear and readable.
- If you have been accepted into I+D, your name will be placed on a list allowing you to register for the required Design or Illustration courses* online. Register on time to get a seat in fall classes. You will only be guaranteed courses in the sequence indicated on the I+D grid (included with acceptance). If you do not register for the required classes in the fall semester, you forfeit your place in the program. If there are extenuating circumstances, contact I+D Program Chair Kelly Leslie (kleslie@arizona.edu) to discuss.
*You must maintain a 3.0 GPA in I+D classes in order to be guaranteed admission into these classes.
The Visual Assignment
The below poem is a prompt for your Visual assignment. Choose any stanza of the poem or the poem as a whole for inspiration. You may choose to include text but it is not required. Some approaches to consider:
- Book/Book Cover
- Typographic Composition
- Sequential Narrative/Comic
- Poster
- Photography
- Drawing/Illustration
- Animation
A Map to the Next World
By Joy Harjo
In the last days of the fourth world I wished to make a map for
those who would climb through the hole in the sky.
My only tools were the desires of humans as they emerged
from the killing fields, from the bedrooms and the kitchens.
For the soul is a wanderer with many hands and feet.
The map must be of sand and can’t be read by ordinary light. It
must carry fire to the next tribal town, for renewal of spirit.
In the legend are instructions on the language of the land, how it
was we forgot to acknowledge the gift, as if we were not in it or of it.
Take note of the proliferation of supermarkets and malls, the
altars of money. They best describe the detour from grace.
Keep track of the errors of our forgetfulness; the fog steals our
children while we sleep.
Flowers of rage spring up in the depression. Monsters are born
there of nuclear anger.
Trees of ashes wave good-bye to good-bye and the map appears to
disappear.
We no longer know the names of the birds here, how to speak to
them by their personal names.
Once we knew everything in this lush promise.
What I am telling you is real and is printed in a warning on the
map. Our forgetfulness stalks us, walks the earth behind us,
leaving a trail of paper diapers, needles, and wasted blood.
An imperfect map will have to do, little one.
The place of entry is the sea of your mother’s blood, your father’s
small death as he longs to know himself in another.
There is no exit.
The map can be interpreted through the wall of the intestine—a
spiral on the road of knowledge.
You will travel through the membrane of death, smell cooking
from the encampment where our relatives make a feast of fresh
deer meat and corn soup, in the Milky Way.
They have never left us; we abandoned them for science.
And when you take your next breath as we enter the fifth world
there will be no X, no guidebook with words you can carry.
You will have to navigate by your mother’s voice, renew the song
she is singing.
Fresh courage glimmers from planets.
And lights the map printed with the blood of history, a map you
will have to know by your intention, by the language of suns.
When you emerge note the tracks of the monster slayers where they
entered the cities of artificial light and killed what was killing us.
You will see red cliffs. They are the heart, contain the ladder.
A white deer will greet you when the last human climbs from the
destruction.
Remember the hole of shame marking the act of abandoning our
tribal grounds.
We were never perfect.
Yet, the journey we make together is perfect on this earth who was
once a star and made the same mistakes as humans.
We might make them again, she said.
Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end.
You must make your own map.
Ready to join our community of dedicated artists, educators and scholars? Visit our Admissions page to start your application.
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