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Home › Prospective Students › Areas of Study › Art & Visual Culture Education

Art & Visual Culture Education

The Division of Art & Visual Culture Education (AVCE) offers undergraduate and advanced degrees: we offer a BFA degree with 2 track options (Community & Museums, and Teaching), as well as an MA degree in Art Education with 3 track options (Art & Visual Culture Education, Community & Museums, and Teaching), and a PhD degree in Art History and Education. These are integral parts of the comprehensive art programs offered by the School of Art.

The AVCE programs are intended to meet the needs of students who wish for professional understanding within the field of Art and Visual Culture Education. Students may pursue a BFA and an MA in AVCE, or pursue a concentration in community and museums, or earn their teaching certification. In the graduate programs, students develop their own focus in conjunction with an AVCE faculty member. MA students may choose to submit a theoretical Thesis or practice-based Report to complete their degree requirements.

The PhD degree is a highly tailored degree meant to build expertise to enter contemporary arenas of art and visual culture education as a researcher, teacher, and leader. PhD students must defend and submit a Dissertation to complete their degree requirements.

The mission and strength of the program and its faculty is to promote an understanding of social justice, multiculturalism and globalization issues in AVCE theory and practice.

AVCE FACULTY RECOGNIZED WITH SEVERAL AWARDS

Resources & Facilities

Students at the UA School of Art have exceptional resources available to them, besides mentorship by an international faculty with strong reputations in research and practice. The University houses several museums, including The University of Arizona Museum of Art, the Center for Creative Photography (one of the world’s leading photography archives and exhibition centers), the Arizona State Museum, and the Joseph Gross, Lionel Rombach, and Student Union art galleries. The University Library has an extensive collection of books, periodicals, and media and is ranked seventeenth among research libraries in the United States. In addition, the School and Division facilitate internships, work-study, and other learning opportunities with various organizations across the city, including the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona Museum of Art, the School of Art galleries, Tucson Museum of Art, and many community organizations.

Excellent multimedia facilities are available to students, including OSCR labs located at various locations around campus. The School of Art’s Visual Resource Center (slides and digital images) contains over 200,000 slides and a large digital image bank. Take virtual tours of the campus, artworks on campus, and Tucson. The city is rich in arts and cultural resources and was recently named as 15th in the nation for its public arts.

If you would like to visit our campus and our faculty, please contact us.

Visit the Resources & Facilities page to learn more.

Clubs, Professional Opportunities & Outreach

The Art & Visual Culture Education Division engages in a number of professional activities and outreach programs:

WILDCAT ART

Wildcat Art is an eight week long Saturday art program offered every spring by the University of Arizona School of Art. Wildcat Art classes are structured to encourage students to explore ideas and issues through contemporary and traditional art media & practices. Experiences are designed specifically for students at each age/grade level from kindergarten through adolescence (K-12). Classes are taught by advanced and graduate art and visual culture education students, in collaboration with art and visual culture education faculty.

Our curriculum has included experiences in movement and contemporary dance, narrative and storytelling, calligraphic printing, cyanotype photography, post-modern architecture, clay, stop-frame animation, and other art-making processes. A recent theme explored was Identity: Your Interconnected Worlds, which included personal geographies, diversity, our desert environment and sustainability, community, collaboration, and identity. Another recent theme was Sustainable Art Practice. Each year we visit on-campus museums as part of the program and invite local artists to talk to participating children and youth.

Wildcat Art is a non-profit program that serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art and visual culture education students.

Our annual exhibition is held at the University of Arizona Union Gallery for students and their families. While serving the larger Tucson community, this program also serves as a lab school for students in the program, an exciting opportunity for teachers-in-training.

Current information about the program can be found at http://wildcatart.class.arizona.edu/.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

The School of Art and its Division of Art and Visual Culture Education is very much a part of the heart of the greater Tucson community. Through internships, volunteer opportunities, work-study programs, learning-centered collaborations, and placement of our graduates, we have built strong relationships with community organizations and institutions within and outside of the University of Arizona. Some of the organizations with whom our students have had the opportunity to learn and work with in recent years include:

  • The University of Arizona Museum of Art
  • The Tucson Museum of Art
  • The Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art
  • The Mini Time Machine: Tucson Museum of Miniatures
  • The Center for Creative Photography
  • The University of Arizona Union Galleries
  • Conrad Wilde Gallery
  • Barbara Grygutis Sculpture LLC
  • The Gloo Factory
  • The Boys and Girls Club of Tucson
  • BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Action and Salvage)
  • ArtWorks
  • La Pilita Musuem
  • The Smithsonian Institution

PLACEMENTS

Graduates of Art and Visual Culture Education at the University of Arizona are well placed in the world of Art and Visual Culture Education. A few of the places our graduates are working include:

  • Many schools across Arizona, the southwest and the nation
  • University of Dayton OH
  • Antioch College, Seattle WA
  • Cochise College, Cochise Count, AZ
  • Pima Community College, Tucson AZ
  • Cloud State University, MN
  • Bowling Green State University, OH
  • The Pablove Foundation, Los Angeles CA
  • The Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco CA
  • Apple Computers
  • Perpich Center for Arts Education, Minneapolis MN
  • University of Advancing Technology, Phoenix AZ
  • Rosseter House, Phoenix AZ

ALUMNI

We want to keep in touch! If you are an AVCE alumnus, please be part of our network; we’d love to know where you are and what you are doing.

Please join us on Facebook
Email us at: avcealum@gmail.com
or drop us a postcard at:

The Division of Art and Visual Culture Education,
School of Art, University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210002
Tucson, AZ 85721-0007

All students, whether post-baccalaureate certification, masters or doctoral level, are invited to begin their professional lives while students at the University.

NAEA STUDENT CHAPTER

We boast a vibrant and active student chapter of the National Art Education Association. University of Arizona students have a strong record of presenting at national and regional conferences, as well as serving on the organization’s boards and issues groups. Student members not only build a strong collegiality, but also benefit from professional development, networking, and funding opportunities.

The University of Arizona NAEA Student Chapter also organizes the Emerging Conversations Symposium. The symposium offers a space for undergraduate and graduate students, scholars in related fields, and community members to participate in research presentations, conversations about them, and dialogues regarding learning and activism in Art and Visual Culture Education.

Please visit the UA Student Chapter facebook page.

The parent organization of the UA’s student chapter is the National Art Education Association, whose mission is to promote art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership.

ARIZONA ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (AAEA)

AAEA is the state affiliate of the NAEA. AAEA holds an annual fall conference and invites your participation in the conference or in organizational meetings held throughout the year. The website provides information about the organization, news, conferences, advocacy, as well as art teaching resources: http://www.azaea.org

Arizona teachers academy

If selected, the scholarship will pay your tuition for the duration of your enrollment in participating teacher certification programs at the University of Arizona. In return, you agree to teach in any public or charter school in Arizona for as many years as you received the scholarship. You may apply for the scholarship before you are accepted into a participating program, but you will not receive the award until you are accepted into that program. https://new.coe.arizona.edu/arizona-teachers-academy

Degrees in Art & Visual Culture Education

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art & Visual Culture Education, Community & Museums or Teaching Emphasis
  • Master of Arts in Art & Visual Culture Education, Art & Visual Culture Studies; Community & Museums; or Teaching Certification Emphasis
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Art History and Education, Art & Visual Culture Education Track
  • Minor in Art Education

Contact an academic advisor or set up an advising appointment to learn more about School of Art programs and admissions.

Apply Now!

Ready to join our community of dedicated artists, educators and scholars? Visit our Admissions page to start your application.

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Areas of Study

  • 2D Studies
  • 3D & Extended Media
  • Art History
  • Art & Visual Culture Education
  • First Year Experience
  • Illustration + Design
  • Photography | Video | Imaging
  • Interdisciplinary Practice (MFA Only)

Art and Visual Culture Education

Carissa Maria DiCindio Assistant Professor, Art
cdicindio@email.arizona.edu Art Bldg, Room 110
520-621-7570
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Amelia (Amy) Kraehe, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Art
akraehe@email.arizona.edu Art Bldg, Room 136
520-621-7570
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Manisha Sharma, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Art
msharma1@email.arizona.edu Art Bldg, Room 132
520-621-7034
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Ryan Shin, Ph.D. Professor, Art
shin@email.arizona.edu Art Bldg, Room 136
520-621-1253
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Gloria J Wilson Assistant Professor, Art
gjwilson@email.arizona.edu Art Bldg, Room 138
520-621-7570
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University of Arizona School of Art

6 days ago

University of Arizona School of Art

“Inside, Outside” is an impressive series of collages by School of Art student, Breanna Romero.
.
Growing up I had a slight obsession with collecting Teen Vogue publications as well as anatomy textbooks. I was always drawn to the editorials within the magazines, but also the detailed and meticulous illustrations within the textbooks. This obsession would lead to myself finding beauty within the human body, its ability to contort and take numerous forms. Created through scans of my old magazines and textbooks, I wanted to combine the similarities I found into a photo spread of my own publication that meets in-between fashion magazine and informative medical textbook.
- @icedchaiwithoatmilk
... See MoreSee Less

“Inside, Outside” is an impressive series of collages by School of Art student, Breanna Romero.
.
Growing up I had a slight obsession with collecting Teen Vogue publications as well as anatomy textbooks. I was always drawn to the editorials within the magazines, but also the detailed and meticulous illustrations within the textbooks. This obsession would lead to myself finding beauty within the human body, its ability to contort and take numerous forms. Created through scans of my old magazines and textbooks, I wanted to combine the similarities I found into a photo spread of my own publication that meets in-between fashion magazine and informative medical textbook. 
- @icedchaiwithoatmilkImage attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art

2 weeks ago

University of Arizona School of Art

This gorgeous manipulated digital photograph is titled "Triangular Melons," and is by recent @uarizonaphoto MFA Alumna, Leah Netsky!
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My work considers the growing interaction between animal and plant life, science and technology. I use physical and digital manipulation of subjects to explore the human drive to edit, define, and control the organic. I have recently been working on a series of "future fruit" which play on genetic modification in fruit production. This image imagines how melons might be designed in the future.
- @leah_netsky
... See MoreSee Less

This gorgeous manipulated digital photograph is titled Triangular Melons, and is by recent @uarizonaphoto MFA Alumna, Leah Netsky!
.
My work considers the growing interaction between animal and plant life, science and technology. I use physical and digital manipulation of subjects to explore the human drive to edit, define, and control the organic. I have recently been working on a series of future fruit which play on genetic modification in fruit production. This image imagines how melons might be designed in the future.
- @leah_netsky
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University of Arizona School of Art

2 weeks ago

University of Arizona School of Art

These beautiful photographs are from Tamrin Ingram who received her MFA from the Photography, Video and Imaging program here at the UArizona School of Art!
.
These two photographs contain the shadow of my granny.
In one she photographs her youngest daughter (my mother, now passed) on a swing set, and the shadow of mother and daughter is cast on the background. In another the same shadow of Granny is cast upon the freshly dug grave of her husband. I was struck by these self-shadow portraits of her, both photographs are quite plain yet both seem to whisper something about heartache, parenthood, and loss. In one, a wife documents the final resting place of newly dead husband, in another a mother documents her daughter just after the death of father and husband, and on the edge of it all is myself, daughter and granddaughter left with only shadows and dirt and two haunting photographs, seeing them at a time long before they ever saw me.
... See MoreSee Less

These beautiful photographs are from Tamrin Ingram who received her MFA from the Photography, Video and Imaging program here at the UArizona School of Art!
.
These two photographs contain the shadow of my granny.
In one she photographs her youngest daughter (my mother, now passed) on a swing set, and the shadow of mother and daughter is cast on the background. In another the same shadow of Granny is cast upon the freshly dug grave of her husband. I was struck by these self-shadow portraits of her, both photographs are quite plain yet both seem to whisper something about heartache, parenthood, and loss. In one, a wife documents the final resting place of newly dead husband, in another a mother documents her daughter just after the death of father and husband, and on the edge of it all is myself, daughter and granddaughter left with only shadows and dirt and two haunting photographs, seeing them at a time long before they ever saw me.
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University of Arizona School of Art

4 weeks ago

University of Arizona School of Art

This fantastic illustrative piece is called SIMPLIFY by School of Art student, Caroline Berkey!
.
“I would hope my illustrations speak more for themselves than any written statement would. I also wouldn't want to discourage any viewer from applying a personal meaning to my work, especially since the nuance of visual narrative is so special. This piece means a lot to me. I made this piece while experiencing the worst artist block I've felt, to my memory. I made this piece when I didn't want to make anything at all. I made this piece at the beginning of a global pandemic, when all of my goals and plans were flipped upside down, and I ashamedly felt relieved. I made this piece because I think it's funny and honest. S I M P L I F Y.” @caro.carlitos
... See MoreSee Less

This fantastic illustrative piece is called SIMPLIFY by School of Art student, Caroline Berkey!
.
“I would hope my illustrations speak more for themselves than any written statement would. I also wouldnt want to discourage any viewer from applying a personal meaning to my work, especially since the nuance of visual narrative is so special. This piece means a lot to me. I made this piece while experiencing the worst artist block Ive felt, to my memory. I made this piece when I didnt want to make anything at all. I made this piece at the beginning of a global pandemic, when all of my goals and plans were flipped upside down, and I ashamedly felt relieved. I made this piece because I think its funny and honest. S I M P L I F Y.” @caro.carlitos
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University of Arizona School of Art

1 month ago

University of Arizona School of Art

Congratulations to Alex Turner for his recognition in the 2020 Lens Culture Black and White Awards. Alex placed 1st in the Single Image Category for his beautiful image, “29 Humans (Smugglers) and 12 Horses , 1-Week Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ, 2019” from the series “Blind River”! ... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Alex Turner for his recognition in the 2020 Lens Culture Black and White Awards. Alex placed 1st in the Single Image Category for his beautiful image, “29 Humans (Smugglers) and 12 Horses , 1-Week Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ, 2019” from the series “Blind River”!
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University of Arizona School of Art

1 month ago

University of Arizona School of Art

Beautiful acrylic portrait from School of Art student Sara Al Dabbagh. This work features her rendition of a Sumerian Noblewoman in the desert of Sumer, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Sara is a third year Bachelor of Fine Arts student majoring in Studio Art with emphasis in Two-Dimensional studies.
“I am a woman from Iraq, and I have always desired to have myself be represented in art and modern culture. I made this piece, to show the beauty of Iraq.” @artist.sakalda
... See MoreSee Less

Beautiful acrylic portrait from School of Art student Sara Al Dabbagh. This work features her rendition of a Sumerian Noblewoman in the desert of Sumer, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 
Sara is a third year Bachelor of Fine Arts student majoring in Studio Art with emphasis in Two-Dimensional studies. 
“I am a woman from Iraq, and I have always desired to have myself be represented in art and modern culture. I made this piece, to show the beauty of Iraq.” @artist.sakalda
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School Of Art

P.O. BOX 210002
1031 N. Olive Rd.
J. Gross Gallery Rm 101d
Tucson, AZ 85721-0002

Email: artinfo@cfa.arizona.edu

Phone: 520.621.7570

Fax: 520.621.2955


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