College of Arts & Sciences | Department of Art and Art History
College of Arts & Sciences | Department of Art and Art History
Department of Art and Art History
Art and Art History Department at Saint Joseph's University

Department of Art and Art History

The Department of Art and Art History at Saint Joseph's University offers a diverse range of courses in art history, graphic design, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and museum studies. Housed across three dedicated art buildings, the department features lecture classrooms and state-of-the-art studios for painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, digital photography, and darkroom photography.

Through a blend of practice, study, and research, the department cultivates an appreciation for the transformative power of art on both personal and cultural levels. Studio and lecture courses integrate intellectually rigorous, hands-on instruction with opportunities for creative exploration, independent thinking, and critical analysis.

Guided by strong faculty mentorship in both traditional and contemporary approaches, the department encourages students to develop their unique artistic voices while fostering innovation and adaptability. Its comprehensive curriculum, combining breadth across disciplines with deep focus in specific areas, prepares students to thrive in their post-graduate pursuits. The department’s award-winning faculty, comprised of accomplished artists and scholars, are dedicated educators who inspire students to express themselves meaningfully and engage thoughtfully with both their immediate surroundings and the broader global community.

 

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News & announcements

Sculpture Students building arboretum seating
Maguire art museum mockup 1
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Rev. Dennis McNally, S.J.
Faith Belcuore sits at a desk in an art studio

Sculpture and the Environment: Steven Rossi, assistant professor of art, is working with students in his Sculpture and the Environment course to collaborate on  art-making at The Barnes Arboretum while focusing on environmental ethics.

The Beauty of the Barnes: Her face lit up with genuine delight. Nearly everyone in attendance at the September 27 ceremony to name the Frances M. Maguire Gallery building at the Barnes Arboretum saw the endearing moment.

Students Learn Human Anatomy Through PCOM Art Program: Art students at Saint Joseph's paired up with a team of medical students at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) to collaborate on a pilot program to learn how to draw parts of the human anatomy by looking at cadavers. 

In Memoriam: Rev. Dennis McNally, S.J.: Fr. McNally has served Saint Joseph’s University loyally since 1975, chairing the Department of Fine and Performing Arts for 22 years and guiding aspiring artists. 

Student Finds Path for Her Future at Intersection of Art and Medicine: When a student’s passions and future career goals don’t naturally align, it can feel like choosing between one or the other. But Faith Belcuore ’20 isn't choosing. She's chasing a future as a physicians assistant while studying art history.

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Alumni Spotlight

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My advisor helped me research the importance of the arts within the medical field and introduced me to an internship at PCOM where I helped cultivate a new medical humanities program for first-year medical students."

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Faith Belcuore '20

art history major

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It truly does make a difference when students can see and feel the care from their teachers, and the art department was never lacking."

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Lauren Cavanaugh '20

art and communications major, art history minor

Steven Bradley '20

I appreciate the challenge that was placed on me by the teachers I've had and can definitely say that they will remain useful for my future career plans involving branding."

Steven Bradley '20
Steven Bradley '20

communications major, art and marketing minor

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