The Department of Art and Art History provides an engaged and personalized learning environment that prepares students to live in a diverse and complex visual world. The curriculum gives students the fundamental concepts, skills, methods, history and contemporary practice of image-making that result in an independent, senior capstone project.

Students write and give formal and informal presentations in virtually all classes. They develop skills in critical thinking and problem-solving as they learn to analyze critique, create and support artistic thought.

Examples of Student Artwork

Achieve More

Latest News

Rafael Francisco Salas

Artwork by Rafael Francisco Salas to go on view in West Bend exhibit

Work by Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas has been selected to be included in the exhibit “Wisconsin Artists Biennial 2024.” The exhibit will be […]

Rafael Francisco Salas

Rafael Francisco Salas publishes two new articles

Rafael Francisco Salas, professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Art History, has had two articles published recently. “Milwaukee Streetwear Brand […]

Detail from "7 Hopes for Humanity"

Artwork speaking to universal truths, what constitutes family to open Oct. 27 in Caestecker Gallery

“Commonalities,” an exhibit of work by Lawrence University artist Benjamin D. Rinehart, will run Oct. 27 through Dec. 8 in Caestecker Gallery, C.J. Rodman Center […]

Faculty

Travis Nygard

Nygard, Travis

Professor of Art

Mollie Oblinger

Oblinger, Mollie

Professor of Art and Director of the Caestecker Gallery

Rafael Francisco Salas

Salas, Rafael Francisco

Professor of Art and Chair of Art Department

Advising

Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.

As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers.

Advising at Ripon

Requirements

Requirements for a Major in Studio Art
Total Credits 48 credits
Prerequisites Three of the following sequences:
ART 120 Drawing I and 222 Drawing II; ART 130 Painting I: Introduction to Oil Paint and 240 Painting II; ART 190 Sculpture I/194 Three-Dimensional Design and 292 Sculpture II, or ART 180 Ceramics I and 282 Ceramics II.
Core Courses Twelve credits in art history courses, including:
ART 171 World Art and Design History I: From Cave Art to the Medieval Era or 172 World Art and Design History II: From Renaissance to Today and ART 274 Modern Art: Impressionism, Photography, Pop Art and More or 279 Art Now: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Innovations.

ART 400 Departmental Studies-Studio Art, which can be repeated for credit, usually taken in the junior year in anticipation of the Senior Studio Project.

ART 500 Senior Studio Project and ART 570 Senior Seminar in Art.

Note: to reach the 48-credit minimum for this major, at least one elective course in the arts is needed. Students are encouraged to participate in off-campus programs, but preferably in the junior year.

Additional Criteria To reach the 48-credit minimum for this major, at least one elective course in the arts is needed. Students are encouraged to participate in off-campus programs, but preferably in the junior year.
Requirements for PK-12 Licensure in Art Education
Students must complete general education requirements for licensure, the requirements for a major in studio art (see notes on the major in the art section of the catalog). Students must work with the education advisors to arrange to take teaching methods course work (ART 354 and 356) and clinical experiences (Sec. Ed. 366) through the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In addition, each student must complete the secondary education major.

Requirements for a Minor in Studio Art
Total Credits 20 credits
Core Courses ART 171 World Art and Design History I: From Cave Art to Medieval Era or 172 World Art and Design History II: From Renaissance to Today, one 200-level and one 400-level studio art course, and the rest a majority of studio art courses.

Career Tracks

Studio Art majors participate in the creative process as it is understood in the visual arts to the point where they can assume a critical standpoint and interact with the art world after graduation, whether producing visual art, preparing for further education, writing and research, working in arts institutions, art therapy or art education, or assuming a lifetime attitude of art appreciation.

Unique Opportunities

  • Field trips to major museums and cultural events are taken each semester, such as excursions to museums and galleries in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Sheboygan.
  • Caestecker Art Gallery, adjacent to the Department of Art and Art History, features shows by artists with national and international reputations.
  • Students have opportunities to exhibit their own work, help curate campus exhibits and participate in campus art projects such as a decorative tiled sink in a restroom and creating scale models of objects in the solar system for a Planet Walk on the Ceresco Prairie Convency.
  • Through the Department of Educational Studies, certification in art education is available in early childhood/adolescence (birth-grade 12).

Facilities

A Sampling of Artwork from our Permanent Collection