Exploring Art Colleges and Programs in Minnesota
Minnesota offers a diverse range of art colleges and programs, catering to various interests and career aspirations within the art world. From comprehensive fine arts degrees to specialized programs in graphic design and art education, students can find a path that aligns with their artistic goals. These institutions provide a blend of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and creative exploration, preparing graduates for success in their chosen fields.
Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) Degrees
Several colleges in Minnesota offer Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees designed to provide a strong foundation for students planning to pursue a bachelor's degree in art or design. These programs often mirror the curriculum of the first two years of a four-year art program, ensuring a seamless transfer process.
Century College
Century College offers a comprehensive Associate of Fine Arts Degree in Fine Art (AFA in Fine Art). The curriculum closely resembles that of the first two years of a baccalaureate Art or Design Degree at a 4-year college or university. The AFA Fine Arts degree classes present a unified foundation of essential knowledge that is required for success in upper-class work after transferring from an Art or Design major to a BFA or BA Degree. Classes challenge students to view and analyze diverse approaches to art and design in contemporary culture while also researching traditions from past centuries. Instructors are active professionals in their fields and bring this body of knowledge and personal experience to each of their students, daily demonstrating what a creative life in the arts and design looks like.
Art Transfer Pathway AFA
The Art Transfer Pathway AFA degree offers students the opportunity to complete an associate degree whose course credits will directly transfer to designated Art bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The entire curriculum has been carefully designed so that students can complete a specific associate degree at a Minnesota State College and transfer to a Minnesota State University to earn a bachelor’s degree. Minnesota State universities include Bemidji State University, Metropolitan State University, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University, Moorhead; Southwest Minnesota State University, St. Cloud State University, and Winona State University. Transfer Pathway degrees may transfer to colleges and universities outside of the Minnesota State system, such as private and out-of-state schools.
Faculty at Century College
- Justin Allen
- Melissa Borman: Melissa has been an educator for over 20 years. For 15 years she led summer programs at the Burren College of Art in Co. Clare Ireland. Recently she has served as a mentor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and San Francisco Art Institute’s MFA Programs. Melissa is currently a full-time faculty member in Art and Gender Studies and Exhibitions Director at Century. It was through her position at Century that she partnered with a local Somali Artist to create the Young East African Artists Project. Funded by an MN State Arts Board Arts Learning Grant the project provided opportunities for high school students from East African immigrant communities to learn photography as a creative tool. The program culminated in an exhibition at the Quater Gallery at the University of Minnesota Department of Art. Melissa’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. She is a recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative and Creative Support Grants, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grant, and Rochester Art Center’ Melissa Borman Faculty/Exhibition Coordinator Bio Education:Masters of Fine Arts in Visual Art, San Francisco Art Institute
- Brianna Deterling
- Neil Johnston: Neil Johnston began teaching college-level studio classes in 2001. Starting at Century College in 2006, Johnston teaches Painting 1, 2D Design, and Drawing 1 - focusing on the creative development of students in the Foundation years of a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Johnston’s studio practice includes painting and music - his creative investigations often combining the two experiences. Hines International, and Orfield Laboratories, and he has several murals and public works in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. Century College is proud to include Johnston works on campus - the Library ‘Lanterns’ and West Campus Computer Lab ‘Glass Wall Mural’ both completed collaboratively by Johnston and fellow faculty member, John Kothera. Neil Johnston brings this diverse and active creative process to the classroom, sharing the intersection of visual arts and music, and his creative process with his students.Education:MFA, Visual Studies/Painting, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Neil Johnston Faculty/Program Director Bio
- Mandy Walen: After earning her teaching degree and license, Mandy worked in the K-12 system as an Art Teacher from 2010-2022. She has taught in Winona, Rochester, Edina, Bloomington, Anoka, Minnetonka, St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. Michael, and Champlin in this time, and has worked in elementary, middle, and high schools. Mandy began working at Century College in the fall of 2022 as a Lab Assistant for the art department.Teaching Approach:I believe all humans have creativity inside of them, it just presents in varying degrees. Being creative is an ability or skill that can be nurtured and learned, as well as neglected or lost, and my approach to teaching is to place value on real world and every day skills. Artistic things are cathartic to teach and learn, but in the end, we’re all just people who need to be able to clean up our messes and work/interact respectfully with one another.Education:B.S.
Cost & Financial Aid at Century College
As a two-year public community and technical college, Century College receives funding from the State of Minnesota, keeping tuition rates significantly lower than private colleges and universities. With affordable tuition rates and financial aid and scholarship opportunities, their students avoid student loan debt. Century College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and their programs qualify for financial aid including grants, loans, and college work-study. Eligibility for financial aid is determined annually based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Century College’s Federal School Code is 010546. Each year, the Century College Foundation awards more than $300,000 in scholarships to Century College students involved in several areas of study. Students are encouraged to create an account and apply for scholarships online.
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Minneapolis College
Minneapolis College's Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.) Transfer Pathway is a combination of liberal arts general education courses and foundation courses in Art and Art History. The A.F.A. offers you an opportunity to think seriously about a career in and related to visual art. You will complete the degree with a portfolio to prepare you for transfer to a 4-year baccalaureate program in Fine Arts (B.A. or B.F.A.). Students desiring a 2-year AFA degree for job placement or enhancement, as well as those returning to school for enrichment purposes will also benefit from this degree. Coursework will cover art and art history from all over the world and across time periods. Additionally, core courses in design, drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, and sculpture lead students to more advanced study and creation in those areas, as well as watercolor, printmaking and direct metal sculpture.
Minnesota State Moorhead
Minnesota State Moorhead’s dynamic School of Art teaches the basic principles of art, provides expert instruction in a wide variety of materials while encouraging the investigation of creative processes. They provide a framework for understanding the field of art in both historic and contemporary contexts. Minnesota State Moorhead School of Art faculty have years of experience teaching and creating various forms of art. The Art Transfer Pathway AFA offers students the opportunity to complete an Associate of Fine Arts degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Art bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the 7 Minnesota State universities enter the university with junior-year status. All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field. Students planning to transfer outside of the Minnesota State System are advised to consult with their intended transfer institution to determine transferability of the courses in this curriculum.
Bachelor's Degree Programs
Minnesota State universities offer a variety of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in art, allowing students to specialize in their areas of interest.
Metropolitan State University
This transfer pathway in Associate of Fine Arts in Art will transfer to the following majors: Metropolitan State University: Studio Arts, BA
Minnesota State University, Mankato
This transfer pathway in Associate of Fine Arts in Art will transfer to the following majors: Minnesota State University, Mankato: Art, BA or Art, BFA
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Minnesota State University, Moorhead
This transfer pathway in Associate of Fine Arts in Art will transfer to the following majors: Minnesota State University, Moorhead: Art, BA
Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)
Southwest offers a B.S. in Art Education, a B.A. with emphasis in Studio Art, and a B.A. with emphasis in Graphic Design. Minors in both art and graphic design may be combined with other majors. Elementary education majors may also take a concentration in art by completing the art minor. Students take a set of courses which will satisfy core requirements in all the majors and minors in art. Remaining courses are selected by the student as a concentration in the studio area(s) that are of the most interest to them and most closely related to their anticipated career. Because of the variety of art courses offered, students receive an excellent breadth of experience in the arts and are well-prepared for a variety of teaching opportunities in the classroom. Students may apply most of the hours completed in one discipline to the next if they decide to switch majors or concentrations within the Art Program. Labs with computers, software, scanners, and printers are available for student use. SMSU galleries feature international artists, regional artists, local artists, and SMSU student exhibitions. Campus exhibition venues include the William Whipple Art Gallery in the SMSU library, the Fine Arts 221 Gallery, and the Student Center Gallery.
Graphic Design Program at SMSU
The Graphic Design Program at Southwest Minnesota State is specifically aimed at the strategic side of the art world. They provide a balanced approach to art. With an emphasis in Graphic Design you will take the traditional studio arts (painting, drawing, and sculpture), but you will also learn how to prepare art for a printing press or for the World Wide Web. Their faculty has experience in the real world of graphic design, and can help you prepare a portfolio so you can begin a career in graphic design. You will learn about the theory and practice of graphic communication, as well as develop creative approaches to professional practice. The graphic design emphasis requires you to fulfill an internship at any site that creates corporate, industrial, government, educational, or private sector communications. There are jobs in advertising, television, multi-media, newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet publishing, CD-ROM publishing, commercial photography, illustration, entertainment or any industry that needs text, photos and art manipulation.
Studio Art Major at SMSU
The Studio Art major provides students with the opportunity to study and experiment in the visual arts. Professors focus on developing the individual student’s creative interests and directions. Students work closely with professors in a tutorial approach with relatively small studio classes and individual discussion and attention. Professors’ studios are on campus so students can observe them working on their projects and meet with them when they have questions outside of class and lab. A group of core courses are offered every semester, and additional elective courses are offered on a rotational basis. Creative freedom is stressed in studio courses as well as personal exploration of ideas, concepts, materials, form, content, risk-taking, and experimentation. The studio courses are repeatable to encourage artistic evolution and development. Studio Art graduates pursue exhibition opportunities at galleries and other venues.
Art Education Major at SMSU
The art education major combines the art major with education courses and student teaching experiences in art. This course of study provides art education graduates with the real experience of a creative artist, which is transferred to young students in the classroom. The Art Program provides students with the opportunity to study and experiment in the visual arts, while preparing for a professional career teaching art at the elementary or K-12 level. Art faculty concentrate on developing the individual student’s creative interests and directions. Students work closely with professors in a tutorial approach to learning. Relatively small studio classes help provide individual discussion and attention. Art education graduates have an excellent placement record. They find careers in teaching, professional studio work and graphic design, as well as in art galleries, photography studios, and printing businesses. Some students earn an art major, then return to Southwest to obtain a teaching certification.
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Additional Information
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD): The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
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