Fine Art
Associate of Science
Division: Humanities
Division Chair: Stephen Burke, sburke@sunyrockland.edu
Department Chair: Eileen MacAvery Kane, emacaver@sunyrockland.edu
Department Support Staff: Amy Frank, afrank@sunyrockland.edu
Educational Support Staff: Lili Grady, lgrady@sunyrockland.edu, Lena Hyun, lhyun@sunyrockland.edu
Department Office: Cultural Arts Center, Room 7111, Phone: 845-574-4268
Why Study Art?
The study of art prepares students for studio arts and a wide variety of careers that produce the images and objects that infuse our daily lives. Hands-on art and art history courses provide a foundation for further study at the bachelor’s level in preparation for work in museums, colleges, architecture, or commercial art. RCC students develop a portfolio of their strongest work for transferring to bachelor’s degree programs in Fine Arts.
Related disciplines include Communication Media Arts, Speech/Communication Studies, Performing Arts, Photography, and Graphic Design.
Degrees Offered:
Occupational Objectives:
A Fine Arts degree can lead to a career as a professional artist or prepare for commercial fields as diverse as illustration, animation, scenic design, industrial design or art restoration. This degree prepares students for transfer to a four-year institution to complete a bachelor's degree.
5 Top Reasons
To Study Art at RCC:
- VALUE: Affordable tuition, financial aid, scholarships
- TRANSFER: The AS in Fine Arts meets the requirements to pursue a range of four-year degrees. High Achieving RCC graduates transfer to IVY League and other top schools.
- FLEXIBILITY: Online, evening and weekend courses. Part-time study can accommodate work, family, or other time commitments. Childcare center on-campus.
- CAREER: Internships provide real-world experience.
- SUPPORT: Well-equipped studios. Small class sizes with individualized attention. All art faculty are working artists with substantial teaching experience. Free tutoring is available for most academic subjects.
Opportunities at Rockland Community College:
More than 40 student clubs offer a rich campus life, with art-related trips to NYC galleries and museums. Three art degrees (AS in Photography and AAS in Graphic Design and Computer Graphics) offer students the option of combining art courses to build a uniquely fitted visual arts skill set. There is Outlook, the award-winning student newspaper, and Impulse, the award-winning publication for original artwork and writing. High-achieving students may enroll in Honors Art History courses.
Program Goals:
To provide talented and motivated young artists with the knowledge and skills needed to help shape their future and best fulfill their passions and abilities. The foundation program provides solid experience in two- and three-dimensional design, photography, computer art, drawing, and art history. The Careers in Art course helps students understand the many fields open to them. Advanced courses further develop their abilities and help them to identify the media and conceptual challenges that best suit their talents.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate creative and technical abilities in a variety of fine arts media
- Understand the role artists and designers have in today’s world in the context of the history of art
- Create a portfolio for use in the workforce or future studies