The Department of Art is dedicated to maintaining a high level of instruction in the fine arts. We work to develop both technical skills and critical thinking in our students, in order to equip them specifically for the practice of art, and generally for careers in a wide range of professions. We make this distinction in order to clarify that we do not see art itself as a profession, but rather as a way of communicating meaning through materials and images.
Our Mission
At Cornell the study of art is more than acquiring a repertoire of studio techniques; it is an education in intellectual judgment, philosophical understanding, and ethical principles sufficient to engage the often bewildering complexity of contemporary life.
