Art Spaces and Studios
Olive Tjaden Hall is the primary home for many of the department’s administrative and functional spaces, including light-filled studios for painting, drawing, and thesis work, galleries, classrooms, and our printmaking, sound, new media, print media areas.
Galleries and Exhibitions
The department offers two well-apportioned galleries in Tjaden Hall — the Experimental Gallery and the Olive Tjaden Gallery. Each are primarily dedicated for art department students, faculty, and staff, though others outside the department can apply for exhibition opportunities each semester. Exhibition rotations optimize access to these spaces and provide all members of our community with spaces to plan and execute solo and group shows and invite others to view and experience their artwork.
Studios and Crit Spaces
The Foundry
The Foundry, a historic landmark building, houses recently updated individual studio and common spaces for M.F.A. CVA students, the Jack Squier Sculpture Studio, and a wood shop specifically for use by Art Department students and faculty. Adjacent to The Foundry are spaces for ceramics and papermaking.
Photography Labs
Our facilities provide a comprehensive range of resources for students and faculty to produce both digital and analog photographic images. We offer darkrooms for black-and-white silver gelatin and alternative photo processes, a digital lab for inkjet printing and scanning, and a professional lighting studio.
Our equipment cage supports both the photo labs and the broader art department, offering a variety of tools, including analog and digital cameras, tripods, portable lights, sound equipment, and related accessories.
The fine art print center, part of the IT print center, supports museum-quality inkjet printing for both faculty and student needs.
Print Media Facilities
Our print media facilities include studios for intaglio, stone and photo-plate lithography, risography, screen printing, and a darkroom for hybrid processes between photography and print media. These studios incorporate other material processes beyond their designed uses, such as bookmaking, Moku Hanga (traditional Japanese woodcut), linocut, monotype, and photopolymer gravure, among others.
Publication Lab
Dedicated to publishing, the shop includes three RISO printers, 19 colors, stack cutters, a range of different binding machines, and many more tools. Students can make stickers, postcards, posters, zines, short run books, and prints, among other media.
Sculpture Facilities
The Jack Squier Sculpture Studio provides students with the resources to explore a wide range of materials and processes, including wood, metal, mold making and casting, carving, and mixed-media fabrication. Located in The Foundry, the studio features two large open work areas equipped with hand and power tools. The ceramics studio supports both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques.
Sculpture students can also utilize the Autodesk Design and Make Space in Rand Hall, which supports woodworking and metalworking, as well as digital fabrication facilities, which provide access to 3D printers, CNC mills, and laser cutters — all expanding opportunities for innovative sculptural practice.
Drawing and Painting Studios
Our drawing and painting studios in Tjaden Hall provide expansive, light-filled spaces designed to support a wide range of artistic practices. Equipped for both oil- and water-based media, these studios offer an ideal environment for painting, life drawing, and exploratory mark-making. Students can access easels, drawing horses and boards, large work surfaces, and ample wall space for display and critique.
Media Arts, Performance, and Sound Studios
Our media arts, performance, and sound (MAPS) studios provide students with cutting-edge resources for digital and time-based media exploration. The main studio supports video production, animation, VR/AR, digital display, and electronic manipulation, fostering an environment for experimentation. Students have access to advanced tools for creative digital practices, allowing for innovative approaches to storytelling and interactive art.
MAPS facilities also include a professional sound studio for audio recording, editing, and production. This space supports sound design, music composition, and multimedia integration, allowing students to develop projects that incorporate immersive audio elements.
Additionally, a variety of sound equipment, cameras, and accessories are available for checkout through the AAP IT Solutions Lending Cage, ensuring students have access to the tools they need for their creative work.
Student Studios
Senior B.F.A. students receive studios in shared spaces on the second, third, and fourth floors of Tjaden Hall, providing them with space to develop thesis-oriented work in secure environments.
Each M.F.A. CVA student is assigned a private studio space in The Foundry, to use for the duration of the program. Adjacent open / meeting space and a kitchen are dedicated for M.F.A. CVA student use. These recently renovated spaces provide room for students to create, store, and collaborate.
For a full list of available equipment, please contact the Department of Art.
Art Facilities Staff / Studio Technicians
AAP College Spaces
AAP houses teaching, learning, and gathering spaces, as well as cutting-edge fabrication shops and studios that support our material-based practices and pedagogies.