about the department

The Visual Arts Department offers professional instruction in seven interrelated areas of study: Art History, Digital Design, Illustration, Painting and Drawing, Photography, Transmedia Sculpture and Digital Animation.

The Visual Arts Department provides a vital educational environment within the thriving urban center of Denver, where future artists, designers and art historians explore the horizons of their own talents in a community supportive of critical dialogue and scholarship, rigorous art making, and multiple media.

Each student’s scholarly and creative work is infused with innovative technology, contemporary theory and applied professional practices.


Education in the visual arts encompasses a comprehensive knowledge of, and direct experience with various media within the rich context of the larger University’s offerings and the city itself, as students are challenged to put their knowledge to action. Supporting this enterprise is the development of an understanding of art and media theory, knowledge of methods and materials used in making art and design, and an appreciation for diverse approaches to visual culture, both contemporary and historical.


thesis program

Graduating seniors receiving the BA and BFA degrees participate in an exhibition of their creative work and documentation of their scholarship during their last semester of study. This event takes place at RedLine, known for its vision to empower every person to create social change through art.