Why Study Art at the University of Minnesota?

A collection of ceramic pots on a pile of sand on the floor of an art gallery with large paintings on the back walls and visitors milling about

At the University of Minnesota, we believe that art has the power to transform our understanding of the world.

The artistic practice and research undertaken by our students and professors have a lasting impact on the individual, the community, and the environment, and resonates on visceral, emotional, and philosophical levels.

We experiment, we take risks, we engage critically and collaboratively with one another. With our work, we help to provide crucial leadership and context to the ongoing, urgent societal conversations that are taking place at the university and beyond, about our roles and responsibilities to ourselves, to one another, and to the planet itself.

The Regis Center for Art is 145,000 square feet of studios, classrooms, labs, and galleries, incorporating state-of-the-art facilities in sculpture, foundry, ceramics, digital fabrication, imaging and editing, printmaking, drawing and painting studios, black and white photography labs, and digital moving image studios. (Online Virtual Tour.)

Exhibition spaces include the 5,000 square foot Katherine E. Nash Gallery, the Regis West Gallery, and the Quarter Gallery.

Our department provides instruction for graduate and undergraduate students in four areas of study:

  • Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking
  • Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice
  • Photography and Moving Images
  • Sculpture and Ceramics

Our students benefit from the resources of a world-renowned institution dedicated to research, education, and outreach. Courses focus on the conceptual and material understanding of creative practice and also on the significance of art within the broader social and historical contexts in which it is made.

Our faculty are all accomplished, practicing artists with active exhibition careers, and their passion for teaching and research creates a rigorous and challenging environment for students.

Our urban location gives students access to one of the most vibrant and diverse arts communities in the nation, and proximity to internship and career opportunities across a wide spectrum of arts-related professions. Internationally renowned institutions such as the Weisman Art Museum, Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and numerous local galleries provide inspiration, resources, and exhibition opportunities.

After graduation, our students embark upon a wide variety of careers in studio practice, teaching, nonprofit arts organizations, and creative services. We are continually expanding collaborations with other academic departments, community, and international partners to provide students with pathways to professional opportunities in the arts and beyond.