Department of Fine Arts Eastbridge Hall, Rooms 101–148
Tel: (802) 555-0180
finearts@acapa.edu

Chair: Prof. Dorothea Kells
Asst. Chair: Prof. Marcus Ybarra

Enrollment (2024–25):
BFA: 214 students
MFA: 38 students

Full Faculty Directory
Morrow Gallery
Admission Requirements

Department of Fine Arts

The Department of Fine Arts at ACAPA offers intensive studio-based training in the visual arts within a conservatory environment. Established in 1947 as one of ACAPA's founding departments, Fine Arts has developed a reputation for rigorous technical instruction combined with serious engagement in contemporary critical discourse. Students work closely with practicing artists on the faculty and benefit from ACAPA's location in Eastbridge, Vermont, where proximity to the natural landscape and the region's strong craft traditions continue to inform studio practice.

The department awards the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). Five concentrations are available at the undergraduate level: Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Photography, and Ceramics. MFA students pursue interdisciplinary studio research across media under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

The department is housed in Eastbridge Hall, a 36,000-square-foot facility renovated in 2009, and operates the Morrow Gallery, ACAPA's primary exhibition space, which mounts approximately ten exhibitions per academic year including student thesis shows, visiting artist installations, and faculty exhibitions.

Spring 2025 Open Studios: April 25–27, 2025. Eastbridge Hall studios open to the public, 10am–5pm daily. MFA thesis exhibition opens April 25. Full schedule and details →

Programs of Study

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

The BFA is a four-year, 120-credit professional degree in studio art. Students complete a foundation year before declaring a concentration. The curriculum is structured around studio practice, group critique, and art history and theory requirements. Approximately two-thirds of coursework is studio-based; the remaining third fulfills liberal arts and humanities requirements through ACAPA's Core Curriculum.

Year 1: Foundation Studios (drawing, 2D design, 3D design, digital tools)
Year 2: Concentration declaration, intermediate studios, art history survey
Year 3: Advanced studio sequence, electives, critical theory seminar
Year 4: Senior Thesis Project, capstone exhibition, professional practice

Total credits: 120 | Studio credits: 78 | Liberal arts: 30 | Electives: 12

Full BFA program requirements →

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The MFA is a two-year terminal degree in studio art. It is a small, intensive program enrolling no more than 20 students per cohort. Students are assigned individual studio spaces with 24-hour access and meet weekly with a faculty mentor for studio visits. The curriculum combines group critique, graduate seminars, and independent studio research, culminating in a public thesis exhibition in the Morrow Gallery.

Individual studio space from the first week of residency
Weekly one-on-one studio visits with faculty mentor
Graduate seminars: Contemporary Art Theory, Writing About Art, Professional Practice
Annual mid-residency review by internal and external critics
Second-year public thesis exhibition

Total credits: 60 | Full-time residency required | Assistantships available

Full MFA program requirements →

Concentrations (BFA)

Concentration	Description	Studio Credits	Details
Painting	Oil, acrylic, encaustic, and mixed media. Students explore color theory, compositional structure, historical and contemporary approaches from observational painting through abstraction and conceptual practice. Figure and landscape painting are offered as advanced electives.	48	View →
Sculpture	Additive, subtractive, and assemblage methods. Students work with wood, metal, cast materials, ceramics, and found objects. Access to the woodshop, metal fabrication lab, and casting foundry. Site-specific and installation work is emphasized at the advanced level.	48	View →
Printmaking	Intaglio, relief, screen printing, and lithography. Analog and digital print processes are integrated at the intermediate and advanced levels. Students develop personal imagery and work in series. Edition printing, book arts, and hybrid print-drawing practices are also addressed.	48	View →
Photography	Film-based and digital imaging, darkroom technique, large-format 4x5, studio lighting, and documentary practice. Students move from analog foundations into digital capture and post-production. Critical analysis of photographic history and theory is integrated throughout.	48	View →
Ceramics	Hand-building, wheel-throwing, glaze formulation, kiln loading and firing. Students develop skills in both functional and sculptural ceramic forms. Gas reduction, wood firing, and electric kiln methods are all available. The ceramics studio houses a Anagama wood-firing kiln installed in 2018.	48	View →

Faculty

The department employs 22 full-time faculty, all of whom maintain active studio practices. Many hold national and international exhibition records and have work in public collections. Additionally, the department hosts 3–5 visiting artists per year through the Visiting Artist Program.

Name	Rank / Title	Concentration / Specialty	Education
Dorothea Kells	Professor; Department Chair	Painting; abstract and large-scale canvas	MFA Yale School of Art
Marcus Ybarra	Associate Professor; Asst. Chair	Sculpture; cast metal, public installation	MFA RISD
Anne Hollis	Professor	Printmaking; intaglio, book arts	MFA University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ryo Tanaka	Professor	Ceramics; wood firing, sculptural vessels	MFA Alfred University
Kwame Osei	Associate Professor	Photography; documentary, large-format film	MFA Yale School of Art
Ellen Sturgis	Associate Professor	Painting; figure, oil and encaustic	MFA Cranbrook Academy of Art
Pierre Delacroix	Associate Professor	Sculpture; welding, assemblage, found objects	MFA University of Illinois Chicago
Helen Morrow	Professor Emerita	Painting; watercolor, landscape (retired, gallery named in her honor)	MFA Columbia University
Rosa Castillo	Assistant Professor	Photography; digital imaging, identity and documentary	MFA UCLA
Thomas Brennan	Associate Professor	Printmaking; lithography, screen printing	MFA University of New Mexico
Adaeze Ngozi	Assistant Professor	Ceramics; functional ware, glazing, kiln design	MFA Ohio State University
Mei-Ling Wu	Associate Professor	Painting; ink, mixed media, East Asian traditions	MFA Boston University
Irina Petrova	Assistant Professor	Sculpture; stone carving, site-specific work	MFA RISD
Sean O'Connor	Associate Professor	Art History & Theory; modern and contemporary	PhD University of Chicago
Diana Reyes	Assistant Professor	Photography; studio lighting, commercial and fine art	MFA Yale School of Art
Nathaniel Fitch	Associate Professor	Printmaking; relief, laser etching, hybrid processes	MFA Pratt Institute
Hassan Ali	Assistant Professor	Ceramics; hand-building, Raku firing, sculptural clay	MFA Alfred University
Lars Johansson	Professor	Painting; color theory, abstract expressionism	MFA Cranbrook Academy of Art
Claire Bishop	Associate Professor	Art History & Theory; contemporary critical theory	PhD Cornell University
Raymond Vance	Assistant Professor	Sculpture; casting, bronze and aluminum foundry	MFA University of Texas at Austin
Marta Eriksen	Lecturer	Foundation Studies; drawing, 2D and 3D design	MFA Vermont College of Fine Arts
David Chang	Lecturer	Photography; darkroom, analog processes, film history	MFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago

* Full bios and contact information: Fine Arts Faculty Directory. Office hours posted at Eastbridge Hall Room 101.

Morrow Gallery

The Helen Morrow Gallery is ACAPA's primary public exhibition space, named after Professor Emerita Helen Morrow, who taught in the department from 1951 to 1998 and served as department chair for seventeen years. The gallery occupies 2,400 square feet on the ground floor of Eastbridge Hall and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 11am–5pm, and during all ACAPA performance and event evenings.

The gallery mounts approximately ten exhibitions per academic year. Programming includes:

BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition (May, two-week run)
MFA Thesis Exhibition (April–May)
Annual Faculty Exhibition (September)
Visiting Artist Installations (throughout the year)
Juried Student Group Exhibition (February)
Exchange exhibitions with partner schools

Gallery Director: Sean O'Connor (Interim). Proposals for exhibitions from outside artists and institutions are accepted annually; see the gallery submissions page.

Morrow Gallery current exhibitions and schedule →

Facilities

Fine Arts occupies Eastbridge Hall (36,000 sq. ft., renovated 2009) and an annex building at 14 Ledge Street housing the ceramics program. Additional shared facilities are available in the Central Arts Building.

Facility	Location	Description
Large Painting Studios (6)	Eastbridge Hall, 2nd floor	North-facing skylights; each studio accommodates 12–16 students. Separate easel storage and paint supply cage.
Drawing Studios (3)	Eastbridge Hall, 1st floor	General foundation and advanced drawing. Model stand, posing platform, and lighting rigs for figure drawing.
Printmaking Lab	Eastbridge Hall, basement	Etching presses (2), litho press, screen printing room, laser etching station, drying racks. Ventilated acid room.
Photography Studios & Darkrooms	Eastbridge Hall, 1st floor (north wing)	Two fully-equipped analog darkrooms (35mm and large-format). Digital studio with 12 editing workstations. Two lighting studios with cyclorama walls.
Ceramics Studio & Kilns	14 Ledge Street Annex	Wheel-throwing room (20 wheels), hand-building studio, glaze lab. Electric kilns (4), gas reduction kilns (2), Anagama wood-firing kiln (installed 2018).
Sculpture Studio & Fabrication	Eastbridge Hall, 1st floor (south wing) + Outdoor Yard	Woodshop (table saw, band saw, router tables), metal fabrication lab (MIG/TIG welding, plasma cutter), plaster and casting area, stone carving yard. All supervised; safety certification required.
MFA Individual Studios	Eastbridge Hall, 3rd floor	20 lockable individual studios for MFA students; 24-hour keycard access. Shared MFA critique room adjacent.
Morrow Gallery	Eastbridge Hall, ground floor	2,400 sq. ft. public exhibition space. Track lighting, moveable walls, loading dock. Climate-controlled storage room.
Art Library & Slide Archive	Central Arts Building, Room 22	10,000-volume art reference library, artist books collection, 80,000 digitized slide archive. Shared with Art History.

All facilities governed by ACAPA Safety and Access Policy. Students must complete orientation and, where applicable, equipment certification before independent use. Full facilities guide →

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Department of Fine Arts is selective and requires submission of a portfolio. General ACAPA admission requirements also apply. See the Fine Arts Admissions page for full details and deadlines.

BFA Applicants

Completed ACAPA undergraduate application
Portfolio: 12–20 works (digital submissions via SlideRoom); work in proposed concentration strongly preferred but not required
Artist statement (300–500 words)
Two letters of recommendation (at least one from a visual arts instructor)
High school transcript (minimum 3.0 GPA recommended)
Interview (required; conducted via video call or on-campus visit)
SAT/ACT: Optional (test-free review available)

Application deadline: January 15 (priority); March 1 (regular). Notification by April 1.

MFA Applicants

Completed ACAPA graduate application
Portfolio: 20 images of recent work (digital submission; no older than 3 years preferred)
Artist statement (500–800 words describing current practice and graduate study goals)
Writing sample: 5–10 pages (critical essay or thesis chapter)
Three letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions
BFA or equivalent professional studio practice required
Interview required for finalists (February, on-campus or video)
GRE: Not required

Application deadline: December 1. Notification by February 15. Funding decisions announced with admission.

MFA Teaching Assistantships (50% tuition remission + stipend) available for all admitted students; Research Fellowships available on a competitive basis.
Full admission information, portfolio guidelines, and deadlines →

Sample Courses

The following is a representative selection of courses offered by the department. Full course listings appear in the ACAPA Course Catalog. Course offerings vary by semester; consult the Schedule of Classes for current availability.

Foundation (Year 1 — All Concentrations)

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 101	Drawing I: Fundamentals	3	Introduction to observational drawing. Line, contour, hatching, shading, figure, still life, and interior space. Media: charcoal, graphite, ink, and collage.
FA 102	Two-Dimensional Design	3	Principles of composition, color theory, and visual organization. Studio projects in multiple media.
FA 103	Three-Dimensional Design: Form and Space	3	Introduction to three-dimensional construction and spatial thinking. Projects in cardboard, wire, plaster, and found materials.
FA 104	Digital Tools for Studio Artists	3	Introduction to digital imaging, scanning, documentation, and presentation software for studio artists. Not a design course.
FA 110	Art History Survey I: Ancient to 1800	3	Lecture and discussion. Western and non-Western traditions from antiquity through the eighteenth century.
FA 111	Art History Survey II: 1800 to Present	3	Modernism, the avant-garde, and contemporary developments through the present. Global scope.

Painting Concentration

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 210P	Painting I: Introduction to Oil and Acrylic	3	Basic paint-mixing, color theory, compositional structure, and perceptual skills as applied to painting. Observational and exploratory approaches.
FA 310P	Painting II: Intermediate Studio	3	Expanded exploration of painting materials and conceptual approaches. Traditional and contemporary methods; figure, landscape, and abstraction.
FA 350P	Figure Painting	3	Sustained work from the live model. Anatomy, proportion, color, and individual interpretive approaches. Prereq: FA 310P.
FA 410P	Advanced Painting Seminar	3	Intensive studio work combined with group critique and individual faculty studio visits. Students develop a sustained body of work. Prereq: FA 310P.
FA 490P	Senior Thesis: Painting	6	Capstone project. Students develop, execute, and publicly exhibit a cohesive body of original paintings. Written thesis required.

Sculpture Concentration

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 210S	Sculpture I: Materials and Processes	3	Introduction to additive, subtractive, and assemblage techniques. Wood, plaster, clay, and found materials.
FA 320S	Metal Fabrication for Sculptors	3	MIG and TIG welding, plasma cutting, and basic metalworking. Safety certification prerequisite. Prereq: FA 210S or instructor consent.
FA 360S	Casting and Foundry	3	Bronze and aluminum lost-wax casting, sand casting, and mold-making. Access to the department foundry.
FA 420S	Site-Specific and Installation Art	3	Research-based installation practice. Students propose and execute works in response to specific sites on and off campus.
FA 490S	Senior Thesis: Sculpture	6	Capstone project. Students develop, fabricate, and publicly exhibit a body of sculptural work. Written thesis required.

Printmaking Concentration

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 210PR	Printmaking I: Relief and Intaglio	3	Introduction to woodcut, linocut, etching, and aquatint. Basic press techniques, edition printing, and print concepts.
FA 315PR	Screen Printing and Lithography	3	Photographic and hand-drawn screen printing; planographic lithography on stone and plate. Color registration and multiple-run edition work.
FA 370PR	Intermediate Printmaking: Series and Edition	3	Students create prints using intermediate technical processes, focusing on edition skills, serial work, and multiple-color imagery. Prereq: FA 210PR.
FA 440PR	Hybrid Print and Digital Processes	3	Integration of analog printmaking and digital methods including laser etching, wax transfer, and photo screen printing.
FA 490PR	Senior Thesis: Printmaking	6	Capstone project. Students produce a substantial body of original prints and present a public exhibition. Written thesis required.

Photography Concentration

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 210PH	Photography I: Black-and-White Film	3	35mm camera operation, film exposure and development, darkroom printing. History and theory of photography introduced.
FA 220PH	Large-Format Photography	3	4x5 view camera technique, sheet film processing, contact printing, and field photography. Prereq: FA 210PH.
FA 310PH	Digital Photography and Post-Production	3	Digital capture, scanning, retouching, and print output. Emphasis on critical development of a personal visual voice. Prereq: FA 210PH.
FA 380PH	Documentary Photography	3	Long-term documentary project development. Ethics of representation, photo-essay structure, and publication formats.
FA 490PH	Senior Thesis: Photography	6	Capstone project. Students develop and exhibit a cohesive body of photographic work. Written thesis required.

Ceramics Concentration

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 210C	Ceramics I: Wheel and Hand-Building	3	Introduction to wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques. Clay properties, basic glazing, and electric kiln firing.
FA 315C	Intermediate Ceramics: Glaze Chemistry	3	Glaze formulation, decoration techniques, and embellishing. Expansion of modeling skills; gas reduction kiln introduced. Prereq: FA 210C.
FA 340C	Sculptural Ceramics	3	Clay as a sculptural medium. Large-scale hand-building, surface treatment, and installation contexts for ceramic work.
FA 420C	Wood Firing and Atmospheric Kilns	3	Anagama and wood-firing techniques. Students participate in multi-day firing cycles. Emphasis on process, chance, and materiality. Prereq: FA 315C.
FA 490C	Senior Thesis: Ceramics	6	Capstone project. Students produce a mature body of ceramic work and present a public exhibition. Written thesis required.

Graduate Courses (MFA)

Number	Title	Credits	Description
FA 601	Graduate Studio I	9	First semester independent studio work with weekly faculty studio visits, monthly group critiques, and visiting artist critiques.
FA 602	Graduate Studio II	9	Continuation of independent studio research. Mid-residency review at semester's end.
FA 610	Contemporary Art Theory	3	Graduate seminar. Critical readings in contemporary aesthetics, postcolonial theory, and the sociology of the art world.
FA 620	Writing About Art	3	Artist statements, critical essays, grant writing, and thesis writing workshop. Peer workshopping and individual instruction.
FA 630	Professional Practice for Artists	3	Gallery relationships, studio as business, grant and residency applications, teaching portfolios, and the contemporary art market.
FA 690	MFA Thesis Exhibition	6	Final semester public thesis exhibition in the Morrow Gallery. Thesis paper, artist talk, and public reception required.

For complete course descriptions and prerequisites, see the ACAPA Course Catalog. Undergraduate students may petition to enroll in 600-level courses with written faculty permission.