
Art
The goal of the Art Department is to raise students to a level of self-sufficiency, independent critical thinking, and proficiency in the creation and discussion of works of art in order that they might sustain a lively, generative, and relevant practice outside of the College environment.
About the Major
At Hamilton, art students create, learn, and display their talents in the new Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts. Across the street is the Wellin Museum, another acclaimed facility that hosts professional exhibits. As part of this exciting, rigorous, interdisciplinary art-making community, students explore the meaning art holds in their own lives and how art communicates ideas to others.
Students Will Learn To:
- Construct meaning using visual information
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic tools and techniques of new and traditional media
- Analyze their studio processes by diagramming the stages in creative thinking
- Use critique to formulate and build personal direction
- Generate a public exhibition
A Sampling of Courses

Introduction to Ceramics
Handbuilding techniques will be employed to explore the sculptural possibilities of clay. A developed visual and conceptual vocabulary will accompany the technical aspects of ceramics through studio practice and class critique.
Explore these select courses:
Meet Our Faculty
most recent works explore the landscapes of California, the American Southwest, and Italy
sculpture, drawing, and digital media
video, performance, installation, photography, electronic media, and history and contemporary practices in each of those areas
photography, history of photography, video capture and editing, Adobe premiere, art foundations curriculum, and 2D and 4D fundamentals
painting and drawing
sculpture, ceramics
Explore Hamilton Stories

A “Know Thyself” Journey to Harvard's Graduate School of Design
Oftentimes students feel as though there is a dichotomy between the sciences and the arts and that they must choose one or the other. Enter Shelly Cao ’23, an art and mathematics double major pursuing a combination of both through architecture and showing the paths that emerge from pursuing interdisciplinary interests.

Wellin Docents Discuss Careers in Art
For many, work in the art world conjures images of artists at easels. However, a career in art can be much broader and involve aspects beyond the creation of art.

Murphy ’23 Exploring Artistic Technique of Embodiment
As Fiona Murphy ’23 creates her comics, she pulls her mental state into the physical world. Each blurred line or harsh impression is purposeful, constructed to evoke a certain psychological experience: gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, or sleep deprivation.
Careers After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in art are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Editorial Assistant, Random House
- Director, High Museum of Art
- Visual Designer, Fidelity Investment
- Director, Credit Suisse
- Landscape Design, Living Green
- Technical Director, Pixar Animation Studios
- Photographer, United Nations
- Major Gifts Officer, Grand Teton National Park Foundation
- Owner/Founder, Vermont Glass Workshop
Contact
Department Name
Art Department
Contact Name
Bill Salzillo, Chair
Clinton, NY 13323