Colorful installation of unknown objects that hang from the ceiling in art gallery.
Department of Art

The study and practice of art

An essential aspect of the WSU experience, students are encouraged to apply multiple perspectives and embrace risk and uncertainty on the path to discovery. Classes, studio opportunities, and research projects will challenge you to think and communicate in innovative and interdisciplinary ways.

Faculty members in the Department of Art are internationally recognized contemporary artists and scholars that consistently bring their professional experience into the classroom. Extensive studio, workshop, and machine resources are complemented by a robust Visiting Artist and Scholar Program and collaborations with the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at WSU.

Illustration of three raised fists in unison, in front of a field of gradiated color.

In Solidarity

A regional juried exhibition featuring works on the themes of community, identity, and social justice, In Solidarity will be open in Gallery II of the Fine Arts Center on the WSU Pullman campus from August 11, 2023, through September 14, 2023. A closing reception will be held on the last day of the exhibition.

A cluster of microphones.

Featured Class:
Digital Art and Design (ART 322)

An introduction to the principles and processes of digital media through print, video, or sound with an emphasis on image-text relationships, color, composition, theoretical investigations, and conceptual development.

Department of Art in the News

Meet the new faculty of 2023

The breadth of scholarly interests and teaching expertise of the college’s newest faculty—from environmental humanities and many-body physics to economic globalization and the history of visual storytelling—enriches and expands the arts and sciences across the WSU system. Click “read more” to learn a little about each of these new faculty members. Arts & Humanities | […]

In the name of art

Following a thorough vetting by faculty members and the Faculty Senate, and approval by the president and Board of Regents, the WSU Department of Fine Arts is now the WSU Department of Art. The name change reflects the breadth and depth of the artistic areas available at WSU, yet the use of the singular “art” is […]

Alumni gift provides funding for arts, music and humanities

Washington State University recently received a generous philanthropic investment in the Center for Arts and Humanities from alumnus David Pollart to support new educational programs, research, and creative activity that cross traditional academic boundaries. In recognition of his transformational support, the center will be named the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities. Pollart’s gift […]

Faculty artists gain valuable support for their work

A large ceramic wall installation; new music by female and Native American composers; multimedia artworks exploring identity, memory, and home—all are among WSU faculty-led projects supported by recent awards from the Washington state-based Artist Trust program. Faculty members Sarah Barnett and Io Palmer in fine arts, and Jacqueline Wilson in music, are among 16 artists […]