Art

Each year over 500 students across the Claremont Colleges enroll in thirty-nine courses offered by the Scripps Art faculty in: art theory, book arts, ceramics, digital art, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Courses are designed to integrate theory and practice, enabling students to express their knowledge through research and diverse creative forms that can foster and enhance social discourse. The Art Department offers a rich and distinctive program that prepares our majors to pursue graduate work and careers in art, media, education, and the non-profit sector.

Taking advantage of Scripps’ long-standing position within the Los Angeles arts community, as well as the many opportunities found in a liberal arts environment, the Art major emphasizes hands-on learning and critical thinking. We support student research and production in traditional art to new media in various labs, classrooms and studios: the Lincoln ceramics building, Lang and Steele computer labs, and painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and video studios. Individual studios are available for qualifying majors during their senior year. Students enrolled in Scripps Art courses have 24-hour access to their classroom facilities.

The Scripps College Press and the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery are also integral parts of the Art program. The Art faculty works closely with the Gallery to showcase the annual Scripps Senior Exhibition as well as other temporary exhibitions of interest to the College and the Claremont community.

An art major consists of 10 upper-division art and art history courses. Students are encouraged to explore a number of studio practices before choosing an area of concentration.

Scripps Senior Exhibition

The Scripps Senior Art Exhibition is a cornerstone of the studio art major and the culmination of a year-long Capstone experience. Beginning with a written thesis and visual art project in the fall Senior Project and Seminar in Art course (Art 192) that are then expanded in the spring’s Advanced Senior Project in Art (Art 193), seniors work with their faculty mentors and fellow students to produce the final exhibition in the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. Seniors design the exhibition, install their work, write artist statements and wall didactics, and help to publicize the event.

In 2020, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has disrupted this tradition, resulting in our pivot to an online, virtual gallery show. On view until December 2020, please visit the gallery to see works by the senior art majors in the Class of 2020 by clicking on the image below.

Visiting Artists and Speakers

The Art Department hosts visiting artists and produces a speaker series that attracts students and faculty from all areas of the Claremont Colleges. In addition to lectures and workshops, these visitors often conduct studio visits with our senior studio art majors. Previous visitors have included: Diana Al-Hadid, Mark Bradford, Zackary Drucker, Kianga Ford, Andrea Fraser, Harry Gamboa Jr., Barbara Kruger, Carolee Schneemann, and Mario Ybarra Jr. For a complete list of our past speakers, click here.