Manhattanville College

About us
The Studio Art Department values the process of collaboration in the development of young artists. Students/artists will reach a level where personal art is an embodiment of personal conviction. The Department helps cultivate ideas and inspire students by exploring new processes and concepts. Students may explore and enhance their skills in various areas such as painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, illustration, digital media/graphic design, or photography. 

Students will be able to explore their interests with various classes such as Fashion Design, Architecture and Design, Textile and Design, Interior Design, Fashion Photography, and Experimental Printmaking. Students will be encouraged to explore their talents and their own sense of individuality through their artwork and style. Faculty will guide and mentor students through the exploration through technique, concepts, and research. 

Manhattanville College offers both a BA (Bachelor of Art) and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program
The Studio Art Department is committed to working with you as an individual to get the most out of your talent and vision. The Studio Art faculty create and celebrate a culture of success for all students through opportunities to exhibit art in solo and group shows during and after college. The faculty instruct students to develop a disciplined approach to their individual achievements. Studio Art majors acquire an awareness of design, concept, and technical skills in multiple art areas. Students are taught that creativity and intelligence are compatible and, just as there is scientific research, there is also aesthetic research. But art is not simply about art; it includes the present world, the worlds of the past, and the worlds of the future. Art is a part of the surrounding world and how each individual can be touched and affected by art. We emphasize that art begins outside the studio and is defined and refined inside it before ultimately returning to the public in a more comprehensive semblance. For students who do not choose to major in Art, the department offers the opportunity to study art for the investigation of the aesthetic process and its cultural value.

Focused in four categories
• Art and Design
• Digital Media/Graphic Design
• Three-Dimensional Areas
• Two-Dimensional Areas

Galleries
The Studio Art Department helps students feel inspired. The College has two art galleries on campus. Each month, working artists are invited to come display their work. The opening receptions of the Brownson and Arthur M. Berger Galleries allow students to interact with artists who are actively working today. The galleries offer students insight about career paths and possibilities as they gain inspiration from contemporary artists. They also allow a comfortable environment for students to socialize and discuss the work around them and offer a setting for students to show their work. All students, major or not, display their work for others on campus to see. Workshops are also held with local artists in different industries for students to gain insight into possible career paths and ask questions specific to the industry. Many workshops are taught by artists who work with different materials and concepts for their work, allowing a diverse and inspirational discussion amongst professors and students.

Student exhibit
Students exhibit their work throughout the College campus, Brownson Gallery, and Berman Student Center. Students exhibit their work once a semester to show fellow students their progress. Students and faculty submit their work to international galleries, working together to exchange ideas and concepts, and have shared their work previously in 2016 at the American Consulate in Kolkata, India. 

Students have the opportunity to visit museums and galleries in New York City as well as local galleries like the PepsiCo Sculpture Garden and the Neuberger Museum. Students are encouraged to explore the art-rich streets of New York City. Each student will enter a gallery or museum with a clear aesthetic appreciation of what is around them. 

Workshops and lectures
Workshops take place four to six times a semester for local and international artists to lecture students about their selected fields, where students learn different methods and techniques.

Faculty
Manhattanville boasts a world-class faculty and staff committed to teaching students to be ethical and socially responsible leaders in the global community while ensuring the intellectual and personal development of each student. The Studio Art faculty are comprised of national and international award–winning artists, who instruct students to develop a disciplined approach to their work while honoring their individual achievements as the subject matter of their artwork. The faculty are widely recognized and exhibited around the world, learning about the culture and artistry of each country.

Students are thoughtfully advised by the Studio Art faculty to help them make fundamental career decisions. Individual consultations encourage students to explore and define art interests, skills, and goals, empowering them to choose confidently from numerous paths of instruction and professional experience.

Awards
The art community at Manhattanville recognizes students who display true committment to their skills and ideas with special award ceremonies. The once-a-year award shows allow students to illustrate their ideas and conceptualize their thoughts for the audience in a visual critical-thinking matter. Two of these award shows are:

The Phyllis and Gary Grebstein Memorial Fund in the Visual Arts
Phyllis Grebstein was a sensitive and accomplished sculptor whose life ended in the midst of a most gratifying artistic career. Her artistic imagery possessed both unique sensitivity and excellence in craftsmanship and detail. Phyllis and Gary, a skilled and creative musician, sought culture and knowledge in their lives, and the Manhattanville community recognizes them as innovative, emerging artists.

The David Fagin Award
Through the generosity of David Fagin’s family and friends, this memorial cash prize is awarded each year to senior Art majors who exhibit high professional standards in the field of visual arts.

David Fagin was a sensitive, accomplished sculptor whose life had profound impact upon those who touched it at any tangent. He was struck down in the midst of a most gratifying retirement. He sought culture and knowledge as a devotee of the theater and a discerning collector of paintings. In recent years, he participated in the local college community, particularly at Manhattanville, auditing diverse courses. He was a sensitive worker and supporter of sociological ends in the Westchester area. He had a kind and gentle nature—straightforward, with indisputable integrity—and was helpful to all who approached him.