Fine Arts

The Degree

Associate in Science (A.S.)

The Outlook

Career prospects for those who enter the field of fine arts include art education, gallery and museum exhibition work, art dealership, and the creation and sale of original artwork. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates moderate growth in the field through the year 2008 due to population growth, rising incomes, and an increase in the number of people who appreciate fine art. Through the A.S. Fine Arts degree program at Finger Lakes Community College, you can build a foundation to begin working as a creative artist and prepare for transfer to a four-year college or university.

The Program

The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Fine Arts at FLCC is designed to help you develop your artistic knowledge and proficiency and prepare you to transfer to a four-year institution as a junior-level art major.

The course work includes art history, design, printmaking, drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Students develop strong portfolios demonstrating their abilities in a variety of media. Facilities at Finger Lakes include drawing and painting studios, a sculpture foundry, a darkroom, and computer labs.

Faculty: One of the highlights of the program is our distinguished art faculty, which includes internationally known artists whose works have been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, and throughout the northeast and midwest. Our outstanding instructors bring real-life experience as artists and play an important role in your success.

Honors Courses: In addition, the College offers honors courses that provide enhanced educational experiences for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in honors courses is open to qualified students in this degree program, as well as all other qualified FLCC students. Successful completion of honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

The Experience

The Fine Arts degree program provides students with an opportunity to expand their cultural awareness of the arts through exhibitions, course work, visiting artists, guest speakers, museum visits, and related activities. The Art Club is another avenue for students to become involved in a variety of activities to enhance their experiences outside the classroom.

Field Trips: Travel to a variety of locations statewide is planned throughout the year, including trips to museums and colleges such as The Clark Institute, Everson Museum, Johnson Museum at Cornell University, Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, and a variety of galleries and museums in New York City. These field trips enhance the students' appreciation for the variety of art currently being created.

Exhibition: Quality exhibits by visiting artists are showcased in the College's Williams-Insalaco Art Gallery. Students also have opportunities to exhibit their work in the gallery each Spring as part of the Spring Arts Festival, and in "Windows," a publication of juried student art work that is published annually.

The Graduates

Many of our graduates have transferred to both private and public four-year institutions to pursue their bachelor's and master's degrees. Students have attended institutions such as SUNY Brockport, Geneseo, Buffalo, Albany, Fredonia, New Paltz, Purchase, Syracuse University, FIT, The School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Cincinnati, RIT, Ohio University, Detroit Center for Creative Studies, and University of California at Berkeley, among others.*

Careers: Graduates have pursued careers, nationally and internationally, as professional artists, art educators at both the high school and college level, gallery directors and museum archivists. Many of our students and graduates continue to exhibit their work and receive awards for their artistic accomplishments.

* This is a sampling of some of the four-year colleges and universities to which our students have transferred. Please consult your advisor or the Center for Advisement and Personal Development for a complete listing of transfer agreements between Finger Lakes Community College and four-year institutions.

The Scholarships

Students meeting specific criteria have received scholarships from The School of Visual Arts, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Syracuse University. For details, contact a member of the Fine Arts faculty or the Financial Aid Office.

The Faculty

Professors and instructors in both the Fine Arts and Graphic Design programs hold master’s degrees from such institutions as the New York Academy of Art and RIT. They are all working artists in their varied disciplines which include painting, sculpting, ceramics, printmaking, photography, woodworking and graphic design. They have had their works exhibited and won awards throughout the U.S. and abroad, including Florence, Italy. Although their areas of expertise vary, the entire faculty in the Art programs share a commitment to teaching as their top priority. The adjunct faculty are working artists as well who bring real experience from the working world into the classroom.

Fine Arts

Curriculum Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 64 credit hours with a grade point average of at least a C (2.0).

All associate degree programs require English 101 Freshman English and English 102 Introduction to Literature. Students must pass skills assessment for entrance into these courses. Students who are well prepared may substitute ENG 104 English I Honors and ENG 105 English II Honors for ENG101 and ENG102. Students who are considering the English Honors sequence should consult the Director of Honors.

Students must successfully complete:

Humanities

  • ENG101 Freshman English and ENG 102 Introduction to Literature
    or
    ENG104 English I Honors and ENG105 English II Honors

Art

  • ART 100 Art History I
  • ART 101 Art History II
  • ART 102 Foundation Drawing I
  • ART 103 Foundation Drawing II
  • ART 104 Design I
  • ART 105 Design II
  • 18 credits of approved Art Electives**

Social Science

  • 3 credit hours of social science electives
  • 3 credit hours HIS history electives

Mathematics and/or Science

  • 8 credit hours of math and/or science electives

Health/Physical Education Elective

  • 4 credit hours

General Elective

  • The remainder of required hours must be made up of approved electives.

Students who are transferring to four-year institutions should follow the general education course requirements for transfer to SUNY and non-SUNY schools. View the general education requirements for more details.

**Approved Art Electives
ART 106 Ceramics I, ART 200 Figure Drawing I, ART 201 Figure Drawing II, ART 202 Painting I, ART 204 Painting II, ART 205 Modeling and Sculpture I, ART 206 Modeling and Sculpture II, ART 209 Printmaking I, ART 210 Printmaking II, ART 211 Digital Photography, ART 212 Ceramics II, and ART 221 Advanced Drawing, ART 207 Photography I, ART 208 Photography II.

Fine Arts

Sample Schedule

The schedule below shows how the requirements for the A.S. Fine Arts degree may be met in four semesters. This schedule is an example of one of many possible schedules. It is included here only as an illustration of the type of schedule that might be followed by a full-time student. Many students attending Finger Lakes Community College who have work and/or family obligations choose a different sequence of courses and take more than four semesters to fulfill the requirements for this degree. Similarly, students who find they need to take some additional course work to prepare them to do well in the types of courses included in the degree may plan a schedule that takes more than four semesters to complete the degree. All students should consult their advisor when they plan their schedules.

*Most upper level studio courses require ART 102 Foundation Drawing I and ART 104 Design I as prerequisites.

First Semester (16-17 Credit hours)

  • ENG 101 Freshmen English (3)
  • ART 100 Art History I (3)
  • ART 102 Foundation Drawing I (3)
  • ART 104 Design I (3)
  • Math or Science Elective (3/4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Second Semester (16-17 Credit hours)

  • ENG 102 Introduction to Literature (3)
  • ART 101 Art History II (3)
  • ART 103 Foundation Drawing II (3)
  • ART 105 Design II (3)
  • Math or Science Elective (3-4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Third Semester (16-17 Credit hours)

  • Art Elective (3)
  • Art Elective (3)
  • Art Elective (3)
  • Social Science Elective (3)
  • Math or Science Elective (3-4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Fourth Semester (16 Credit hours)

  • Art Elective (3)
  • Art Elective (3)
  • Art Elective (3)
  • Social Science Elective (3)
  • General Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)