Art & Design
Our goal is to provide exceptional visual arts programs and dynamic educational and artistic experiences. You will learn at the hands of dedicated practicing artists, award-winning educators, and skilled professionals in their fields. Converse University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
We encourage Converse students to not only learn art and design but to live art and design! We value the artistic skills you have already developed and Converse offers several Visual Arts Scholarship Days for dedicated high school senior art students. After a personal interview and portfolio presentation, students may be considered for four-year awards of up to $2,000 per year.
Degrees & Programs
Explore our programs in art and design below; Converse University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Make your plans for a campus visit or request information about our programs. We’re eager to meet you!
Undergraduate Degrees
- Studio Art – BA, BFA, minor
- Art History – BA, minor
- Art Education – BA
- Art Therapy – BA
- Interior Design – BFA*
*Our Interior Design program is accredited by Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)
Graduate Degrees
Special Programs
Interdisciplinary Degrees
Certificates
MISSION
The Department of Art and Design provides our students with authentic visual and intellectual experiences, which advance originality, cultivate scholarship, and establish professional skill development within a creative and collaborative community.
Student Educational Goals
- To provide a comprehensive, sequential curriculum that encompasses studio art and design, art history and evolving directions within the various programs of study.
- To provide critical thinking and creative expression in all areas of study.
- To provide career advising and mentorship for students through pre-professional educational experiences outside of the standard classroom setting.
- To promote skill proficiency in the use of innovative equipment and techniques.
Department News
Converse Now
Converse Celebrates 2023 Emerging Young Artists Winners
April 17, 2023
Converse’s Department of Art and Design held its annual Emerging Young Artists Juried Exhibition. Accepted submissions were on exhibition in Milliken Art Gallery from March 13 through March 25, 2023. …
Converse Now
The Power of Play: Dr. Julie Jones and Jed Dearybury ’03
March 31, 2023
On Saturday, March 11, 2023, the powerhouse team of Dr. Julie Jones (‘99) and Jed Dearybury ’03 held a daylong conference at the Citizens and Southern Event Center in Spartanburg. …
Converse Now
Professor Carey Awarded Chapman Cultural Grant
March 21, 2023
Instructor of Art Vivianne Carey was recently awarded a Chapman Cultural Center community grant. The Chapman Cultural Center is committed to expanding and supporting Spartanburg’s creative community. Carey plans to …
Announcements
Converse to Host 2023 Emerging Young Artists Exhibition
March 6, 2023
Converse University’s Department of Art and Design will host the 2023 Emerging Young Artists Exhibition March 13-25, 2023, in Milliken Art Gallery, an on-campus exhibition space with unique visual access …
School of the Arts
In the moment of creation, each artist faces a question: “What will I make of this?”
Dean of the School of the Arts
Christopher Vaneman
864.596.9038
chris.vaneman@converse.edu
Blackman Music Hall 202/230