About the Program

The sculpture program in the School of Art + Art History at the University of Florida supports an experimental and transdisciplinary approach to studio art based on the conception of sculpture as a practice that has expanded its field of influence to incorporate the realms of installation, video, and performance art. Students are encouraged to consider the physical manifestation of artworks as well as their specific cultural contexts of production, display, and distribution as central to their interpretation.

Undergraduate

The Bachelor of Fine Arts curriculum involving sculpture is designed to promote a serious investigation into all facets of contemporary sculpture including history, theory, technical processes, conceptual strategies and formal issues specific to the study of sculpture. Sculpture courses encompass a wide range of media and methods, from traditional to experimental. We encourage and direct the development of the individual student through a process of creative inquiry in the belief that learning is deepened through the cycle of conceptualization, realization and critique.

This body of work is not confined to traditional materials or processes. Many students choose to focus on performance, installation, video, or public art as the main vehicle of their advanced sculpture work. At the 4000-level, sculpture students are also introduced to the requirements of a professional career and guided in the building of a professional portfolio including resume, artist statement, professional quality slides, publicity materials, and reviews.

Graduate

The graduate sculpture program is a professional studio program designed to further the conceptual development, aesthetic presentation, technical skills, and career goals of the M.F.A. candidates in sculpture. The main objective of the program is directed toward the creation of works of art culminating in a significant body of work.

Graduate students may choose to work within any medium and to direct their study to any three-dimensional specialization such as installation, performance, public art, environmental sculpture, or any of the studio practices. No particular style, aesthetic, or theoretical approach is stressed over any other. Students are encouraged to learn other disciplines and to integrate those practices into their sculpture.