Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Create Your Future

When you are inspired to create, your future is a blank canvas!

The study of Visual Arts at Kirkwood prepares you for successful transfer into a four-year college or university or entry-level employment in the visual arts field. You’ll work and study in studios, classrooms, and labs filled with the latest equipment and supplies, while gaining skills to pursue work as an independent entrepreneur through diverse coursework in visual arts, business, and entrepreneurship. Our supportive faculty provide an atmosphere that encourages you to blend your talents, technical skills, and creative aspirations to reach your artistic goals – whether it’s becoming a working artist, curator, gallery owner, art educator, illustrator, or photographer.

This immersive program also provides the opportunity for work-based learning in partnerships with local arts organizations, art educators, and art festivals, giving you experience in the field and exposure to various career paths in visual arts. 

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Students with a degree in visual arts can enter skilled trades in industries centered around pottery manufacturing, stained glass and glassblowing manufacturing, printing and design, tattooing, gallery coordination, and more.

Possible Career Choices Include:

  • Pottery and glassblowing manufacturers
  • Art gallery coordinators and art directors
  • Illustrators
  • Tattoo artists
  • Printing and design professionals
  • Art educators
  • Muralists
  • Studio artists
  • Creative strategists
  • Matting and framing specialists

Visual and Performing Arts offers nearly $140,000 in arts-related scholarships each year. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 per semester, and students enrolled in any of Kirkwood’s career and college transfer programs are encouraged to apply. 

Chris and Suzy DeWolf Family Fine Arts Scholarship

  • Must be pursuing an A.A. or A.A.A. degree with career interest in art, music or theatre.
  • Must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  • Must demonstrate financial need.
  • Must be a graduate of a high school in Linn County, Iowa, with preference for Cedar Rapids Community School District graduates.

Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship

  • Must maintain at least eight semester hours, including at least one course in a subject other than music, theatre, or art.
  • An initial audition and/or portfolio review is required.
  • Applications are screened each term to determine continuing eligibility.
  • Fine and Performing Arts scholarships are awarded to students pursuing an A.A. or A.A.A. degree with career interest in music or theatre as well as those pursuing degrees with other academic interests.
  • Must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  • Must actively contribute to the music, theatre, and/or art programs, including enrollment in ensembles and/or productions.

Ira and Doris Larson Fine Arts Endowed Scholarship

  • Must be enrolled in at least eight semester hours and pursing a degree with career interest in music, theatre or art as well as degrees with other academic interests.
  • Talent, reliability, grade point average, and level will be considered.

Madeline Roemig Bendorf Endowed Scholarship

  • Preference given to a student pursuing a degree with career interest in fine arts.
  • Must have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  • Must demonstrate financial need. 

Our visual arts faculty includes highly qualified, enthusiastic instructors — many who are professional visual artists themselves. 

Program Costs

Visual Arts A.A.A.

School Year: 2024–25

Program Entry Semester: Fall, Spring, Summer

Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Total
Credit Hours per Semester 17 17 4 15 15 68
In-State Tuition $3,689 $3,689 $868 $3,255 $3,255 $14,756
Technology Fee per Semester $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $250
Clinical Expenses (mileage, lodging, screenings, etc.) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Conferences/Seminars $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Course Resources (textbooks, software, etc.) $640 $210 $125 $505 $185 $1,665
Course/Section Fees $315 $315 $0 $210 $210 $1,050
Laptop (required devices) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Testing Fees $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Third Party Credentials $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Tool Sets $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Uniforms $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Estimated Cost $4,694 $4,264 $1,043 $4,020 $3,700 $17,721

 

Costs provided are estimated and based on the following current tuition rates: $217 (In-State), $290 (Out-of-State), $400 (International).

Fees and costs are subject to change. To view all costs associated with attending college visit our Tuition and Costs page.


Explore More

Visual Arts students will explore a wide variety of classroom and project experiences in the following required foundation courses:

  • Design Fundamentals
  • Drawing
  • Art History
  • Art Appreciation

Choose from a range of 2D and 3D studio courses according to your interest:

  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Ceramics
  • Photography
  • Digital Photography
  • Glass 

If you are interested in becoming a career artist, consider a class in entrepreneurship.

Students in Kirkwood's Visual Arts program are encouraged to join the Kirkwood chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the only national Career and Technical Student Organization with the family as its central focus.

FCCLA is one of eight recognized members of the National Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations (NCC-CTSO). CTSOs are co-curricular groups that help students in career and technical education programs further their knowledge and skills by participating in activities, events, and competitions.

Kirkwood offers a diverse mixture of clubs and organizations. You can select from a variety of opportunities that suit your personal interests, as well as your program interests. A complete list of clubs and organizations can be found in Student Life.

The following resources can further help you discover careers in art:

  • Career Coach provides valuable resources and data for exploring career options in art. Get access to current expectations for beginning, average and upper salaries for positions right here in Iowa. You’ll also get linked to current art employment job postings, as well as associated education and training information.
  • The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), administered by Indiana University, is another great resource providing annual information about current occupations of arts alumni, where artists reside, education satisfaction, and how many arts alumni have gone on to earn graduate degrees. This source is perfect for exploring majors, skills, degrees, occupations, and earnings.

Regional galleries and museums like the following are great resources: 

Workspaces to check out are:

Residencies include:



Questions?

Arts & Humanities
2092 Cedar Hall
319-398-4913
arts@kirkwood.edu