About Our Department

Study Ceramics, Painting, Drawing, Intermedia or Photography

Elon’s Studio Art program empowers students to grow as confident, skilled artists while developing their unique voices through creative exploration. Students gain essential tools for self-expression, learn strategies for innovative thinking, and engage deeply with the historical and cultural contexts that shape contemporary art.

Our program prepares students not only for careers in the arts but also for any profession that values creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Studio Art students learn to clearly articulate their ideas, give and receive constructive feedback, and apply imaginative solutions to complex problems—skills highly sought after in today’s workforce. Elon Art alumni pursue careers in fine arts, graphic design, arts-related fields, and a variety of industries, while others go on to graduate study at top programs across the country.

Beginning with foundational courses in design, drawing, and art history, students build technical and conceptual skills in areas such as ceramics, painting, photography, intermedia/digital art, and advanced drawing. They may choose to focus in one area or work across multiple media. The program culminates in a senior capstone project that reflects each student’s artistic development and vision.

At Elon, you’ll join a close-knit community of passionate faculty and students who see art as both a mode of personal expression and a powerful tool for creative problem-solving. Small classes and well-equipped studios foster a supportive, hands-on learning environment where faculty—practicing artists themselves—serve as mentors committed to your growth and success.

“As an alum, I realize how much of an impact professors can have on a student’s knowledge, passion, and future success. One of the highlights of my Elon experience was looking at my senior thesis piece hanging from the ceiling, loving everything about it, recognizing all of the hard work I had put into it, and appreciating my committee members and mentors that encouraged me to push my creativity as far as I did.”

Intensive Curriculum

Elon’s Department of Art offers two degrees in Studio Art: a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).

The BA in Art is ideal for students who want to combine their study of art with other academic interests. This degree requires 48 semester hours that include a dynamic mix of studio practice, art history, and advanced coursework, culminating in a capstone experience that synthesizes each student’s unique path and creative development. With the BA, students have the flexibility to pursue minors or second major in another field of study. See our career pathways page for suggested major/minor combinations to support a variety of professions.

The BFA in Art supports students who are deeply committed to a pre-professional program in Studio Art. This intensive 64-credit curriculum includes a comprehensive sequence of studio courses, annual portfolio reviews, and a culminating capstone experience that showcases each student’s artistic growth and vision. With access to a wide range of media and individualized faculty mentorship, the BFA offers rich teaching and learning experiences essential to the development of contemporary artists. Required coursework in art history further grounds students in historical context, offers a theoretical framework for current practice, and cultivates strong skills in critical research and writing.

Talented Faculty

Elon’s award-winning Art faculty are practicing artists and published scholars who are active in national and international creative arenas. Deeply committed to student success, they foster intellectual curiosity and creative growth by working closely with students in and out of the classroom. In addition to our permanent faculty, the department regularly invites accomplished regional artists to teach courses and exhibit their work on campus, enriching the learning environment with diverse perspectives and practices

Lecturer Micah Daw is an artist and art educator whose work explores a multifaceted approach to painting. His recent paintings and installations examine how current technologies and visual systems provide an imperfect lens on the human experience of time and space. At Elon, Micah teaches foundations art courses such as Fundamentals of Design and Introduction to Intermedia and Photography. Micah’s work has been exhibited nationally, including venues such as the Urban Arts Space in Columbus OH, Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia PA, and the Cue Foundation in New York City. Micah has been an artist-in-residence at Fermenter Artist Residency in Gainesville, FL and Open Wabi Residency in Franklinton, OH.

Professor Samantha DiRosa’s intermedia-based work has critically explored subjects ranging from Meg Ryan romantic comedies to the Fukushima nuclear crisis. She teaches a variety of courses in the realm of time-based media, environmental art, expressive arts therapy, and visual culture studies. Samantha’s evolving professional interests are at the intersections of sustainability and mental health, looking specifically at eco-anxiety and eco-grief, and how the arts can serve the healing of personal and collective trauma.

Professor Michael Fels is a mixed-media artist who is a degreed printmaker, a practicing painter, and an exhibiting public sculptor. His works range from mixed media paintings to automated painting machines. He teaches courses ranging from foundations, printmaking, painting, installation art and the senior capstone. Michael has been represented in Manhattan, New York, and Park City, Utah galleries. His art is in private and public collections and has been shown in places ranging from Taiwan, New Zealand, Chicago, Washington DC, and New York.

Assistant Professor Jeanine Hill is a maker whose work seeks to tell stories through the utilization of clay, fiber, wood and a sundry of other materials. The works that she creates often shift from two to three dimensions, taking on the forms of maps, quilts, and visual landscapes. Jeanine has exhibited work extensively both nationally and internationally in such venues as Katara Art Center in Doha, Qatar; Guldagergaar International Ceramics Research Center; The New Gallery in Little Rock, AR; The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA; The Harry M. Drake Gallery in St. Paul, MN; The Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN; The Crane Gallery in Philadelphia, PA and Towson University Gallery in Baltimore, MD. Jeanine is an Assistant Professor of Intermedia at Elon University.

Associate Professor Young Kim’s work quietly examines the nature of our own existence through the making of inherently fragile and temporal art objects and installations. Working with elements that have intrinsic history and meaning, in an experimental mode that challenges convention, his work serves as a meditation on time, memory, and the state of the human condition. His work has been exhibited extensively at numerous galleries including Causey Contemporary Gallery (New York, NY), Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (Grand Rapids, MI), 1708 Gallery (Richmond, VA), Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (Athens, GA), Redux Contemporary Art Center (Charleston, SC), and Spaces Gallery (Cleveland, OH).

Assistant Professor Paul Travis Phillips is a conceptually driven interdisciplinary artist, curator, and community developer. Travis helps students name their ideas, find their relevance in today’s world, and explore these ideas through relevant creative processes. A firm advocate of interdisciplinary work, Travis’ work, both as an artist and as an educator, intentionally crosses disciplinary boundaries in ways that help art majors and minors advance their creative capacities. In addition to his role as an artist and instructor, Travis works closely with museums, arts councils, and community centers to develop relevant opportunities for artists such as residencies, artist collectives, exhibitions, professional development, and mentorship programs.

Assistant Professor Ryan Rasmussen is a multi-disciplinary artist, researcher, and educator whose work spans practices in sculpture, installation, kinetic and electronic works, and video. His teaching covers a broad range of topics including Intermedia, Sculpture, 3D Design, Interactive Art, and Digital Art. Ryan has exhibited work nationally and internationally in such venues as Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar; CICA Museum of South Korea; Kyoto Cultural House, Kyoto, Japan; Art Space in the Bay area of CA; the Glass Curtain Gallery in Chicago, IL; the Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery in Midland-Odessa, TX; and Clough Hansen in Memphis, TN. In 2018, Ryan’s work was included in the International Biennial at the Museu do Douro in Portugal. Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Intermedia at Elon University.

Associate Professor Shawn Tucker is a humanities instructor and scholar. His most current work revolves around laughter. Shawn teaches courses about Humanities in the Age of Photography, Aspects of Laughter, and Laughter and the Humanities. In 2022 he published Can Laughter Make the World a Better Place?, a book that combines scholarship about laughter with concrete examples to make great intellectual insights accessible to a wide audience. In addition to his work on laughter, Shawn has published a scholarly book on pride and humility and assembled a sourcebook of documents about the virtues and vices in the arts, including the seven deadly sins. He has also published articles about Dada, The Wasteland, Humanities pedagogy, and popular music.

Excellent Facilities

The Department of Art is housed in Arts West, a dedicated facility that offers 24-hour secure access to spacious, professionally equipped studios for ceramics, painting, drawing, intermedia/digital art, and photography. With a commitment to staying current with evolving technologies and tools, the department ensures students are well-prepared for today’s creative workforce. Multiple exhibition spaces across campus showcase student work, including Gallery 406, which also features a rotating schedule of contemporary artist exhibitions.

Click HERE to visit our Facilities webpage to view photos of our studios

Beyond the Classroom

Individual mentorship is central to the Studio Art program at Elon. With guidance from dedicated faculty mentors, students develop a cohesive body of work or high-level scholarship during their senior year. These close mentoring relationships often open doors to additional opportunities for personal and professional growth outside the classroom.

Students frequently participate in study abroad programs tailored to the arts, take field trips to regional galleries and art centers, and travel annually to some of the world’s finest museums in Washington, D.C. They gain hands-on experience installing exhibitions in Gallery 406, engage in critiques with visiting artists, and attend public artist lectures hosted by the department.

Internships are another vital part of the student experience. Elon students have worked with institutions such as the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Other internships have provided valuable experience in commercial photography, graphic design, web development, video production, art education, museum curatorship, and interior design.

Art majors are also active in campus organizations such as the Art Guild, a student-led group that sponsors trips to galleries and museums, organizes exhibitions, and hosts workshops. Creative Resolution, another student organization, supports those interested in graphic design by coordinating design opportunities and exhibitions both on and off campus.

Studio Art students are encouraged to pursue undergraduate research and often present their work at Elon’s annual Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF). Many also participate in CELEBRATE, a campus-wide showcase of student achievements held each spring.

Fellows Program

Exceptional high school students planning to major in Art may be eligible for Elon’s competitive Fellows programs, including the Elon College Fellows and Honors Fellows. These programs offer scholarship support, funding for study abroad, interdisciplinary seminars, and close faculty mentorship. In addition to these university-wide opportunities, Art majors and minors are encouraged to apply annually for departmental scholarships, which can be used toward tuition or to help offset the cost of art supplies.

Opportunities after Graduation

Elon Studio Art graduates pursue a wide range of creative and professional careers, with many also continuing on to top graduate programs. Learn more about how our alumni are applying their skills on our Career Pathways page.