Fine Arts Major
Through imaginative works in two and three dimensions, you’ll build a practice that bridges tradition and innovation, preparing yourself for a sustainable career in the arts.
Join Moore’s Fine Arts program and carve your own path in painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media. You’ll experiment with large-scale installations, complex image making, plaster, ceramics and more, exploring how materials and ideas come together. Translate your visions into sights, objects, environments and experiences that capture attention and inspire deep reflection. Delve into our fully-equipped VAULT, where you’ll learn to wield pro-grade tools and build the skills to create work that leaves an impression.
At Moore, you’ll connect with faculty who are practicing artists and join a network of peers and alumni exhibiting in galleries, museums and cultural venues around the world. Fine Arts students are the only students to get dedicated studio space in both their junior and senior years, benefiting from time and space to strengthen their studio practice. You’ll also venture out to inspiring institutions (think Dia Beacon, Mass MoCA and the Hirshhorn Museum) and share your work with Philly’s creative community at our annual Open Studios event.
Internships That Launch Careers
Every Fine Arts student pursues a guaranteed paid $1,000 internship between their junior and senior years. Moore puts you in the field early, allowing you to grow your toolkit and make connections that lead to career opportunities.
Fine Arts students and alumni have landed internships and jobs at places like...
The Barnes Foundation
Icebox Project Space
Mural Arts Philadelphia
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Network with Industry Leaders
Through special events, you’ll meet guest speakers and critics who’ve walked the path you’re on. Ask questions, gain valuable feedback and build relationships that open doors in fine arts. Here’s a glimpse of some of our recent visitors:
Karyn Oliver
Olivier is an internationally exhibited, award-winning creator of sculptures, installations and public art, and a professor of sculpture. In 2024 and 2025, she will unveil two memorials in Philadelphia, honoring a former slave at Stenton House, and commemorating more than 5,000 African Americans buried at Bethel Burying Ground.
Lauren Mabry
Known for her bold, dynamic glazes and inventive use of material, color, and form, Mabry creates ceramic vessels, objects and dimensional paintings that question the boundary between abstract painting, minimalist sculpture, and process art.
Erin M. Riley
A Brooklyn-based artist whose work focuses on the struggle of finding ones own identity, Riley works primarily in hand-woven, hand-dyed wool tapestries and has exhibited throughout the world, including a 2022 solo show at Art Basel Miami.
IN OUR OWN WORDS
"When I was looking at colleges, I wanted to go somewhere located in a city with a large museum culture. Moore was perfect, being right into the museum district. I can walk a couple blocks and look at paintings I've learned about in my art history classes."
Fine Arts Major Student Work
Our students push the limits of form and material, creating work that engages viewers and challenges convention.
Carolina Marín Hernández ’22
Magdalene Sanchez ’26
Emily O'Day ’21
Leeanna Izquierdo ’22
Technology and Creative Spaces
Explore advanced tools and workspaces for Fine Arts students, including the plaster and mold-making studio in the VAULT (Visual Arts Underground for Learning Technologies) and the CNC router in our FabLab.Fine Arts Core Curriculum
Year 1
- 2D Design
- 3D Design
- Printmaking
- Foundation Drawing I
- Visual Thinking
- Color Theory
- Drawing for Visual Communication OR Creative Design
- Writing Workshop I & II
- Art History I & II
Year 2
- Painting: Concepts, Materials, Technique
- Sculpture: Concepts, Materials, Process
- Drawing: Concepts, Materials, Methods
- Digital Tools
- Drawing as a Contemporary Practice
- Fine Arts Media Requirements
- Modern Art History Course
- Non-Western Art History
- Gender, Race, Class & Power
Year 3
- Fine Arts Junior Studio
- Idea Lab
- Fine Arts Media Requirements
- Professional Development I
- Humanities and Studio Electives
Year 4
- Fine Arts Senior Studio
- Critical Discourse
- Fine Arts Senior Thesis
- Professional Development II (Internship)
- Critical & Creative Studies Electives
- Fine Arts Media Requirements
- Electives
Choose from electives like...
- Sculpture in Steel
- Wheelthrowing
- Make It Big
- Jewelry Concepts
- Raku
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PostedWith years of experience in both teaching and taking art classes, Erne creates a focused yet fun environment for students to create in.
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PostedMoore alums are soaring in their fields, using their unique talents and skills as artists and designers to make a difference in the world around them. Meet Kate Vanvliet, a Fine Arts hero, and learn more about her career.
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Moore Supports Students with Scholarships for Unforgettable Artistic Adventure in Venice, Italy
CategoryPostedMoore College of Art & Design’s study abroad program and travel scholarships gave several students the opportunity to explore Venice, gaining inspiration for their artistic practice.
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PostedMoore alums are soaring in their fields, using their unique talents and skills as artists and designers to make a difference in the world around them. Meet Savannah Vetter ’20, a Fine Arts Hero! Learn more about her career since her time at Moore.
