Visual art and film are a potent and positive force for change in contemporary society, and Cal Poly Humboldt’s Department of Art + Film is dedicated to educating the students who will shape the culture of our collective future. The hands-on techniques that you’ll learn in our small, intimate classrooms, studios, and galleries will allow you to address issues, ethics, history, and culture with a unique and personal vision in your career.
Our extensive facilities include a foundry, ceramics lab, print studio, photography lab, film production studios, galleries, and much more. As an undergraduate, you’ll get hands-on experience in graphic design, painting and drawing, sculpture and metal work, ceramics, photography, filmmaking and other disciplines of your choosing.
Our small class sizes mean getting to know your professors and fellow students through your education. This community will help you grow as a creative practitioner and intellectual, supporting you throughout your undergraduate career and beyond.
The local area is well-known as an arts haven. The small-but-thriving arts community is intimate but inclusive, and you’ll be able to interact with professional artists and filmmakers, engage in the local gallery scene, and participate in film screenings and festivals.
Cal Poly Humboldt Art students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts with concentrations in Art Studio or Art Education, a Bachelor of Arts in Art History & Museum Studies, a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts in Film
The Bachelor of Arts degree is available in three concentrations: Art Studio offers small classes with individual attention and large, well-equipped studio facilities, including a computer lab and a foundry and Art Education provides the foundation to successfully teach art in K-12th grades and prepares students to enter California's mandatory fifth-year, single-subject teaching credential program.
Concentrations in: Art Studio Art Education
Art History gives students an opportunity to study the visual culture of the world, from prehistoric cave art to works being produced by artists active today. Art history majors not only learn about works of art, but also about the different geographies, histories, and cultural traditions that surrounded them and informed their making. Our program is particularly strong in the areas of European Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, American, 20th Century and Contemporary art.
Bachelor of Fine Arts students work closely with faculty from our eight different media areas: painting, drawing/illustration, printmaking, graphic design/digital media, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and jewelry/small metals. The BFA degree offers students the opportunity to further their studio art practice and to prepare for graduate school or professional art careers through a rigorous and focused course of study in the visual arts. The BFA is a cohort-based program for students in their junior and senior years. Students will typically be admitted to the program in the spring of their sophomore year.
Steeped in the traditions of independent filmmaking, students learn the fundamentals of fiction and non-fiction film through a production-based, hands-on program. The curriculum integrates creative exploration and technical skill development with film theory and history, grounded in a liberal arts education that fosters ethical storytellers who artfully explore the human condition in creative ways. Students will develop and master the fundamentals of production and post production using state of the art equipment while learning industry protocols, practices and technical workflows. Creating impactful, cinematic stories through the craft and artistry of directing, writing, cinematography, and editing are key components of the program.
I manage the marketing and business records for Gap Inc. and its portfolio of brands at their San Francisco-based archive, The Heritage Lab. The collection primarily features physical records and materials, digital assets, and unique store objects for Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta.
Here are a few examples of possible career fields.
Art Director
Gallery Director
Freelance Artist
Animator
Graphics Artist
Art Therapist
Marketing Director
Curator
Editor
Illustrator
Teacher
Photographer
Art Critic
Jeweler
Fashion Designer
Museum Registrar
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Submitted: January 19, 2024
Submitted: March 24, 2023
Department of Art + Film
1 Harpst St.
Arcata, CA 95521
Phone: (707) 826-3813
Fax: (707) 826-3628
