Visual & Public Art, B.A.

The Visual & Public Art program will take you on an invigorating academic journey that includes coursework in painting and murals; sculpture, installation, and performance art; arts education and museum studies; photography; and media culture. 

Educational Objectives

Our social practice framework promotes cultural entrepreneurship and the development of marketable skills that foster socially-engaged art that is collaborative, often participatory, and that benefits local communities. 

Our emphasis on community engagement will position you as part of the next generation of community builders and creative leaders contributing to the enhancement of life for local individuals, families, and organizations.

Our partnerships with local organizations like the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey County Aids Project, Watsonville Community School, 2nd Chance, Planned Parenthood, Boys & Girls Club, the Center for Community Advocacy, The California Endowment, the National Steinbeck Center, and Alisal Center for the Arts will provide you with vibrant opportunities to collaborate and build connections. 

Our connections with regional and global outlets means your work could be displayed on MST buses, kiosks in the Northridge Mall in Salinas, billboards, and art forums, and receive attention from a variety of local and regional publications and journals.

Complete twelve (12) units of lower-division VPA coursework (any 100- or 200-level VPA course). Search options here.

Complete all of the following courses:

• VPA 300 - VPA Major ProSeminar Units: 4
• VPA 302 - VPA Visiting Artist Series Units: 3
• VPA 309 - Materials and Methods Units: 2
• VPA 310 - Mixed Media Units: 3
• VPA 313 - Regional Art History Units: 3
• VPA 398 - Senior Capstone Production Units: 1 (to be taken twice in the senior year)
• VPA 405A - Senior Capstone I Units: 3
• VPA 405B - Senior Capstone II Units: 3

Complete one of the following courses:

• VPA 306S - Digital Public Art Units: 4
• VPA 320S - Museum Studies Units: 4

Complete one of the following courses:

• VPA 305 - Media Culture Units: 4
• VPA 307 - Diverse History of Contemporary Art Units: 4
• VPA 308 - Ways Of Seeing Units: 3

To satisfy the requirements of the VPA major, complete nine (9) additional units of upper division VPA coursework (any 300- or 400-level VPA course).

The program is highly focused on social inequality and injustice, and our students regularly engage in service-learning opportunities to deepen their understanding of social, cultural, and civic aspects related to personal and professional identities.

Some of our service activities include refurbishing computers and making them available for low-income families for almost no cost, teaching community members how to use software to bridge the digital divide for underprivileged communities, creating digital marketing and ecommerce sites for small businesses and local farmers, and helping local schools secure and stabilize their computing networks.