1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Programs & Degrees
  4. Visual and Public Art

Visual & Public Art, B.A.

Preparing you for an enlightening and impactful career in the arts by developing your skills in art making, self-reflection, visual literacy, empathy, and community engagement.

The B.A. in Visual and Public Art program combines theory and practice and will empower you to develop a lifelong set of skills that synthesize studio and community arts approaches to artistic production, exhibition, and education.

Empowering You to Excel in Your Chosen Profession

The program will equip you with skills in art making, ethical inquiry, self-reflection, visual literacy, empathy, and reciprocal community engagement to address key issues of aesthetics, social justice, and cross-cultural competencies in an increasingly interconnected global society.

The program offers an ideal foundation for further study or to launch your career as an impactful professional in the arts working in any number of different roles, including:

  • Fine Artist
  • Illustrator
  • Graphic Designer
  • Art Director
  • Photographer
  • Art Teacher
  • Curator
  • Museum Coordinator
  • Gallery Director
  • Art Conservation
  • Production Design
  • Marketing Coordinator

You’ll find alums of our program excelling in graduate programs at highly respected colleges and universities, some of which include:

  • Boston University
  • California College of the Arts
  • Goldsmiths, University of London
  • Mills College
  • New York University
  • San Francisco State University
  • San Jose State University
  • UC Santa Cruz
  • University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Aerial Image of Campus

Public University Price, Private University Experience

A Lifetime of Value

Tuition & Fees Financial Aid

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:

 

Complete one of the following courses:

 

Complete one of the following courses:


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.

News

Read about our student success and faculty innovation in CSUMB News

Questions? We’re Here to Help!

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about the Visual & Public Art program.

Our experienced and supportive admissions staff is here to provide all the individualized guidance you need.

Study Visual & Public Art in an inspiring coastal environment where we are truly committed to mentorship and an engaging student experience.