Visual Art
Contact:
Jason Frizzell
Chairperson
Program Information:
E-mail: inquire@rdc.ab.ca
Phone: 403.342.3400 OR 1.888.732.4630
Department Information:
For more information visit the Visual Art Department, under Academic Departments.
Two-Year Diploma Program
For the past 30 years, successful graduates of the RDC Visual Art diploma program have successfully transferred to most major colleges and art schools across Canada. Hundreds of Visual Art diploma students have earned their BFA degree and many are professional artists, teachers and professors.
Related Careers
This program emphasizes the importance of a general foundation in art. Most related careers in art require further studies beyond two years, either at university or art college. Competition for employment in specialized art fields is very keen, making the strength of your basic education very important.
The following employment-related fields require a general art foundation, followed by more specialized training, ending in a four-year undergraduate degree or Master's degree.
- Fine Art - sculpture, painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography, and drawing
- Crafts Design - ceramics, textiles, glass, and jewellery
- Commercial Design - lay-out, illustration, display, model-making, and photography
- Environmental Design - architectural, urban, environmental, and industrial design
- Photography - creative, commercial, industrial, and freelance
- Art Education - secondary and post-secondary
- Other - art galleries, framing shops, etc.
The Program
The instructors in the Visual Art program are themselves practicing artists. Studios are fully equipped for ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, and design.
The program offers you a concentrated visual arts foundation in a two year time span.
The first year emphasizes experience in drawing, painting, design, ceramics, sculpture, art history, and English. A broad range of visual experiences will help you form a visual arts vocabulary and master skills in composition and technical areas.
The second year of the program emphasizes creative growth and visual maturity in studio work. You will also be introduced to studies in the humanities.
Transfer Features
After successfully completing the Visual Art program, you may transfer into the third year of Fine Art at the Alberta College of Art and Design, the University of Lethbridge (BFA), or a Bachelor of Fine Art program at any other Alberta University.
Transfer requirements vary from one university to another. See the Alberta Transfer Guide for detailed transfer policies.
Admission Requirements
1. High School Diploma with no grade below 50% in ELA 30-1 or ELA 30-2
OR
2. Mature Student
You must be 19 years of age or older, out of high school at least one full year before the program starts, and have a minimum of 50% in ELA 30-1 or ELA 30-2, or a minimum of 50th percentile on the English component of the College Board Placement test (written on campus) or the Test of Adult Basic Education (written off campus) and a score of 2-3 on a writing sample.
Program Content
Year 1
- ART 101/ART 101 Visiting Artists
- ART 201/ART 203 Art History I and II
- ART 231/ART 233 Visual Fundamentals I & II
- ART 241/ART 243 Drawing I and II
- ART 251 Two Dimensional Studies- Painting I
- ART 261 Three Dimensional Studies-Ceramics I
- ART 281 Three Dimensional Studies-Sculpture I
- English One term course (level determined by entry qualifications)
Year 2
- ART 101/ART 101 Visiting Artists
- ART 341/ART 343 Drawing III and IV
- One-term academic option
- English One-term course (diploma or university level)
- Two-term University transfer academic option (preferably a 300 level Art History).
Two electives from the following full-year studio courses:
Program Cost Estimates
Graduation Requirements
You must pass all courses and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.