ART HISTORY

Many first and second-year students fulfill their fine arts requirement at Davidson by choosing one of the six to eight art history offerings available each semester.  Students in all disciplines benefit from experiencing the visual images that connect the history and culture of their world.  The art history emphasis culminates in a capstone course that involves majors traveling to see and discuss art on site.  Recent majors have travelled to Athens, Paris, and New York City.  Each year six to twelve Davidson College students declare a major in the Art Department with an emphasis in art history.

STUDIO ART

Many students fulfill their fine arts requirement by selecting one of the nine to eleven studio art offerings available each semester.  Studio courses are geared toward building aesthetic, conceptual, and technical skill-sets through a multi-disciplinary approach.  Davidson's studio emphasis addresses each student's unique goals whether that is continuing on to graduate study, becoming a professional artist or entering a diverse job market with a broad set of problem-solving and creative abilities.  Each year six to twelve Davidson College students declare a major in the Art Department with an emphasis in studio art.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

Art History:  Students scoring a 4 or 5 on an AP course in art history receive credit that will count toward both a core requirement in fine arts and toward the art major requirements.

Studio Art:  Students scoring a 4 or 5 in AP studio art receive credit that will count toward a core requirement in fine arts.  IB scores of 6 or 7 (higher level only) will count toward a core requirement in fine arts.

Visit a Class

Arrangements  can be made for prospective students to attend studio or art history classes, receive a tour of the Belk Visual Arts Center, and talk further with art faculty and/or majors. Please contact department assistant Brenda King (704-894-2344), brking@davidson.edu at least two weeks before your visit in order to schedule these parts of your time on campus.

While the Art Department does not offer any scholarships in art history, prospective students interested in this area of study are encouraged to explore financial assistance through the Office of Admission & Financial Aid. http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x7195.xml

Studio Art Scholarship

The Pepper Visual Arts Scholarship is a competitive scholarship for incoming students who are considering an art major with an emphasis in studio art.  The scholarship, in the amount of $10,000 per year for four years, was established by James G. Pepper '65 and his mother, Mrs. Nita Easly Pepper, for an incoming student who shows exceptional promise in studio art.  Based on the studio faculty's evaluation of a submitted portfolio, an award winner and two alternates will be selected.  This is significant because the first choice may not enroll at Davidson.

Applying for the Pepper Visual Arts Scholarship

Prospective students who have pursued a strong interest in making art throughout high school and especially those who are considering a studio art major, are encouraged to submit a portfolio of their work as part of their college application.

The deadline is no later than January 2 and should include:

• Required format:  A one page, photo-quality printout of 12-15 thumbnail images labeled with medium and dimensions.
• Do not submit discs, actual artworks, or additional support material.

The portfolio should be sent to the Office of Admission & Financial Aid, Box 7156, Davidson, NC 2035-7156.

Submitted portfolios will be reviewed and rated by our studio art professors.  Those ratings will become an important addition to your college application materials.  The Office of Admission & Financial Aid and the Art Department cannot accept actual artwork as part of the application process.  However, a prospective student who plans to visit Davidson may want to bring a portfolio of original work to show to one of our studio professors. 

The student who applies for this scholarship should have a serious intention to consider a major in the area of studio art; however, application for this scholarship is not a binding commitment to become an art major if a student determines later that another major is more suitable.  It is a natural part of the liberal arts philosophy to encourage openness to all possibilities.

Scholarship applicants should follow the application process outlined above and include a completed Part 7-Special Application Scholarship Form with their submission.  http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x7195.xml

The portfolio must reach the Office of Admission & Financial Aid no later than January 2. If a portfolio was already submitted as part of your general application, send only the completed Part 7 to indicate your interest in being considered for a scholarship -- do not send a second portfolio.

Current Scholars
Elizabeth Court, ('11-deferred 1 yr.)  Pepper
Ericka Solis, '10 Bearden
Sara Claire Chambless, '12 Pepper
Rachel Means, '12 Bearden