Visual and Critical Studies at SVA (VCS) offers an extraordinary opportunity to unite your interests in art and design with a cross-disciplinary, individualized and academic experience exploring critically important societal questions. Highly respected artists, designers and scholars from fields such as art, visual studies, film and philosophy serve as the teachers and mentors to students who choose to embark in this critical inquiry.

New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood is the ideal location from which you will access freelance artists, museums, nonprofit and corporate organizations. These vital connections will serve as the primary resources to support your exploration of the historical and contemporary societal and cultural perspectives that inform and motivate artists and designers to create.

The program places significant focus on helping you explore, deepen and enhance your making, application and methodological skills so you are able to both pursue your artistic and intellectual passions resulting in a portfolio of experiences and work that will allow you to succeed in a career or advanced degree.

Flatiron Project Space

The Flatiron Project Space, founded and operated by BFA Visual & Critical Studies, is located on the ground floor of 133/141 West 21st Street. The gallery plays an important role in the VCS program, providing students with real-world experiences in the curation, installation and management of a gallery.

The gallery’s yearly programming invites VCS students and guest curators, along with other departments at SVA, to realize curatorial projects that highlight our rapidly expanding visual culture. Shows are held monthly and include video, performance, painting and sculptural projects.

Art & Politics Lecture Series

Humanity is living through an interlocking series of crises. It is difficult to say strongly enough how urgent the situation is. How do these conditions impact the arts? Does art have resources that might come to our aid in these serious times? What is to be done? In light of all there is to understand and to change, SVA’s Art & Politics Lecture Series, co-hosted by the BFA Visual & Critical Studies and Honors Program, invites activists, scholars, politicians, artists, critics, historians, curators and scientists to address, discuss and debate politics, art and the delicate filaments that tie them together.

As a student in the VCS program you’ll have the opportunity to . . .

• gain an in-depth understanding of visual studies, including art and design theory, as well as historical and contemporary discussions about art and criticism
• explore the intersection between an artist or designer's vision and the resulting output, and the historical or contemporary interpretative constructs that informed the work and those who interact with it
• express your ideas through your artistic practices as well as with high-impact writing and discussion

You’ll hone your making skills with studio courses while enhancing that development by taking courses from an internationally renowned group of artist-scholars in history, art history, literature, music and philosophy. You’ll get the chance to explore a diversity of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, animation, film, graphic design, digital arts and fibers, preparing you for future pursuits in the exciting and always evolving art and design industry. Apply today and begin your journey to becoming a practicing artist, designer, educator or leader.

Or learn more about this exciting program that will set you on the path to success in the art world.