TH E JOYCE E ICH HOR N AM E S
SCHOOL OF FIND & PURSUE your passions ART
Are you ready for a complete education,
Are you ready to explore your potential
with classes in drawing, painting,
graphic design, ceramics, sculpture, photography, glass and printmaking?
Are you ready for attention as individual as your art,
with an average class size of 12 students?
Are you ready for modern studio classrooms, semi-private studios
and the most up-to-date equipment for undergraduate students?
Then you are definitely ready for the Ames School of Art.
to learn how your love of art fits in every part of your life?
TH E JOYCE E ICH HOR N AM E S
SCHOOL OF AT ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY ART
Get Ready for Greatness
• Get seen with seasonal student exhibits in the elegant Merwin and Wakeley Galleries on the picturesque Illinois Wesleyan campus.
• Get attention from faculty who are working artists and designers themselves.
• Get skills to hone your craft along with the freedom to develop your potential.
• Get prepared for diverse careers from professional artist to creative director of a strategic design firm.
Break Out
• Break out of the tunnel vision of art school.
Discover all an arts education can be in a liberal arts program focused on achievement and helping you discover your place in the world.
• Break out of the past. Discover who you are in a challenging environment with the support you need to truly succeed.
• Break out of the pack. New people and new ideas are welcomed by a strong community of art students at Illinois Wesleyan.
Illinois Wesleyan is more than a University that produces
some of the best students in the country — it is a place that offers
true inspiration to find the best within you.
In the Ames School of Art, the subject of art comes alive
with the flash of a camera, the
aroma of inks and paints, and
the subtle quiet of the Merwin
and Wakeley Galleries.
“ I was looking for a small
A LOOK INTO
T H E I W U S C HO OL OF A RT
Painting and Drawing: The Art of the Easel
The translucent glass windows of the painting and drawing studios illuminate subjects with natural light as students focus on an endless variety of drawing media. Advanced students meet weekly to share work and ideas they bring back to their own semi-private studios. With no graduate students at Illinois Wesleyan, advanced students enjoy the freedom of studio time and personal attention.
Sculpture, Ceramics and Glassmaking: The Art of Fire,
Clay and SandReach into the three-dimensional with classes in the ancient arts of sculpture, ceramics and glass. Explore the earliest mode of human expression with classes that develop awareness, as well as shape skill. Sample classes in metal casting, welding, woodworking, kiln work, wheelwork and more. Students experience one of the few glass kiln-forming university programs in the country, with new computerized kilns, a foundry for aluminum and bronze casting, gas and electric kilns for a variety of firing possibilities and a state- of-the-art glass casting facility.
Graphic Design: Integrating Technology and Culture
Go beyond the boundaries of the computer with a program that integrates graphic design and a creative marketing approach. Meld art techniques and concepts into design work.Illinois Wesleyan graphic design students work in an up-to- date computer lab with in-house laser and color printers.
liberal arts school with
a strong art program.
I wanted a well-rounded education so
that my career options would be open.
The art environment at Illinois Wesleyan
is like a community. Classes are challenging
but relaxed, with excellent teachers.”
Katie Allen, B.F.A.
I N T E R N S H I P S
Illinois Wesleyan is an innovator in college internship programs. Famed New York artist Marjorie Kouns credits her Illinois Wesleyan internship with opening her eyes to new possibilities. “I knew then I was ready to jump off the springboard into the rest of my life,” she said.
The IWU Hart Career Center assists our students to find internships that will best supplement their art studies.
Photography: Capturing Art in Life
Discover what makes photography art. To capture a moment in time is more than history; it is the very expression of humanity. At Illinois Wesleyan, students can explore, with film and digitally, in two darkrooms and an updated photographic studio. Photography students learn more than simply the language of photography — from aperture to ziatype — they develop a perspective of what lies beyond the photo lens.
Printmaking: Working Beyond the Original
Realize how stone, water and oil become a means of communication and connection. Work with lithography and color intaglio. Perhaps the most unrestricted art form, printmaking can adapt the delicate look of a pencil or brush, or the sweeping color of ink. At Illinois Wesleyan, enjoy spacious studio classrooms with two etching presses and a lithography press with approximately 60 lithography stones.
Art History: Know Your Past to Explore Your Future
Create a foundation for all art knowledge with art history courses. Explore the methods used by artists and art historians to understand art and how it applies to our past and present. Examine the art history of your favorite areas — photography, architecture and more. Discover how artists have identified the challenges of creating art, and triumphed over them.C OU R S E OF S T U DY
The Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art (B.F.A.) The professional degree focuses on concentrated studio experience. The B.F.A. degree is for students seeking an in-depth concentration in art or design with a strong secondary concentration in art history and theory. At Illinois Wesleyan, the School of Art’s B.F.A. is the course equivalent of a double major in the liberal arts college. A portfolio review is required to complete your application process.
The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art (B.A.)
Students that wish to focus both on the visual arts and the strong liberal arts program offered at Illinois Wesleyan should pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in art. Students who choose the B.A.
degree program can combine study in art with a major in another field. A portfolio is not required to complete your application for admission, but is required for talent scholarship consideration.
Minors in Art
Illinois Wesleyan students can pursue a minor in art, art history or arts management.
ADMISSIONS C R I T E R I A
P ORT F OL IO S
We accept portfolios in person or digitally.
To schedule a portfolio review on campus, simply contact the Ames School of Art.
To submit a portfolio digitally, you can upload your work once you have submitted an application for admission to IWU, either through the IWU Web page or The Common Application. Once we have your application, you will be directed to your
“Applicant Status Page,” and you can follow instructions on how to upload your portfolio.
Portfolio Review
A portfolio review is required for admission into the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program and to qualify for art scholarships.
The portfolio tells the School of Art faculty about skills, attitudes and work habits, and about commitments and desires.
Along with academic credentials, the portfolio will be reviewed to determine potential and suitability for the B.F.A. program.
• The portfolio should consist of 20 examples of your best and most recent work.
• Students presenting art works are encouraged to submit works that are drawn from a source other than copying photographs or reproductions.
• The works included should be mounted or matted. Fine art photographs may be submitted unmatted in a photo album and all photographs should be developed by the applicant.
• If you are photographing your work, it should be placed against a neutral background.
• Sculpture and ceramic work is difficult to transport and should not be shipped. We are happy to look at three- dimensional pieces that are hand-delivered. Large-scale work should typically be presented digitally.
at Illinois Wesleyan because I can
always count on my professors to be
honest about the quality of my work,
and I feel I’ve made real progress in
all of my art courses.”
Emily Dieling, B.F.A.
“ Art professors and students have a really strong bond here. I love being
Portfolio Assessment
In reviewing portfolios, we consider several important factors:
• Background: We consider carefully the advantages and the limitations of each individual’s learning situation. In this regard, you are encouraged to schedule an interview to occur simultaneously with your portfolio review.
• Imagination: We look for sensitivity to the use of materials, the ability to compose or design visual elements, and for some indications that predict a personal way of developing ideas in visual form. We are always favorable toward work that shows evidence of commitment and pride in the presentation.
To schedule a portfolio review in person, contact the Ames School of Art at (309) 556-3077. International students and students living a great distance from the Illinois Wesleyan campus can simply upload their portfolio along with their application for admission.
S C HOL A R S H I P S &
F I NA N C I A L A I D
The School of Art offers Talent Scholar- ships in Art to deserving students. These renewable scholarships are awarded on the basis of a portfolio review and academic background.
In addition, Illinois Wesleyan helps students obtain grants, campus employment and loans based on financial need. Families must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) and either an Illinois Wesleyan University Financial Aid Application or CSS Profile.
CONTACT IWU
To schedule a visit or for additional information, contact:
The Admissions Office Illinois Wesleyan University P.O. Box 2900
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900 309-556-3031 or 1-800-332-2498
Learn More
To meet our faculty and learn more about the School of Art, visit:
iwu.edu or iwu.edu/art
To arrange a portfolio review, contact:
The Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art
Illinois Wesleyan University 6 Ames Plaza West
Bloomington, IL 61701
309-556-3077 or strandbe@iwu.edu
Statements of Accreditation and Non-discrimination Illinois Wesleyan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Illinois Wesleyan University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation including gender identity and expression, disability, or national origin in its admissions policies, educational programs and activities, or employment policies. Inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy should be directed to the Office of the President, Illinois Wesleyan University, P.O. Box 2900, Bloomington, IL 61702-2900.
Illinois Wesleyan expressly recognizes the requirements of Title IX legislation.
Title IX complaints should be reported to the University’s Title IX coordinator, who is the Associate Provost (211 Holmes Hall, (309) 556-3255).
Illinois Wesleyan University does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. The Vice President for Business and Finance, the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, and the Associate Provost are designated by the University to coordinate all efforts to comply with Section 504 and its implementing regulation 34 C.F.R. Part 104 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
All questions should be directed to the University compliance coordinators indicated above.
Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington-Normal, within two and a half hours of Chicago and St. Louis.
The Central Illinois Regional Airport, ten minutes from campus, provides direct jet access to America’s major hubs.
