Coe College Art & Visual Studies Department adds new concentration areas
A transformation within the Art & Visual Studies Department at Coe College will continue to provide innovative artists and creative thinkers with a gateway to a multitude of professional opportunities. The department is adjusting its academic degree options to add three new concentrations and a new minor to meet evolving industry needs.
Beginning this fall, students at Coe pursuing an art degree can also choose to add concentrations in multimedia graphic design, media production and non-profit arts and creative leadership. Minors in art history and museum studies are also offered in addition to the traditional art major.
“Creative industries are constantly evolving and we are dedicated to ensuring our students have the tools they need to be successful. These transitions in curriculum and degree outcomes are going to make Kohawk graduates distinctive because they will have gained experiences and developed skills that will make them strong, dynamic leaders and creative thinkers,” said Associate Professor of Art Jennifer Rogers ’03.
Students within the Art & Visual Studies Department will continue to benefit from expert instruction from the No. 7 Most Accessible Professors in the nation according to The Princeton Review. They’ll have opportunities to excel in their fields as undergraduates as C3: Creativity, Careers, Community, the No. 8 Career Services in the nation, connects them with internships and other experiences among Coe’s field stations. In particular, Coe's urban field station is home to a wealth of professional experiences due to proximity to a number of local art galleries, creative agencies and regional art and cultural institutions, including the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
“Throughout the course of my education, I greatly benefited from interdisciplinary programs like Coe’s that give students the opportunity to work on projects with real-world applications and make connections with professionals in their chosen field. Programs like these let students focus on their areas of interest while gaining the skills they need to be successful and allow them to step confidently into a career in the arts,” said Cedar Rapids Museum of Art Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Julia Jessen.
As a result of an education rich in personal instruction, liberal arts exploration and field experiences, Kohawk art graduates have excelled in their careers. Within the last decade they’ve started their own businesses, created digital content for the NFL, earned graphic design awards, curated collections in New York City, taken leadership positions as marketing directors and restored art in Florence, Italy. These successes are familiar to Coe graduates because over the last decade, nearly 100% of reporting graduates have been employed or in graduate school within nine months of graduation.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new art opportunities on campus. I’m confident students will enjoy having these options to help jumpstart careers while still being able to explore other subjects and be creative in the ways that bring them joy — bringing professional experiences and creativity together is a central element of a Coe experience,” said Coe College President David Hayes ’93.