Art Education & Visual Arts Programs Facilities

The visual arts program facilities in the Hyman Fine Arts Center were created to capture the north light, so constant and essential to the working artist. This light, the spacious, high-ceilinged studios and adjacent open patio create an environment for study and the making of art. The facility contains a well equipped woodshop for supervised student learning. The primary lecture hall was designed for quiet still image and video presentations to enhance the teaching of art history. The educational image collection contains well over 180,000 digital and slide images of works of art, and the Rogers Library holdings in art include at least 10,000 volumes, one of the best collections in the state.

Ceramics Program Facilities

The ceramics program provides a broad range of learning experience for students in the traditions of the art and craft of pottery. The studio is equipped with electric wheels, extruders and slab rollers. In addition to electric kilns, several gas fired kilns are located on the Art Center’s patio, including one of the largest high-fire reduction kilns in the southeast, with 125 cubic feet of firing space. These kilns allows for the firing of large-scale sculptural works from three-dimensional design classes as well as pottery from ceramics classes.

Photography Facilities

The digital photography classroom, photography studio and lab are fully handicapped accessible and outfitted with equipment to explore the fundamentals of camera technique, composition, lighting and digital manipulation. Students use a variety of camera formats, become familiar with professional digital imaging software, and can also explore alternative photographic processes. Emphasis is placed on individual self-expression and knowledge of contemporary photographic issues as well as an understanding of the history of the medium.

Painting Facilities

The painting studio is designed to offer a well ventilated space for working in oils, acrylics or other media. An industrial-size exhaust booth is provided for spray painting. Students explore painting styles both traditional and modern; acquire thorough experience in color mixing and color theory; and learn to construct their own canvases in the frame shop.

Graphic Design Facilities

In the graphic design labs, only professional level hardware and software are used to give students experience in the applications that are used in the industry. With its laser engraver, cutter/plotter, 3D and large format printers, the lab is equipped for instruction and production. Artworks are both created and adapted for use to give experience in the theory and professional application of visual design.

Art Galleries

The Fine Arts Center boasts the recently renovated Kassab Art Gallery. The Kassab Galleries Curator schedules the Kassab Art Gallery Series, exhibitions by students and distinguished regional artists with shows changing throughout the academic year.

The University Place Art Gallery in downtown Florence’s historic district offers free curated exhibitions and workshops which are designed to inspire and engage the residents of the Pee Dee Region.