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Department of Art and Art History

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The Department of Art and Art History provides instruction and inspiration to a diverse group of students. Art History, Digital and New Media, and the traditional media studio arts come together in an exceptional facility which provides students with an understanding of technique, visual and written communication, and the role of critical and creative thinking in society. Students graduate with an understanding of aesthetic form, content and research-based expression, as well as diverse cultural and contextual awareness in order to work in a professional environment that utilizes their skills for problem solving and visual expression.

No entry portfolio is required for admission to the Art Major.

Current Students: Download the new student handbook or get a physical copy from the Art Office.

Introduction to the Art Major - Discover more about our programs, studios, faculty, and everything else we have to offer!

Studios & Resources - Explore details on our digital and traditional studios, open studio schedules, equipment checkout, Adobe Creative Cloud installation, and more!

Department Chair
Dr. Maeve K. Doyle
FAIC Rm. 322
(860) 465-4345
doylemae@easternct.edu		 Secretary
Beth Leslie
Webb Hall, Rm 259
(860) 465-5371
leslieb@easternct.edu
Assistant Chair
Lora Lee (Boya Li)
FAIC Rm. 319
(860) 465-5132
libo@easternct.edu
Senior Art Exhibition 2024
2024 Senior Art Exhibition

Faculty Spotlights

Afarin Rahmanifar

Associate Professor

“Students in my Mixed Media class are encouraged to enhance their unique artistic ability, shake up their traditional studio practices and step out of their comfort zone.” Read More

Afarin Rahmanifar

Tao Chen

Professor

Tao Chen’s artwork has been exhibited in juried art shows nationally and internationally. His passion for art started when his father showed Tao early on the joy of drawing and opened up a world of artistic inspiration. Read More

Tao Chen

Maeve K. Doyle

Associate Professor and Department Chair

“I had the rare fortune to spend my whole education in small, liberal arts institutions. I love the personal, hands-on learning that places like Eastern foster. I sought it out as a student, and I’m thrilled to be part of Eastern’s public liberal arts mission today.” Read More

Maeve K. Doyle

Lora Lee

Associate Professor and Assistant DepartmentChair

“I am consistently thrilled when witnessing students’ creative expressions and their astonishment at their accomplishments with digital tools.” Read More

Lora Lee

In the News

Students gather at the Fine Arts Instructional Center Art Gallery for the biennial art and design faculty exhibition

Art Gallery showcases faculty artists in 'Local Ground, Global Circuits'

 September 26, 2025

Eastern Connecticut State University celebrated the opening of its biennial art and design faculty exhibition, titled “Local Ground, Global Circuits,” with a reception on Sept. 18 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Art Gallery. The exhibition, which runs through Oct. 3, features 17 faculty from the Art and Art History Department whose works span continents, cultures, and media, exploring identity, migration, memory, and the environment.

An open house participant examines the facsimile book of hours

Medieval artifacts find home in University archives

 September 15, 2025

A curation effort by a team of faculty members at Eastern Connecticut State University recently brought two medieval artifacts to the University Archives and Special Collections. Located on the fourth floor of the J. Eugene Smith Library, the archive now houses a leaflet from a 13th-century Bible and an exact copy of a 14th-century prayer book.

Art professor June Bisantz poses next to sign

Longtime art professor designs signage for Mansfield Artwalk

 July 07, 2025

A longtime faculty member at Eastern Connecticut State University has spearheaded a public art initiative that encapsulates Mansfield’s natural beauty and community identity. Art Professor Emerita and Lecturer June Bisantz has created a new installation within the Mansfield Artwalk, titled “Grow,” that utilizes Mansfield’s environment to provide the public with a walking art experience.

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Programs of Study

  • The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art offers four concentrations of study: Art History; Digital Art & Design; Illustration; and Studio Art. Students may also choose the related bachelor’s degree in New Media Studies with a concentration in Digital Media Design. Art majors enjoy state-of-the-art digital and traditional studios in the beautiful Fine Arts Instructional Center. Students display their artwork in the Art Gallery and elsewhere on campus. Both studio and art history courses emphasize connections between research and art making and the job market and graduate school.

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  • Students taking the Art History concentration in the Art major learn about art from a variety of mediums, cultures and periods, including Asian art and culture, graphic design history, and ancient Mesoamerica. Students in other majors may also minor in Art History.

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  • The interdisciplinary minor in Costume and Fashion Design helps students develop skills and abilities in costume and fashion design. Using hands-on and computer-aided design & illustration techniques, students accessories and learn the basics of textile design & production.

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  • The Digital Art and Media Design concentration in the Art major familiarizes students with computer skills and graphic design and offers advanced courses in animation, magazine design, illustration, and motion graphics. A minor in Digital Art and Design is also available to non-Art majors.

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  • The Cinema Studies minor complements majors in Communication, the Visual and Performing Arts, English, History and Modern Languages. Students are prepared for careers or further study in the areas of film and video techniques, history and criticism.

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  • Students in the Game Design minor use simulation, human machine interaction and gaming to learn artistic and computational skills. Courses may consist of animation, game engines, mathematics, modeling, network design, and state-of-the-art hardware and software.

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  • The Studio Art concentration in the Art major offers courses in traditional and alternative approaches to develop observational skills and promote a high level of craft. Advanced students are encouraged to identify and develop a strong personal point of view in their coursework and studio practice. A Studio Art minor is also available to other majors.

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