Why Study Art?
Art majors develop creativity, self-discipline and a strong work ethic while learning how art and design are woven into the fabric of past and current cultures. Students develop a range of abilities that can be applied to any career path — craft, point of view, critical and creative thinking, and professional development. Both studio and art history courses emphasize connections between research and art making and the job market and graduate school.
Why Study Art at Eastern?
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.
Salary Potential
Median Salary, Art Director
Median Salary, Graphic Designer
Median Salary, Curator/Museum Worker
Median Salary, Special Effects/Animator
* U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Hands-on Learning
Senior Art Exhibit
Seniors share their creativity with the entire campus during the annual Senior Art Exhibit in the Art Gallery.
Senior Art Exhibit
Community Service
Art majors perform pro bono art projects for local organizations ranging from the Windham Hospital Auxiliary to Mountain Dairy to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
Internships
Art majors have taken internships at art organizations ranging from the Yale University Art Gallery to the Connecticut Office of the Arts.
Faculty Spotlight
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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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.”
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Career Options
Students who pursue undergraduate degrees in Art can have rewarding and successful careers in a variety of professional fields, including:
- Animator/Motion Graphic Designer
- Art Therapist
- Corporate Creative Consultant
- Creative Director
- Fine Artist
- Game Designer
- Graphic Designer or Illustrator
- Museum Educator or Curator
- Teacher
- Web/Interactive Designer
- Fashion Designer
- Printmaker
- Sculptor/Ceramics Artist
Successful Alumni
Recent Eastern graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree or a minor in Art are employed at the following companies:
- American Apparel
- Avid Marketing Group
- ESPN
- iRobot
- Lyman Allyn Art Museum
- Method Studios
- Motion Theory Animation
- Sikorsky Aircraft
- Stanley Works
- Timex
- Toy Soldier Media
- Wadsworth Atheneum
- Yale University
For more information contact
Lora Lee
Associate Professor & Chair of Art and Art History
libo@easternct.edu
(860) 465-5132
In the News
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.
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.
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.
Alumni Testimonials
Art
Cy Colon ’17
Cy earned his master’s degree in architecture at Florida International University in 2021. He works as a design coordinator at Stantec and aspires to design eco-friendly, sustainable buildings. “I’ve always been interested in working with my hands, that’s why I’m an artist. Architecture blends well with art.
Art
Jamie Belden ’17
Jamie is graphic designer and owner of Creative Bell Design. “I love creating design solutions and seeing my work come to life. I’m thankful for all that I learned from the great professors and facilities at Eastern. They prepared me with the knowledge and skills to excel in the real world.”
Art
Lindsay (Delosier) Serra ’13
Lindsay is photography editor for Carrie Draghi Photography. “The Visual Arts program helped me channel my love for art in many ways. I was able to express my creativity through screen printing, drawing and sculpture. My graphic design classes also helped to solidify my style in design. I graduated with the pride and confidence to work at the best of my ability in my career.”
Visual Arts
Melissa Nosal ’13
Melissa is the creative content and design coordinator at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics. “The Visual Arts program laid the groundwork for my knowledge in color theory, page layout, typography and other rules of design. It also introduced me to the creative software I now use daily to create digital illustrations, retouch photos, and design all sorts of materials.”
Art
Olivia Provey ’14
Olivia is art-making director and studio photographer at Eskayel, a Brooklyn-based textile design firm. “It was during my printmaking classes at Eastern when I started to become interested in textiles. I was able to do an independent study where I focused on relief printing on fabrics. This led to my career in the textile design world.”
RCN Capital Graphic Designer
Rob Kavaler ’13
Rob Kavaler is the graphic design manager for RCN Capital, LLC. “As a student I was able to gain valuable design experience through on campus jobs and clubs. I learned how to deal with clients and prioritize my time, which are essential skills for my job every day.”
Sea Breeze Design Company
Lindsay Serra ’13
Lindsay is the owner of Sea Breeze Design Company. “The Visual Arts program helped me channel my love for art in many ways. I was able to express my creativity through screen printing, drawing and sculpture. Furthermore, my graphic design classes helped to solidify my style in design.”
Graphic Designer
Olivia DeForge ’19
Oliva designed a poster for the Child and Adult Care Food program at the Access Agency in Willimantic. One challenge was navigating differences in artistic opinion. “Before this, all the art I’ve done has been what I like. If the client wants something changed, you have to do it even if you might not agree. This experience taught me how to interact with and take input from a client.”
Graphic Designer
Robert John ’19
Robert designed posters for the WIC nutrition program at the Access Agency in Willimantic. “Working with a client isn’t as easy as one might expect. There’s constant back-and-forth, new ideas, changes and countless drafts. It’s difficult to meet everyone’s expectations, including your own. It’s satisfying knowing that something you created will benefit others for years to come.”
Digital Media Specialist
Karla Pacheco-Sahagun ’22
“June Bisantz changed how I look at art. Timothy Cochran changed how I listen to music. Edmund Chibeau changed how I write. Brian Day changed how I tell stories, and made me believe my stories are worth telling. Eastern prepared me to be versatile and adaptable in any position. My strongest suit is being able to tailor my skills for any given client.”
Packaging Design
Mindy Leung ’15
Art major Mindy Leung is the lead graphic designer at Commonwealth Toy & Novelty in Manhattan. “Packaging design was a field I knew I wanted to go into, and I was ecstatic to find that Eastern offered a course in it. Designing with dielines, creating graphics and mocking them up all led to me having an early knowledge of what the field entails.”
Tufts University
Nicholas Khan ’17
Art major Nicholas Khan earned his Master of Fine Arts degree at Tufts University and is a commissioned painter. “The art faculty were always willing to go that extra mile, and the studio space in the new Fine Arts Center enabled me to work on my art outside of class. I had a great experience at Eastern that I’ll never forget.”
Freelance Artist
Jessie Kohn ’14
Art major Jessie Kohn is a freelance artist in Austria who specializes in graphic design and fine art. “In my concentration of Digital Art and Design, I was introduced to everything from corporate identity to page layout to illustration. As a freelance artist, I often find myself doing all three of those on any given day.”
