From studio practice to the study of art through the ages, prepare for a creative career in the visual arts through our art and art history degree programs.
The Department of Art and Art History offers a rigorous and engaging education for aspiring professional artists, graphic designers, curators, arts professionals or teachers.
Through hands-on studio work, graphic design and the study of art across cultures and time, students develop technical skill, critical thinking, greater awareness and creative confidence—supported by close faculty mentorship and access to New York City’s art world.
Art and Art History at Adelphi is more than a major or minor. It’s a group of art programs that sets up a foundation for creative careers and lifelong visual thinking.
Since coming to Adelphi, I’ve really found my own artistic style, thanks to the support of my professors and fellow students.
Savannah Ishmael ’25
BA in Studio Art
Student Life and Hands-On Learning
Just minutes from Manhattan, Adelphi provides art students with opportunities to thrive in the arts community through internships, creative projects, campus involvement, and immersive study abroad experiences. Students build skills, portfolios, and professional connections along the way.
Internship Opportunities
Students across all our art and art history programs gain professional experience through internships and fieldwork throughout the greater New York metropolitan area, building résumés, portfolios, and industry connections.
Study the Renaissance in Florence
Students have the opportunity to explore Renaissance art firsthand in Florence, Italy, through a faculty-led program. They engage with historic works, architecture, and cultural sites, making art history immersive and tangible.
Student Clubs and Organizations
Get involved, build community, and expand your creative practice through Adelphi’s art‑focused clubs and honor societies. Connect with fellow artists and designers, participate in hands‑on workshops, collaborate on projects, and explore pathways in studio art, design, education, and socially engaged creative work.
Creative Exploration and Innovation
Creative work is central to the Art and Art History experience at Adelphi. Our art faculty guide students through projects that encourage experimentation, research and critical reflection. As an art student, you might:
- Create original studio or design projects across traditional and digital media
- Conduct research and write critical analyses of historical and contemporary art
- Participate in critiques, exhibitions and collaborative projects
- Explore interdisciplinary or socially engaged creative practices
- Present work at Adelphi’s Scholarship and Creative Works Conference
Adelphi’s SPARK Center (Scholars Pursuing Arts, Research and Knowledge) supports undergraduate artists with funding, mentorship and resources to bring creative ideas to life.
Each year, four to six professional artists visit campus to present their work, meet with art students and lead critiques—connecting classroom learning to contemporary practice.
Select art courses meet at renowned museums in New York City, providing a rich and immersive learning environment. Students visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and nearby galleries, gaining direct exposure to world-class collections and professional artistic practice.
Bringing Our Campus to Life
Students created murals across our Garden City campus—including the Multicultural Center, Swirbul Library, and Innovation Center—through workshops and collaborations with faculty, peers, and student organizations. In the Mural Arts Workshop course, these large-scale projects give students hands-on experience in design, composition, and community engagement.
Art on View
Our art students showcase their work in the same galleries as visiting artists and faculty, gaining hands-on experience and preparing for a future as professional artists.
See What Our Students Are Creating!
Explore studio art, graphic design and creative projects by Adelphi Art and Art History students. From studio-based work and design projects to curated exhibitions and research-driven presentations, these projects showcase how students develop creative ideas while building professional portfolios.
Campus Galleries and Sculptures
Adelphi’s campus includes four main galleries and a sculpture garden, offering students, faculty, and visiting artists opportunities to exhibit work, build professional experience and connect with the broader art community.
My professors have helped me prove to myself that this is the career I am meant to have. They’ve given me so many confidence-boosting opportunities to teach outside of school that have shown me I am capable of pursuing this path.
Rebecca Yackel ’21
BFA in Art and Design Education
High School Programs
High school students can explore studio art at Adelphi through hands-on, creative courses taught by university faculty. These art programs let students build foundational art skills, experiment with different materials and techniques, and experience what college-level art classes are like. Some programs also offer the opportunity to earn college credit.
Related News
Art Studios
Art History Lecture Hall
Senior Art Studios
Sculpture and Ceramics
Printmaking Studio
Graphic Design and Digital Production
Art History Lecture Hall
With small class sizes, the art history lecture hall located in Blodgett Hall offers one-on-one attention from our experienced art professors. 2 Photos-
Blodgett Hall art history lecture hall.
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Blodgett Hall art history lecture hall.
Senior Art Studios
Individual studio space for BFA Studio and Art and Design Education students is available in their senior year. 2 Photos-
A student working in their own personal studio space.
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Located in Blodgett Hall, each senior studio is filled with natural light from skylights overhead.
Sculpture and Ceramics
The 5,000 square foot sculpture studio and adjacent yard house a small foundry for lost wax and sand casting, wood fabrication equipment, and a sheet metal shop with welding machines. 3 Photos-
The clay area which recycles and pugs its own clay includes wheels, electric kilns, gas kilns, an anagama kiln, a slab roller, and an extruder for ceramics. We also have installation space for the less object-oriented disciplines of installation and performance art.
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A student working in the sculpture studio in the Klapper Center for Fine Arts.
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A student working on a 3D sculpture in the Klapper Center for Fine Arts.
Printmaking Studio
The 1400-square-foot printmaking area is well equipped to support a number of different printmaking techniques including all varieties of intaglio, solarplate, monotype, relief, and screenprint printmaking. 3 Photos-
Two Adelphi art students working with screenprints in the studio.
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Three large Brand presses in the printmaking studio further service student work, in addition to a mini, in-house digital lab that includes a large-format archival color inkjet printer.
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The printmaking studio in the Klapper Center for Fine Arts offers ample natural light through skylights.
Graphic Design and Digital Production
We have 2 digital labs that include 40 Mac Pro computers equipped with a full suite of art and design software, 2 large format archival color inkjet printers, 4 color printers, 6 scanners, and 20 Wacom tablets. 4 Photos-
A design student working in the Blodgett Hall digital lab.
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The design space features individual workstations for students to work on advertising, branding, and package design projects.
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Design students will take classes in the studio to explore advertising design, web design, and learn computer graphics applications.
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