Areas Of Study » Undergraduate Studies » Furniture And Woodworking

Undergraduate Furniture and Woodworking Studies

General Overview

The Furniture Design/Woodworking program is part of the Applied Design emphasis in the Art major. Students are required to meet performance standards in both academic and studio-based courses. The goal of the Furniture Design/Woodworking program is to encourage and assist students in the development of a mature artistic statement based upon intellectual, aesthetic and technical capabilities in conjunction with their career goals. The curriculum is formulated to broaden understanding of the Woodworking field and its historical and contemporary context through research, experimentation, and reading on critical issues in art and design. Students are encouraged to explore cross-disciplinary work as well as take advantage of foreign study opportunities to reveal new perspectives. The diversity of work produced in the program is evidence of the multiplicity of concerns that can be addressed within the arena of Furniture Design/Woodworking.

Coursework Overview

While the core of the undergraduate curriculum is based on traditional woodworking and furniture making, it also emphasizes the development of ideas and designs that parallel current issues in art and design. Technique, innovation and experimentation are areas that are stressed equally. The teaching format is based on lectures, demonstrations, and slide presentations by faculty and visiting artists. While furniture design is the main focus for the program, other approaches are also welcomed and encouraged. In addition, designing furniture and/or sculpture using non-conventional materials such as steel, glass, paper, concrete and found objects is explored. The School of Art's structure is such that it allows cross-disciplinary work between different studios; a furniture student can easily work with disciplines in photography, sculpture, painting, among other programs within the School. A variety of processes for Woodworking and non-Woodworking materials are presented while exploring the content of art and studying contemporary aesthetic form and its historical antecedents. Course work places equal emphasis on creative problem solving and technical proficiency. The studio facility supports work in carving, joinery as related to linear design and case construction, plywood and veneer work, latheturning and finishing. Eligible students can take independent studies in an area of particular interest as well as pursue opportunities for foreign exchange study.

For more information on the degree requirements for the Furniture and Woodworking sub-concentration, please download the undergraduate Applied Design emphasis checklist. You can also refer to an advisor for specific questions.

Admissions and Financial Assistance

You can learn more detailed information about the admissions process on the Undergraduate Admissions page. For more information on financial assistance, please visit our Financial Aid page or our student scholarships page to find scholarships available through the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

Student Organizations

The Furniture Society(external link)

Previous Visiting Artists

The program has enjoyed an impressive roster of visiting artists, which include many prominent furniture makers and sculptors, such as:

  • Roseanne Somerson
  • Michael Hurwitz
  • Tom Loeser
  • Gail Fredell
  • Robert Brady
  • John Cederquist
  • Dakota Jackson
  • Albert Paley
  • Kimberly Kelzer
  • Bob Trotman
  • Fabianne Garcia
  • Andy Buck
  • Yuko Shimizu
  • Roy Christopher
  • Tom Hucker
  • Garry Knox Bennett

Facilities

Read detailed information on our facilities on the Furniture and Woodworking Facilities page, where you can also link to other interdisciplinary facilities within the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

You can also read more about local art material supplier resources on our Art Supplies page, as well as learn more about our library research facilities by visiting SDSU's Love Library website(external link).

The Faculty

To contact or learn more about individual faculty in this department, please click on their names below:

This page was last updated at 3:46PM on October 15, 2008