San Diego State University, with an enrollment of 31,600 students, is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since its founding in 1897, the University has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in seventy-six areas, master’s degrees in fifty-nine areas and the joint-doctoral in thirteen areas. Students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future.

San Diego State University is centrally located in San Diego. The region has five major art museums and many other cultural facilities including university, college and commercial galleries, a symphony, opera, and theaters. In addition to important exhibitions at its visual arts facilities, San Diego is also home to an international art triennial, inSITE, sponsored by both Mexican and U.S. organizations. Only 30 miles from Tijuana and 110 miles from Los Angeles, there is easy access to the many cultural offerings in these two neighboring cities. San Diego offers a rich diversity of cultural and outdoor engagements in a city renowned for its beauty and idyllic weather. World Wide Web information can be accessed at http://art.sdsu.edu.

The School of Art, Design and Art History:

The School of Art, Design and Art History has twenty-two full-time faculty, twenty-seven part-time faculty, twenty graduate teaching associates, and seven full-time staff members. The faculty have well-established national and international reputations, with an ongoing participation in a vibrant arts community and design profession. Approximately 1100 majors are currently enrolled in the School’s graduate and undergraduate emphases, which include Applied Design (ceramics, jewelry/metalsmithing, furniture), Art Education, Art History, Environmental/Interior Design, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture. The School has an excellent base of facilities and equipment in all program areas. The School offers the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Master of Fine Arts degrees in Studio Art and Design, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art History. The School has national accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The School will pursue re-accreditation by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research in the 2004/05 year. World Wide Web information can be accessed at http://art.sdsu.edu.

Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Involvement:

The School of Art, Design and Art History is involved in many cross-cultural and interdisciplinary projects. Faculty in the School are engaged in international creative research projects in Ecuador, Cuba, Germany, Czech Republic, Brazil, Korea, China, Turkey, Mexico, and Japan. The School is establishing or actively participating in international study abroad programs and exchange agreements with comparable art and design schools in Brazil, Korea, Turkey, England, Ireland, Scotland and Mexico. Recent student study opportunities have allowed travel to Finland, Russia, Japan and Great Britain.

Faculty and students have participated in several campus collaborative projects with the Department of Educational Technology, the College of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Music and Dance, the Department of Theatre, the College of Education, and the College of Sciences. Students are also able to take advantage of numerous internships with professional art and design institutions.

University Art Gallery

The University Art Gallery is an outstanding facility for the exhibition of contemporary art, with 2,500 square feet of flexible exhibition space housed in a free-standing building located within the School complex. The Gallery organizes and presents exhibitions of contemporary art by regional, national and international artists, providing a forum for artwork of a culturally-diverse and issue-charged nature. In addition, the Gallery offers educational programs, such as lectures and gallery talks. The Gallery is a vital component of the cultural life of San Diego State University and offers ongoing outreach to the San Diego/Tijuana community. For more information regarding exhibitions previously held in the University Art Gallery, visit the gallery’s website at http://www.sdsu.edu/artgallery.

The School of Art, Design and Art History also has two outstanding spaces for the display of student work. These galleries are used for thesis exhibitions and undergraduate group and individual exhibitions.

San Diego State University Art Council:

The San Diego State University Art Council is a vital support group for the School of Art, Design and Art History and is composed of enthusiastic art advocates. Since 1980 the SDSU Art Council has promoted greater understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts by sponsoring the spring exhibition at the University Art Gallery, supporting special guest lectures and funding annual student scholarships.

Center for the Visual and Performing Arts:

The Center for the Visual and Performing Arts exists within the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. The Center’s standing committee is comprised of the Dean of the College and the Directors and Chairs of the School of Music and Dance, the Department of Theatre, the School of Communication (which includes film and video), and the School of Art, Design and Art History, as well as other designated faculty. The Center produces the annual Masters of the Living Arts series, as well as other collaborative cultural projects. Through the Masters of the Living Arts series, internationally-recognized visual artists Alfredo Jaar, Diana Thater and Jennifer Steinkamp have participated in residencies at SDSU.

Visiting Artists and Lecturers Program:

The School’s Visiting Artists and Lecturers Program enhances the educational experience of art, design and art history students. The goal of the program is to bring to campus visiting artists, designers, historians, curators, critics and gallerists who will broaden students’ awareness by expanding the borders of what they encounter in their academic studies. Through the program’s workshops, discussion groups and public lectures, students—as well as faculty, staff and the San Diego community—are provided the opportunity to consider a broad range of aesthetic and philosophical viewpoints. The program has brought to the School distinguished individuals such as Bill Viola, Dave Hickey, Dominique Blain, Andrea Zittel, James Luna, Kerry James Marshall, Harry Reese, James Craig, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jerry Kuyper, Hung Liu, Allison Saar, Wolfgang Weingart and Jeffrey Vallance.