Are you an artist in search of an artistic outlet? Join fellow artists in the Art Club at the College of Western Idaho! We are here to help and enrich and foster your interest for art and personal expression through art.
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Overview
Embark on a career in art through foundational studies while expanding your understanding of visual culture and its history. Design, draw, paint, and sculpt your way to an exciting future in the arts. Students will have opportunities to grow as artists and will prepare to make contributions in the arts as professionals. Students can expect to gain the following:
- a strong foundation in the techniques and materials of visual art
- expanded knowledge and understanding of visual culture and its history
- preparation skills to take first steps as an emerging professional artist through portfolio and website development as well as exhibition opportunities
Completion of the program is designed to result in an Associate of Arts degree in Studio Art, and fulfills the general education requirements for all Idaho public universities.
Studio Art Capstone Collections
Mission
The CWI Studio Art program promotes the development of artistic skills and practice, craftsmanship, and aesthetic discernment. A degree in Studio Art will provide students with a foundational understanding of the history of visual culture, provide opportunities to grow as artists, and prepare them to contribute to their immediate community and the global society through the arts. The program also prepares students who are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree in art.
Why This Program
This program prepares you to begin embarking on a career in the arts through foundational studies. It includes an introduction to technical skills and materials used in a range of artistic disciplines as well as opportunities to gain a broad-based understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the arts. Your course of study in Studio Art at CWI culminates in a public exhibition of your work and equips you to take your next steps as an emerging artist.
What You Will Learn to Do
- Demonstrate technical proficiency in 2-D and 3-D methods and materials.
- Synthesize art fundamentals with the understanding of historical and cultural contexts.
- Analyze works of art formally and conceptually using discipline appropriate vocabulary
- Integrate your knowledge, skills, and interpretations of visual culture in order to solve creative problems.
- Create and present a comprehensive portfolio and culminating exhibition.
Clubs
Additional Opportunities
The CWI Art Club is one of the most active student clubs; it offers students interested in the arts a variety of social and service activities and opportunities for professional development. Created to make local and regional artists part of CWI’s academic experience, the Visiting Artist Program offers lectures and workshops free to the public each semester. Students have a unique opportunity to work in a smaller setting with professional artists.
More Recommended Programs

Let the flexibility of a CWI Liberal Arts degree help you achieve a variety of academic goals and pursue a wide array of careers.
Requirements and Costs
Degrees and Certificates
Advising
Navigating your way through college can be confusing, especially if you try to go it alone. CWI offers advising assistance to help in deciding which courses you need to take to reach your education and career goals. Visit Advising or contact One Stop Student Services for more information.
Did you know you do not necessarily need to take all art classes in consecutive order? ARTS 102 (Art History 2) can be taken before ARTS 101 (Art History 1) in the same way that you do not need to take ARTS 106 after ARTS 105.
Some Studio Art courses require a special course fees in order to cover the cost of supplies.
Connecting With Ideas
Connecting With Ideas (CWI 101) is designed to prepare students with the skills to succeed in college, a career, and life. Completion of CWI 101 is a general education requirement of students seeking to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from CWI. Students are encouraged to take CWI 101 during their first semester.
Explore CWI 101 PathwaysTransfer
Individuals admitted to CWI as a degree-seeking student who have earned college credit from another institution may transfer their credits to CWI. Visit Transferring to CWI to learn more.
Plan ahead for your transition to a four-year college or university. Students are encouraged to work closely with their advisor and representatives from the intended transfer school to ensure a smooth transition beyond CWI. Visit Transferring From CWI to explore our transfer partnerships.
With the Studio Art AA degree from CWI students have the opportunity to transfer into the following programs:
Boise State University
B.A. in History of Art and Visual Culture
B.A. in Visual Art
B.F.A. Visual Art with areas of emphasis areas in Art Metals, Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Interdisciplinary Art Studio, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture
B.F.A. in Graphic Design
B.F.A. in Illustration
University of Idaho
B.A. Art
B.F.A. Studio Art & Design
B.S. Virtual Technology & Design
Idaho State University
B.A. Art
B.F.A. Art
The College of Idaho
B. A. Art
Northwest Nazarene University
B.A. in Studio Art
B.A. in Graphic Design
Cost & Aid
As a student in this program, you may be eligible for financial aid and scholarships. Visit Cost & Aid to view tuition and fees, explore types of aid, apply for federal financial aid, and more.
Are you a 2024 Idaho high school graduate? Learn how to get up to $8,000 of your tuition and fees covered at CWI through Idaho LAUNCH.
Career Info
Professions
- Art Education
- Art Curator
- Art Restoration
- Art Therapy
- Graphic Design
- Fashion Design
- Interior Design
- Illustration
- Multimedia Artist
- Museum Studies
- Photography
- Studio Artist
- Video Game Design
- Web Design
The path preparing you to work as a professional artist will vary greatly from one job to another and generally consists of a combination of higher education and hands-on experience through an internship program or in-school work experience. For some careers a certificate or associate degree in graphic design, or a related field, may be sufficient. For other positions, a bachelor's or graduate level degree in fine art, art history, or a related field may be necessary. Highly specialized occupations require specialized training. For example, art therapists must complete the academic requirements necessary to become a licensed therapist as well as art-specific education.
Once you have an idea of the type of art career that you are most interested in, you should begin researching the exact educational requirements needed to enter the field. Start by looking for colleges that offer training programs specific to your chosen profession and contact major employers to find out about their hiring criteria for entry level employees. This information will help you make wise decisions about how to properly prepare for the next stage of your career.
Locations
Instructors
Program Department Chair
Instructor(s)
Respectful Community
College of Western Idaho is committed to maintaining a Respectful Community by providing equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate in services, benefits, or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, age, or any other legally protected status. More on Title IX
News and Blogs

Join CWI's Visiting Artist Series in welcoming artist, John Flores, to the campus on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Wednesday, Nov. 15 for a lecture and a workshop.

Join CWI’s Visiting Artist Series in welcoming the performing group, Flamenco Idaho, on Friday, Oct. 27, for a performance and a workshop.

The Campus Garden provides a valuable resource to the CWI community, from educating students about agriculture best practices to helping feed those who suffer from food insecurity.

Join College of Western Idaho’s Visiting Artist Series in welcoming photographer, Jessie Swimeley, to campus.

CWI Studio Art students and faculty judged the Nampa Festival of Arts’ Juried Arts Competition

Studio Art students are getting real-world insight into what life may be like as a professional artist and the steps to get there!
Academic Transfer
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