Programs

Visual Arts

“Making art is an opportunity to synthesize your curiosity with your lived experience.”

— Jeff Whetstone

The Program in Visual Arts introduces students to the studio arts in the context of a liberal arts education. Offering courses in painting, drawing, graphic design, photography/digital photography, film/video, and sculpture, the program provides enrolled students extensive contact with an accomplished faculty as well as access to technical, analog, and digital labs including darkrooms, ceramics facilities, welding and mold-making areas, a letterpress studio, film editing bays, and a renovated theater for 35 mm and 16 mm film projections. The Visual Arts program occupies the entire historical building located at 185 Nassau Street.

Students who are interested in concentrating in Visual Arts can earn their bachelor’s degree in The Practice of Art (PA) with a focus on Visual Art through the Department of Art & Archaeology or through the Visual Arts Minor done in conjunction with another major. Members of either cohort can follow our dedicated film track. Both Practice of Art majors and Visual Arts minors enjoy 24/7 access to shared studio loft spaces as juniors and spacious, semi-private studios as seniors. Throughout the year, student work is exhibited in the Lucas Gallery, the Hurley Gallery, the newly renovated Hagan Gallery, and the James Stewart Film Theater.

Employing an interdisciplinary and multi-media approach, the Program in Visual Arts encourages general students to enrich their education with art-making experience (and the attendant questions and meta-perspectives that offers), and for concentrators to weave different art-making modalities and media into their overall practice.

Learn more about Program in Visual Arts faculty, news, events, & courses.

 

Visual Arts News

 

Upcoming Visual Arts Events

Browse the events calendar to see all upcoming events from the Program in Visual Arts or arts partners across campus.

 

Current Visual Arts Exhibitions

 

Featured Videos

 

Senior Work

Be Not Afraid is an exhibition by Princeton senior Evan Haley ’24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from May 6 to 10. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A reflective mask with antlers sits on a pedestal in a gallery

Be Not Afraid is an exhibition by Princeton senior Evan Haley ’24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from May 6 to 10. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Artwork covers the walls and tables in a gallery

warren. warren. warren… an exhibition by Princeton senior Warren Quan ’24 on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 22-May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Photos and illustrations hang on the wall in a collage pattern

warren. warren. warren… an exhibition by Princeton senior Warren Quan ’24 on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 22-May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A series of translucent images are displayed on a wall with a light behind them

Nothing Sacred Here, an exhibition by Princeton senior Lana Glisic '24 on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 22-May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A translucent image of a person staring to the side with a disembodied hand near the neck

Nothing Sacred Here, an exhibition by Princeton senior Lana Glisic '24 on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 22-May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Artwork sits on the floor and hangs on the walls of a gallery

So Soft You Can Barely Feel the Seams, an exhibition by senior Emma Mohrmann '24 on view in the Lucas Gallery April 22 - May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Artwork hangs on the walls and sits on the floor of a gallery

So Soft You Can Barely Feel the Seams, an exhibition by senior Emma Mohrmann '24 on view in the Lucas Gallery April 22 - May 3. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Charcoal works on paper hang on a gallery wall behind a sculpture sits on the floor

Plenitude is an exhibition of recent work by Princeton senior Cary Moore '24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 29 - May 3. Photo by Kirstin Ohrt

A large painted white cylindrical sculpture sits at center while a charcoal drawing hangs on wall behind.

Plenitude is an exhibition of recent work by Princeton senior Cary Moore '24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 29 - May 3. Photo by Kirstin Ohrt

Large tapestries hang from the ceiling and the walls in a large gallery space

Moʻo, an exhibition of new work by senior Kapili Naehu-Ramos ’24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 15-26. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Large tapestries hang from the ceiling and the walls in a large gallery space

Moʻo, an exhibition of new work by senior Kapili Naehu-Ramos ’24 on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 15-26. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Two large pieces of fabric art hang from the ceiling in a gallery space with artwork on the walls

How to Peel an Orange and Fold an Envelope, an exhibition by Hazel Flaherty and Arianna Borromeo on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 8 - 19. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A piece of pottery sit in front of a hanging drapery in a gallery

How to Peel an Orange and Fold an Envelope, an exhibition by Hazel Flaherty and Arianna Borromeo on view in the Hagan Gallery from April 8 - 19. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Gallery space with oversized fabric covered clothes hangar suspended at center along with works on walls and podiums.

Reproduction Production, an exhibition by senior Magnolia Wilkinson, features a kaleidoscopic collection of mixed media pieces on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 1 - 12. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A chair is draped with a stuffed fabric sculpture

Reproduction Production, an exhibition by senior Magnolia Wilkinson, features a kaleidoscopic collection of mixed media pieces on view in the Hurley Gallery from April 1 - 12. Photo by Jon Sweeney

What appears to be tiers of handmade wooden bleachers frames large scale portraits hanging on the walls

The Commons presents ⍰ ⍰ ⍰, an exhibition by Princeton seniors Petr Karpov and Luke Shannon on view in the Lucas Gallery from March 25 - April 5. Photo by Lauren Fedorchak

Photographic portraits hang on the wall of a gallery

The Commons presents ⍰ ⍰ ⍰, an exhibition by Princeton seniors Petr Karpov and Luke Shannon on view in the Lucas Gallery from March 25 - April 5. Photo by Lauren Fedorchak

Plywood structures hide a bright light source in the center of a gallery

Dreams of SinoAmericana, an exhibition by Justin Zhang '24, on view in the Hagan Gallery, April 1 - 5. Photo by Lauren Fedorchak

Four place settings featuring bowls and chopsticks sit on a lighted table covered in splatter paint.

Dreams of SinoAmericana, an exhibition by Justin Zhang '24, on view in the Hagan Gallery, April 1 - 5. Photo by Lauren Fedorchak

A video of a nude person doing pull ups is projected on a screen in an art gallery

Practice of Art major Lauren Olson ’24 presents an exhibition of new work: I Hear Machines Underwater from March 18 - 29. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A video of a pool underwater is projected on a wall in a hallway behind a series of hanging prints

Practice of Art major Lauren Olson ’24 presents an exhibition of new work: I Hear Machines Underwater from March 18 - 29. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A series of black and white images are displayed on a wall of a gallery

Practice of Art major Lauren Olson ’24 presents an exhibition of new work: I Hear Machines Underwater from March 18 - 29. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A large gallery space is full of artwork projected and displayed on walls

Traces, a collaborative exhibition by Princeton seniors Erin Macanze, Kirsten Pardo, and Julia Stahlman on view in the Hurley from Feb. 26 - March 8. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Images hang as videos are projected behind them

Traces, a collaborative exhibition by Princeton seniors Erin Macanze, Kirsten Pardo, and Julia Stahlman on view in the Hurley from Feb. 26 - March 8. Photo by Jon Sweeney

A projector sits in front of a wall displaying 3 separate projections

Traces, a collaborative exhibition by Princeton seniors Erin Macanze, Kirsten Pardo, and Julia Stahlman on view in the Hurley from Feb. 26 - March 8. Photo by Jon Sweeney

Browse a student film showcase of senior films produced since 2003

 

VIS Book 2024

View the Princeton Visual Arts 2024 book. Design by Ben Denzer.

VIS Logo

Questions?

For more information about the Program in Visual Arts, please contact the Program Associate Kristy Seymour at 609-258-2788 or kseymour@princeton.edu, or consult a directory of program staff.

Climate & Inclusion

Learn more about the Lewis Center for the Arts' efforts on addressing Climate & Inclusion.