The Art Department at Swarthmore offers two avenues of study: studio art and art history. In both, students are introduced to basic skills of visual analysis and expression, and to the conceptual frameworks necessary for applying them across disciplines and professions. The artists and art historians at Swarthmore College consider visual intelligence to be fundamental to a liberal arts education. We believe that the ability to understand works of art - either through analysis or practice - is the key to a richer understanding of the human experience. The study of art is the most direct way of developing a better understanding and appreciation of the cultures and societies of our contemporary world, the visual phenomena found in it, and the historical record of human development. As a result, they gain a deeper understanding of a global and multicultural past and present.

Learn more on the Art & Art History Department website and in the College Catalog.