The Lamar Dodd School of Art is one of the largest, highly ranked university art programs in the nation. The faculty and staff are dedicated to providing the highest level of instruction in studio art, design, art education, and art history. The School attracts highly qualified and talented students who seek to study art at a major comprehensive university. The faculty is made up of nationally recognized artists and scholars who promote a rigorous and lively creative atmosphere conducive to experimentation, innovation, scholarship, and creative inquiry.
Undergraduate Jewelry and Metalwork
Students in the program will develop an understanding in various techniques such as metal fabrication, lost wax casting, raising, forging, stone setting, color on metal applications, and numerous forming and surface embellishment processes. Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in the area of Jewelry and Metalwork must first submit work through the portfolio review process. Learn more about the portfolio review process by which undergraduate students apply to their area of emphasis here.
Students have access to equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC milling located within the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the UGA MakerSpace, housed in the Science Library. These resources allow students to blend traditional skills with new technologies as they execute and explore their creative works. With the completion of a BFA Exit Project, students present a professional portfolio that can be used toward application to graduate school or in the pursuit of a career as a creative professional in the field and beyond.
Graduate Jewelry and Metalwork
Students in the MFA program benefit from a flexible, forward-thinking curriculum that allows for advanced study in the Jewelry and Metalwork area, as well as the opportunity to work across other areas in the School and throughout the University. Students interested in a focused program of study in Jewelry and Metalwork will expand on their knowledge of the history of the discipline and their awareness of contemporary practice in the field and larger art world. Students have the opportunity to engage in an area-specific seminar led by graduate faculty, where student work is critiqued regularly, and critical discourse pertaining to the field is analyzed and discussed. The self-directed plan of study is individualized and requires a high degree of motivation. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to conduct research as they build toward identifying a thesis topic which will exemplify the student’s skill as a researcher and studio artist. The Master of Fine Art (MFA) degree is a 66-hour program of study emphasizing conceptual development, technical/material innovation, and critical analysis where research and creative practice take center stage. Concluding with the development of a mature and coherent body of work, the program serves as a springboard for careers as creative professionals. The Jewelry and Metalwork area has a private graduate studio that offers a well-equipped space to make, collaborate, and research. Each individual studio is furnished with a jeweler’s bench, large work bench, and ample storage with the opportunity to reconfigure and adapt the space as candidates build their studio practice among supportive graduate peers and faculty.
The area of Jewelry and Metals has its own studio spaces. Students are encouraged to take full advantage of the many opportunities within the field by actively applying for exhibitions and attending related conferences and workshops. The program is an active facilitator and supporter of conference attendance (e.g., Society of North American Goldsmiths [SNAG] conferences, Yuma Symposium, Memphis Metal Museum Repair Days, Mint Museum, East Carolina University metals symposium, SOFA Chicago), field trips (e.g., American Craft Council Atlanta, Penland School of Crafts, Joanna Gollberg, Hoss Haley, Meghan Patrice Riley, Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show, Museum of Arts and Design, St. Udio, Donald Cope Studio), and international travel (e.g., Munich Jewelry week, SIERAAD International Jewelry Fair).
The School of Art offers highly competitive assistantships and numerous awards yearly. Assistantships are renewable year to year and generally last for three years. First-year Graduate Assistants work for the School of Art. In the following years, they have the opportunity to teach selected courses. For more information about the graduate programs at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, email the School’s Graduate Office or Professor Demitra Thomloudis.
RECENT GRADUATES: If you recently received a degree–BA, BFA, MA, or MFA–from this university, everything you need to know to upload your graduate portfolio can be found at this link.
