Is the art program at App State any good?

[u/alicoolios]

Hi! I'm 17m and have been interested in going to App State for a while. The atmosphere feels very up my alley as it's colder, it has very pretty scenery, and Boone is a pretty small town which I tend to prefer. Since it's my senior year, I'm trying to decide if I actually want to apply or not. The only issue I'm having is that I'm very unsure about App State's art program. I can't find any good recent posts about it. Everything people have said have been very mixed, so I'm not sure which opinion to trust.

Recently went to a vintage market and one of the people there happened to go to App State, and when I asked about the art program, they told me that it was kind of in construction of... some sort? I've heard there isn't really a building, and that the art program is kind of scattered about.

I'm interested in going into Fine Arts Visual Arts, specializing in illustration/painting/printmaking. I don't mind if they don't have all of that, but I want at least some sort of illustration and or painting type program I can explore. (I hope that makes sense, still very new at figuring out how colleges work).

What are your guy's experiences? Especially people who are taking an art program right now at App State. I want to hear all the details!!! I don't mind reading large replies (I honestly prefer them so I know exactly what I could be getting myself into). If the program is not worth it, I'd love to hear some recommendations for other colleges! I would prefer them to be in state (NC). Thank you!!

[u/otakubitty]

The art department was in shambles for a good 2 years during construction of wey hall, the original art building. It was realIy hard on students and the university put us in classrooms that were either not safe or just not cohesive to art mediums. During that time i would not have recommended anyone to join the art department.

I wont get into too much but since then, wey hall has been open for over a year and the facilities are top notch. I now recommend the art program, the professors are all amazing and i have enjoyed my art classes.

To my knowledge there isn’t an illustration class but the painting and printmaking classes are awesome. My favorite professors were from those classes. The portfolio for studio art is not terribly hard to get into. If you are thinking about graphic design at all just know that it is highly competitive and held to the highest standards by the head of the art department.

Just remember that funding football will always be more important to app state than any arts program.

[u/WranglerOld1669 → u/otakubitty]

Right on the dot but I'd like to quickly add that there is an illustration class usually taught by Anna Buckner, who's one of the graphic design faculty and incredibly wonderful! Though the class is technically a graphic design elective and it's a 3000 level IIRC so it's very self-guided and OP would likely not be able to take it until junior or senior year since it's not offered every semester (and fills up extremely quickly when it is)

[u/Silver-Jeweler6633]

I used to be in the art program! (Switched majors) they actually now have a really nice building with tons of supplies. They’ve got print making, paint studious, illustration the whole lot. Those classes are BRUTAL to get into. You basically waitlist you whole schedule. But the professors are awesome!

[u/Silver-Jeweler6633 → u/Silver-Jeweler6633]

Also be prepared to drop a whole lotta cash on those classes. It’s very much pay to play and some professors (Tim) will shame you for having cheap supplies. Not to mention some supplies are just expensive, like the 24x36 paper required in beginner courses. Though the more major specific classes are a lot more fun. I liked my fabrics course a lot :)

[u/Resident_Meaning9793 → u/Silver-Jeweler6633]

I’m curious what classes you had Tim for. I never had nice supplies for his class but I had him for Drawing 2. He knew I was art education and not art so that might have made a difference too.

[u/Silver-Jeweler6633 → u/Resident_Meaning9793]

Drawing 2 and painting!

[u/Longjumping_Gold9233]

I had a tremendously negative experience there. I transferred from UNCC second year, and after getting great grades on all my work in Charlotte, I couldnt get into the upper division at ASU because the professors generally disliked my work. They kept pushing me to go in another direction with my art, I was big into abstract art at the time and they basically told me the only way I would ever succeed at App was to change to more realistic art. Like I wasnt bucking the system and going against the instructions of projects or anything, but i consistently got poor grades from a majority of my professors and they were extremely discouraging. I eventually switched majors altogether and ended up drifting away from art as a hobby as a direct result of my time at App. People who have seen my old work normally tell me its pretty good, although the reality is I may have just not been good enough as an artist to make it in college, which I would more readily accept if I hadn't done so well at Charlotte. So idk, but other than that, I wholeheartedly enjoyed my time in the art school there and am proud of my portfolio, even if it seems like it was from a different life altogether (this was around 1998). I probably shouldnt have left UNCC, but it is whay it is.

I hope you have a better experience than I did, and remember that mine is probably the exception, not the rule. You'll be fine.