The Foundation Experience
Foundation courses at UW are designed to spark curiosity and ignite creative habits that will carry students through their degrees. Courses stress the importance of experimentation, research and iteration, encouraging students to become flexible thinkers and engaged makers.
What does it mean to be an artist today? How can formal decisions reflect larger conceptual concerns? How do materials carry meaning? Students engage these questions while developing a strong studio practice grounded in both skill and inquiry.
Foundations faculty are practicing artists and dedicated teachers who support students as they explore their creative identities. The program emphasizes dialogue, visual and verbal communication and the development of a sustainable art practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Check out our FAQs for more information about Art Foundations.
Foundations courses include Drawing I, 2D, 3D, Color Theory and Digital Media, and students are not required to take courses in any specific order.
Foundations lays the groundwork for all future study in studio art and art history by introducing essential skills, vocabulary and critical thinking practices that students continue to develop throughout their degree.
No, since these are introductory courses, they are designed to support students with a wide range of experience levels. Our emphasis on process and experimentation allows all students to grow from where they are.
Yes! Foundations students regularly participate in exhibitions and critiques, learning to speak about their work and engage with audiences.
Full-time faculty in the Visual Arts Department teach all Foundations courses.
Feedback is central to the learning process and involves classroom critiques. These take different forms in different courses but are always designed to provide constructive criticism.
Yes, Studio Core courses at the 2000 level can be taken concurrently with Foundations courses as long as the prerequisites for the courses have been met.
Foundations faq 2: Materials
Learn more about materials and tools used in Foundations courses.
Photo Credit: Student Work, Maquette for Public Art created in ART 1120 3D Foundations, Spring 2025
Most Foundations courses require students to acquire very basic tools and materials, such as pencils, X-acto knives, scissors and paper.
Students work with a broad range of materials, which can include charcoal, paint, ink, digital tools, wood, clay, fibers, cyanotypes, glass-tile mosaics and found objects. Foundations encourages material exploration across media.
Digital Media covers Microsoft Word and PowerPoint as well as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.
Art Statistics
Check out the Department of Visual Arts' by student organizations and events. Get involved today!
Learn more about the other disciplines under the Department of Visual Arts.
Photo Credit: Student Work, Maquette for Public Art created in ART 1120 3D Foundations, Spring 2025
Check out our campus resource page to learn more about the range of resources available to support University of Wyoming students.
If you have further questions, please contact visualarts@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-3269.
The Department of Visual Arts offers a multitude of undergraduate programs. Check them out and start your journey with us today!
Learn More