About the Painting Minor
Artists need time, space, and encouragement to refine their craft, and that's exactly what UW's painting minor offers. Through advanced studio courses, supportive faculty and state-of-the-art facilities, students build both strong studio skills and refined critical sensitivity. Coursework emphasizes key concepts, methods and work processes while encouraging exploration across a wide range of painting approaches and media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media and experimental surfaces. Students progress through a structured sequence of visual problems, from pictorial organization to deeper aesthetic interpretation, while pushing beyond perceived boundaries of the discipline. Studio classes integrate discussion and critique, supporting work in abstraction, landscape, still life and imaginative narratives and helping students develop habits of self-direction that extend beyond the classroom.
Curious how to get involved in our department and interested in art? Consider taking a tour of the UW Visual Arts facilities!
Students pursuing a B.A. in Visual Arts - Art History Track may minor in a studio discipline. However, students pursuing a B.A. in Visual Arts - Studio Art Track, a B.F.A. in Studio Art or a B.A. in Art Education cannot minor in a specific studio discipline such as painting. Plan on a minimum of five semesters to complete a painting minor due to upper-division course prerequisites. Please note that all painting courses require a minimum grade of C to earn a minor.
What can you do with a Painting Minor?
A painting minor helps you develop strong visual communication and creative problem-solving skills that can complement many career paths. Whether you pursue work as a studio artist, illustrator, art educator, gallery assistant or freelance creative, this minor enhances your artistic abilities and opens doors to roles in the arts, design, education and beyond. It’s also a great foundation for graduate study or careers that value visual storytelling and hands-on creative expression.
Students who graduate with a painting minor are prepared for various painting and visual arts careers, including but not limited to:
- Fine artist
- Illustrator
- Drawing instructor
- Portrait artist
- Live painter
- Museum curator
- Art teacher
- Graphic designer
UW's fine art and art education grads are making an impact at the following places:
- Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
- University of Wyoming
- Western Confluence Magazine
- Stripe
- Self-employed
- Glassell School of Art
- Art League Houston
- Cherry Creek School District
The painting minor is designed for non-studio art majors. As long as you're not majoring in studio art, you can add a painting minor to your degree.
As a painting minor, you'll learn foundational and advanced techniques in drawing, color theory, composition and paint application across various media. Courses typically explore both traditional and contemporary approaches, helping you develop your own artistic style while building technical skills. You'll also study art history to gain a deeper understanding of visual language and creative expression.
