Dear creative student,
Thank you for your interest in Buffalo State University’s renowned Art & Design program. Our program, university, and community is designed to help you become the creative professional you aspire to be, and equip you with the skills and wisdom to have a successful and meaningful career as a creative consultant, artist, and designer.
What makes Buffalo State University’s Art & Design program distinct?
Unique, World-Class Faculty: Our experienced faculty are industry leaders who bring real-world experience and distinct expertise to the classroom. Professor Shasti Oleary-Soudant, MFA has over thirty years of experience working with national and international clients. She has designed nearly 2000 book covers; over a dozen of which were New York Times #1 Bestselllers. She is also an accomplished writer and artist with permanent installations around the United States. Professsor Oleary-Soudant is an advocate of economic empowerment for creative workers, and strives to ensure all our students are capable of supporting themselves in their chosen discipline. Professor Brent Patterson, MFA has over thirty years of experience as a motion graphics/visual effects artist, and interactive designer. He works with international production studios to produce animations and visual effects for the fashion and music industries. Patterson has twenty years of experience using the 3D animation software, Blender, and is one of only a handful of design professors in North America who is an expert with this industry-changing software.
Facilities and Location: Our program is housed in the Bauhaus-inspired Upton Hall on the Buffalo State University campus. It is a sprawling building housing over a dozen art and design programs, art galleries, and a theater. Professors’ offices and studios are located inside the teaching studios which allows convenient access for students and fosters an active, creative community. Buffalo State University is positioned between two world-class art museums: The newly expanded AKG Art Museum, and The Burchfield-Penney Art Center. Buffalo State Art & Design is the only comprehensive art and design program in the State University of New York system that is in an urban location. We are situated in Elmwood Village in the heart of Buffalo which is a cultural hub in Western New York and is full of art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, and home to frequent music and art festivals. We are also adjacent to the massive Frederick Law-Olmsted-designed Delaware Park which is home to the Buffalo Zoo, miles of walking/bike trails that circle Hoyt Lake, sweeping green fields, and an urban forest called Rumsey’s Woods.
Our Curriculum: Our curriculum reflects our beliefs in the importance of art and design in our culture and the critical need for our graduates to be gainfully employed in their chosen field immediately after graduation. Hard work, daily practice, practical experience, craftsmanship, technical expertise, discipline, professionalism and portfolio development are constant values in every single class. We understand that everyone starts with varying abilities and strengths. Our courses and projects are designed with this in mind, and our classes are small enough to give everyone the attention they need (studio classes average 15 – 20 students in size). Lastly, an intense on-site internship is required in the last year of study that provides students with practical job experience and their first real design experience line on their resumé.
Industry Connections: In addition to the required internship, students meet industry leaders and make connections with professionals throughout their time at Buffalo State University. This happens through service-learning projects in which students work with community members, meet industry leaders in frequent talks hosted on campus and in the nearby art museums, and visit the many creative agencies throughout Buffalo that are populated with our alumni and who have a preference for hiring fellow alumni.
Diversity and Community: There are a little over 100 students in our Graphic Design program and we are immensely proud of the wide diversity of our student population in which everyone feels welcome and feels needed. Our students come from every background and from many countries as well as from all over New York State with a large portion now coming from the five boroughs of New York City.
What will you learn?
Graphic Design is an umbrella term for a wide array of creative fields. Graduates from our program can pursue careers in:
Branding and Identity Design
User Experience (UX) Design, Video Game Design
Web Design and Development
Print Design
Motion Graphics including 3D Modelling and Animation
In addition to publishing, marketing, and advertising, these fields support every industry in our economy, so students might be employed in such diverse sectors as banking, television and film, software and video game development, retail, energy production, education, and government.
We invite you to explore our program further by visiting our website, attending an information session, or scheduling a campus tour. You are welcome to schedule a day to sit in our classes and experience what it’s like to be a graphic design and digital media student at Buffalo State University.
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