Visual Arts at Bennington

Bennington College was the first in the country to put the arts at the center of a liberal arts education, and one that has long embraced—for over 80 years—the idea that art can shape our way of thinking  about everything, from aesthetics and philosophy and literature to mathematics and environmental activism and community development.

Taught by practicing professionals accomplished in their fields, Bennington’s visual arts program provides students with a firm grounding in the creative process. As students move from introductory to advanced courses, they develop their own techniques, methods of investigation, conceptual thinking, and understanding of what it means to be a creative practitioner. They are encouraged to explore opportunities across a broad range of media, while examining contemporary creative practice and its connections to the history of art.

The Helen Frankenthaler ’49 Visual Arts Center makes up half of Bennington’s 100,000+ square-foot creative complex, and houses expansive teaching studios, digital labs, workshops, and seminar spaces that support the program. It is an inspiring facility full of light and activity—open 24 hours a day. Students can be found there at all hours—creating new work in their studios, gathering for critiques, collaborating.

During Field Work Term, students work in a wide range of creative spaces including artists’ studios, galleries, non-profit art organizations, design firms, production houses, and many other internships that offer new perspectives and extraordinary work experiences. In their junior year, students are also eligible to apply for the College’s Museum Fellows Term, in which they spend five months living in New York City; gain professional work experience at a major cultural institution; visit exhibitions and study multiple aspects of the art world with Bennington faculty; and meet artists, curators, and other arts and culture leaders.

Students from the visual arts continue their work through graduate studies, set up studios, open galleries, become curators, and begin their own practices.

Why Choose A Bennington Education?

Step outside traditional majors. - At Bennington you design your own course of study and work, taking full advantage of the College’s resources both inside and outside the classroom. You identify one or more areas of interest that spark your intellectual curiosity and provide a foundation for your academic work and fieldwork, and you pursue that work with ongoing guidance from your faculty. This is your Plan.

You get graduate-style academic advising as an undergrad. - You will work closely with faculty to design the content, structure, and sequence of your study and practice—your Plan. In one-on-one sessions with your faculty advisor and in meetings with your faculty Plan committee, your teachers serve as both mentors and guides. They help you discover how your intellectual interests and professional ambitions might shape an education of depth, breadth, and rigor. They guide your progress to ensure that your Plan is challenging, academically sound, and significant.

You'll complete a minimum of four annual internship experiences. - For two months every winter, you will work with an organization or institution of your choosing, anywhere in the world, to apply what you have learned on campus and to focus what you study and make at Bennington—engaging the field that interests you without waiting for graduation. This is your Field Work Term.

You will engage a community of active makers and practitioners. - The faculty and administration are mentors and peers ready to engage with your work, in addition to being subject matter experts. The Bennington community extends far beyond the campus, offering connections to notable alumni, colleagues, and employers around the world.