| School | City |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas |
| University of North Texas | Denton |
| Lamar University | Beaumont |
| Texas Christian University | Fort Worth |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock |
| Stephen F. Austin State University | Nacogdoches |
| Angelo State University | San Angelo |
| Baylor University | Waco |
From drawing and painting to sculpting and glass blowing, studio artists do it all! According to admissions materials from a variety of colleges, studio art is basically, “any type of visual art made in a studio.” In addition to painting and glass blowing, studio artist create sculptures, photography, large-scale installations, experimental art, ceramics, and more. A typical studio art program may feature the study of drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, fiber, glass, printmaking, and photography. However, many of today’s programs offer a focus in digital art, graphic design, digital media and more.
Unlike other art majors, studio art majors will spend most of their time working in a studio setting—not a classroom. The goal is to immerse fully in any given art form in order to better develop your skills. As such, a typical studio art degree can help prepare students for more than 100 different careers. Just a few include art director, animator, airbrush artist, cartoonist, ceramic artist, medical illustrator, digital artist, glass blower, graphic arts technician, mural artists, textile designer, art critic, display artist, art buyer, photographer, digital media artist, and art therapist.
Studio art programs are readily available at hundreds of art and design schools across the U.S. A number of traditional colleges and universities also offer programs. Just a few options in the State of Texas include Lamar University, University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), and Baylor University.
Texas Studio Art Schools
Texas is home to 252 Title IV degree-granting institutions. Nearly 1.5 million students are enrolled, with thousands attending the state’s top art schools alone. Continue reading to find out which Texas schools are tops for aspiring studio artists and what they have to offer.
Abilene
McMurry University - Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Studio Art
Austin
University of Texas at Austin - Degrees Offered: BFA Studio Art
Beaumont
Lamar University - Degrees Offered: BFA Studio Art with Drawing + Painting, Photography Focus, MA Art with Visual Arts Emphasis and Studio Art Focus
Dallas
Southern Methodist University - Degrees Offered: BA, BFA, MIT (Masters of Interactive Technology) Studio Art, Combined BFA Studio Art and MIT in Digital Game Development
Denton
University of North Texas - Degrees Offered: BFA Studio Art with a Concentration in New Media Art
Edinburg
University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) - Degrees Offered: BFA Studio Art with Design with a Graphic Design Focus
Fort Worth
Texas Christian University – Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Studio Art with a Photography Focus, MFA Studio Art, Minor in Studio Art (Minor)
Lubbock
Texas Tech University - Degrees Offered: BFA Studio Art with an Emphasis in Painting + Drawing, Photography (DigiPrint Option Available), Printmaking (DigiPrint Option Available), Minor in Studio Art
Nacogdoches
Stephen F. Austin State University - Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Art Studio with Design, Cinematography, Digital Media, Drawing, and Photography
Odessa
University of Texas of the Permain Basin (UTPB) - Degrees Offered: BA/BFA with an Option in Art Studio
San Angelo
Angelo State University - Degrees Offered: BA Art Studio, BA Studio Art with a Graphic Design, Painting + Drawing or Printmaking Emphasis
Waco
Baylor University - Degrees Offered: BA, BFA Studio Art
More Texas Studio Art related programs to consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#37) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#24) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#38) - 2021
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#11) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#10) - 2021
- Top 25 in the South for Graphic Design (#10) - 2021
- Online
Employment and Salary Trends for Texas Studio Artists
The U.S. population of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media (ADESM) professionals is close to 1.8 million, up from around 1.5 million in 2002. Salaries are on the rise as well. The mean annual wage for salaried artists and designers nationwide is $55,790, up from $41,660 in 2002, and $54,490 in 2013.
Texas is home to 110,390 professionals working in ADESM occupations. They average $49,250 up from $45,870 per year when the state was home to 103,870 ADESM workers. It is important to note that salaries and employment levels vary by occupation. The ADESM category includes craft artists, fine artists (illustrators, painters, and sculptors), multimedia artists and animators, photographers, and more.
The following information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will give you a good idea of what artists in these areas earn and how high or low employment levels are for each in the State of Texas.
Craft Artists: Texas is home to 460 craft artists, up from 340 in 2013. They average $29,340 per year up from $27,750 in 2013. Texas has the second highest employment level in the U.S. for this occupation and the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan area has the state’s highest employment level. The projected employment increase nationwide is three percent for the 2012-2022 decade.
Fine Artists (Illustrators, Painters, and Sculptors): Texas is home to 590 fine artists, up from 290 in 2013. They average $54,120 per year up from $47,580 in 2013. Texas has the nation’s fifth highest employment level for this occupation and the Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan area has the state’s highest employment level. The projected employment increase nationwide is four percent for the 2012-2022 decade.
Multimedia Artists and Animators: Texas is home to 1,580 multimedia artists and animators, down slightly from 1,590 in 2013. They average $56,990 per year up from $56,580 in 2013. Texas has the fourth highest employment level in the U.S. for this occupation and the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan area has the state’s highest employment level. The projected employment increase nationwide is six percent for the 2012-2022 decade.
Photographers: Texas is home to 3,330, down from 3,520 in 2013. They average $33,400 per year up from $31,420 in 2013. Texas has the fourth highest employment level in the U.S. for this occupation and the Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan area has the state’s highest employment level. The projected employment increase nationwide is four percent for the 2012-2022 decade.
Although studio artists can find employment anywhere in the state, as you may have noticed, Texas’s major cities still lead the pack. The state’s top ten largest cities are Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Plano, and Laredo.
Awesome Animation Fact: A lot of cartoon characters have four-fingered hands instead of five. The reason is simple – hands with four fingers are easier to draw and animate. It all started with the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon. Walt Disney said that this was both an artistic and financial decision, explaining, "artistically five digits are too many for a mouse. His hand would look like a bunch of bananas. Financially, not having an extra finger in each of 45,000 drawings that make up a six and one half minute short has saved the Studio millions." –Best of Web Shrine