Tyler’s undergraduate Printmaking program prepares students to seize opportunities by exposing them to a wide range of concepts and techniques, and by focusing on career development while students are still in school.
The program is housed in large, modern, fully equipped studios where students first learn the fundamentals of the four printmaking disciplines (relief, intaglio, lithography, and silkscreen) before exploring at least two of these disciplines in depth. Advanced projects include color, photo processes, large-scale printing, installation, and digital printmaking.
Students interact closely with faculty, who are all practicing artists, and MFA students, who often work side-by-side with BFAs in the group studios. Graduate and undergraduate students alike are inspired by each other’s work, and exposure to the MFA experience often gives Printmaking BFA students an unusually sophisticated sensibility. The Printmaking program at Tyler places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work and students at all levels are encouraged to take advantage of the departments around them, a practice that results in dynamic work stimulated by the fusion of printmaking with fields such as photography, painting, fibers, or sculpture for example.
BFA students are encouraged to delve into Philadelphia’s rich cultural resources, as well as to explore the museums, galleries, and art scene in New York City and Washington, D.C. Many students also take advantage of Tyler’s outstanding program in Rome during one of their junior semesters.
The program prepares students for life after graduation through the Art Career Workshop, which provides a practical foundation for a professional career in any of the visual arts, and the Senior Projects Workshop, which focuses on the production of a formally presented print project portfolio.