Department of Art | SUNY Potsdam

Our art students live, create and study in a unique art environment within the context of a stimulating liberal arts tradition.

Our Programs

Note: Admission to the Graphic Design and Media Arts B.F.A. and the Visual Arts B.F.A. programs will be by portfolio review.

Complementary Non-Department Minors

Highlights

Art students have the advantage of working closely and sharing ideas with other creative people in music and writing. This environment provides a challenging stimulus and has given the SUNY Potsdam art program a reputation for excellence.

Graduates from the Department of Art are prepared to continue learning at the graduate level or pursue a wide range of professions. SUNY Potsdam students have developed careers in the fine arts, art administration, art therapy, digital design, K-12 and university teaching, illustration, museum curation, audiovisual administration, publishing, gallery ownership, interior design, architecture, commercial printing, pattern making, photojournalism and studio ceramics.

“I gained so much direction and guidance from the creative minds of SUNY Potsdam’s art professors — they put me on the fast track into a bright and shining future.”
Jillian Petercsak Art Studio Alumna

Framing Their Future

Working under the guidance of Dr. Caroline Downing, three students gained valuable hands-on experience in the Gibson Gallery this summer. Katelin Babbitt '26, Lance Wilson '27 and SharonMarie Bartz '26 put their skills to the test by installing Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Stephan Savoia’s photography exhibition, with a few career-defining conversations along the way.

From Potsdam to Pulitzer

Stephan Savoia ’75, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, first caught the photojournalism bug at SUNY Potsdam in 1974. From capturing historic moments like the aftermath of 9/11 to numerous presidential campaigns, his career has spanned decades as he shaped history through his lens. Now retired, Savoia reflects on his extraordinary journey and will return to his alma mater this summer to share his stories and showcase his remarkable work.

Liza’s Life in Lines

Liza Paige ’12, a Potsdam native and adjunct instructor of art at SUNY Potsdam, is hard at work on her next project—an interactive optical illusion drawn entirely in outlines, with props chosen to help replicate the feeling of a college dormitory dwelling. The “2D Dorm Room” is an immersive art experience that will be revealed in the Lougheed Learning Commons in time for the 2024 LoKo Arts Festival starting May 1.

Interweaving Nature and Art

After receiving a full scholarship to pursue her BFA in visual arts at SUNY Potsdam, Hong Hong ’11 has parlayed her undergraduate experiences into an impressive career as an artist and professor. Recently, she received a $50,000 grant through the United States Artists Fellowship, which along with the Guggenheim and the MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grants, is considered one of the most prestigious awards an artist can receive.

Art for the Making of It

Sperling '06 used his art degree to build the foundation for his rise to international acclaim and a creative style that blurs the line between two-and-three dimensional forms.

From Liberal Arts to Big Tech

Just over a decade ago, Daniel Romlein '12 graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in studio art. Now he works at one of the biggest technology companies in the world—combining a myriad of liberal arts skills from his undergraduate years that became the foundation for an impressive career at Google and YouTube as a user experience (UX) designer.

Unwavering Trajectory

After devising an ambitious plan to complete her undergraduate degree in just three years, Cashlynn (Jaggers) Colbert ’19 & ’21 immediately landed a job as an art teacher at Salmon River Central School. Now she is back at SUNY Potsdam, wrapping up an educational technology specialist master’s degree program at the College, all while teaching art full time in the North Country.

Landscape of Discovery

As he mastered sculpting, painting and graphic design in SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Art, Evan Blondell ’06 had no way of knowing that he was planting the seeds for a fruitful career as a landscape architect. Armed with an artistic eye, and years of training, Blondell now works in major urban centers to transform the landscape into breathtaking parks that intertwine modern design with nature.

High Fashion Mask-erade

The accomplished fashion designer and savvy entrepreneur Saad Hajidin ’88 has turned his company InPhorm into an ally in the fight against COVID-19—shifting his focus from manufacturing women’s activewear to producing protective face masks. The SUNY Potsdam alumnus has been working with his factory in Thailand to manufacture protective face masks that are fashionable and eco-forward, while also meeting guidelines set forth by the FDA.