The distinguished legacy of painting at SFAI informs the present and future of the medium.
The Painting program at SFAI has been at the forefront of many important historical developments, including Social Realism, Abstract Expressionism, Bay Area Figuration, the California Funk Movement and the street art-inspired projects of the Mission School. This pluralistic history informs the contemporary moment where all possibilities are valued, from traditional approaches on canvas to interdisciplinary painting practices.
At SFAI, the ever-expanding definition of painting is affirmed by a philosophically diverse faculty enthusiastic about a wide range of approaches to material and conceptual solutions. Faculty challenge students to ask bold questions and to develop their own authentic approach to painting.
Past Courses
Virtual Tour of Painting Studios
Facilities
Our Painting Department offers 24-hour access to four large painting studios with natural light from the large north- and east- facing windows, halogen lighting, state-of-the-art ventilation, large basin sinks, as well as two drawing studios equipped with abundant natural light, blackout shades, and track lighting. Additional facilities and equipment include a work area for building supports, painting racks in each painting studio for storage of works on progress, and a critique/slide viewing room.
Curriculum
| Title | Units |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts Requirements (Examples: Global Social Movements, Un/Natural Ideologies, Concepts of Creativity, Mathematics: A Visual History, Extinction) | 33 |
| Studio & General Elective Requirements | 72 |
| Art History Requirements | 15 |
| Title | Units |
|---|---|
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Painting 1 | 3 |
| Drawing Electives | 9 |
| Painting Electives (Ex: Performative Figure, Beyond the Frame, Painting as Protest) | 18 |
| Contemporary Practice | 3 |
| Electives in any studio discipline (Ex: Screenprinting, Three-Dimensional Collage) | 24 |
| General Electives (Ex: Sacred and Profane, Performance / Sound / Language) | 9 |
| Senior Seminar | 3 |
| BFA Exhibition | 0 |
| Title | Units |
|---|---|
| Topics and Foundations in Global Visual Culture | 3 |
| Topics and Foundations in Contemporary Art | 3 |
| History of the Major | 3 |
| Art History Elective | 3 |
| Art History Elective | 3 |
Faculty
Brett Reichman (Painting Department Chair)
Bruce McGaw (Professor Emeritus)
Frances McCormack (Professor Emerita)
Fred Martin (Professor Emeritus)
Pegan Brooke (Professor Emerita)
See the full list of current faculty.
Program Learning Outcomes
