Art and Design (BFA) (Metalsmithing)

The BFA is considered the professional degree in visual arts. A BFA prepares students to be lifelong practitioners of the studio arts who can demonstrate professional competencies — conceptual, technical and visual. At SIUE, students build upon a core foundation of skills in order to produce meaningful and engaging works with diverse objectives. The curriculum centered on jewelry, hollowware and metal sculpture encompasses a breadth and depth approach to technical and aesthetic study, art history, and marketing processes. In addition to the jewelry and metalsmithing program, the nationally recognized SIUE sculpture program also provides graduate metal students with the opportunity to utilize techniques common to both areas and adaptable to large scale works, such as blacksmithing, foundry-casting and Damascus steel. A variety of techniques are included within the program supported by a state-of-the-art facility. They encompass ancient and contemporary metals and processes such as fabrication, small- to large-scale forming, bowl raising, hydraulic deep draw press forming, vacuum and centrifugal casting, rubber mold making, vibratory polishing, enameling, granulation, reticulation, perforation, anodizing, patination, kum-boo, silver and gold leaf, stone-setting, and electroplating. Metals include pewter, iron, titanium, aluminum, gold, silver, copper, nickel and copper alloys, with a focus on the unique metalworking possibilities of each material.

Students seeking a bachelor’s degree from SIUE who have never attended a college or university, and those who may have taken some coursework at a college or university outside the U.S. but do not currently hold a bachelor’s degree must submit official records showing grades for all years of secondary/high school AND official exam results or certificate/diploma. Applicants who have attempted at least 30 semester hours (or 45 quarter hours) of college-level transfer credit (either from the U.S. or abroad) are not required to provide secondary school records.