Wondering what you can do with a Sculpture degree? You can become a maker, thinker and doer. Explore all the possibilities with PennWest Edinboro's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture.
As a student, you'll thrive in the exciting, artistic environment of PennWest Edinboro.
Our Art Department has the widest array of studio offerings within the Pennsylvania
State System of Higher Education and is a program of distinction at Edinboro.
At Edinboro, we pride ourselves on our 100-year history of instruction in the visual arts and art education. In addition, our Art Department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), which sets national standards for excellence in the field.
As a Sculpture major, you'll learn the basics of joining metal, wood and found objects. Carve Styrofoam and wood. Make rubber molds. Cast aluminum, bronze, wax and plaster. Take a class in figure-modeling or steel fabrication, or embrace time-based works of performance, installation, video or social practice. Once the basic skills are covered, you will decide your unique journey toward your B.F.A Concentration in Sculpture.
Upon graduation, you'll be ready to pursue a career in studio arts or in allied fields
as a foundry technician; mold-maker; theater set, prop or costume designer; fabricator
in a metal, wood, fiberglass or art or science museum; an art director or educator,
or even an entrepreneur.
There is no portfolio review prior to admission. Just bring your passion for the arts
and a desire to work hard in a multidisciplinary, highly supportive environment.
You'll grow under the guidance of our four professionally trained Sculpture professors. They produce a wide range of work including tabletop painted metal castings, free-standing carved and fabricated wood sculptures, life-size fiberglass figures, monumental public works and social practice actions such as running for political office. Their diversity of focus fosters an energetic dialogue that will help you find your unique voice as an artist.
Visiting artists and critics offer you the chance to hear from regional, national and international art world figures. If you like, you can work with faculty to arrange an internship with an artist, an arts organization or in allied fields of museum display, theater arts, industrial design, fashion and more.
As a Sculpture student at Edinboro, you'll have the opportunity to participate in:
The sculpture "Barn" in the Loveland Annex includes basic woodworking, wax-working, plaster, ceramic shell, welding, metalworking and metal casting areas. Trained monitors allow access to equipment outside of regular class time. Sculpture students are granted 24-hour studio access. Students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of materials, processes and practices including:
Edinboro’s Sculpture program cultivates each student’s technical expertise, critical thinking and organizational ability – all transferrable skills that help our graduates find success. For instance:
Here are a few of our alumni success stories:
- Angie Seykora (MFA ‘13 ) earned recognition from the International Sculpture Center when her student work was included in Sculpture Magazine. She lives and maintains her studio in Omaha, NE
- Steve Zetts (BFA ‘13) earned an MA in Medical Prosthetics Development and Design at the University of Pittsburgh, building on the modeling skills he learned at Edinboro.
- Lori Zelepsky (BFA ‘12) uses her sculpture skills every day in her job as a technician at the Art Foundry in Denver, CO
- Ira Gerhart (BFA ‘07) worked as a mold maker and fabricator at the U.S. Bronze Foundry and now operates Ira Gerhart Metal Work, a commission-based sculpture studio.
- Jeanne-Marie Burdette (BFA ’06) worked as a set designer at Center State in Baltimore, Md., and the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, CT
Lisa Austin
Concentration Head
10A Loveland Hall
Email: laustin@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-2908
Curriculum Sheet Course Sequence
Take charge of your experience. Ask questions, meet our students and professors, and see the campus yourself.