Metals
Our program is designed to accommodate the most active of imaginations. Whether you're drawn to jewelry, hollowware, object making, or some other iteration of the craft, we're eager to provide the brand of mentorship and support that will allow you to grow as an artist and a thinker. Ultimately, our curriculum offers professional training for the self-sustaining artist as well as preparation for the student planning to pursue an advanced degree in the arts:
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Aesthetic development
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Conceptual comprehension
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Technical experimentation
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Research proficiency
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Artistic competency
These are the obligations of the successful student in metals. And we see it as our responsibility to provide the guidance to help you achieve these goals. In each class, you work closely with a faculty member to test your aesthetic vision, refine your technical skills, and, ultimately, to create a piece that you can proudly incorporate into your portfolio of work. Majors sit down with faculty members to choose elective courses within the School of Art + Design that best contribute to their future ambitions.
With the degree in hand, metals students have a broad range of professional options to consider: bench jeweler, jewelry designer, gallery organizer, museum preparator, studio manager, teacher, and exhibiting artist. Our students often choose to matriculate to graduate school as well, where they continue their training as professional artists and educators.
Resources in Metals
The metals facilities at the U of I include:
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Top-notch studios
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A wide array of precision hand tools
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State-of-the-art equipment for anodizing aluminum, coloring refractory metals, chemical patination, spray etching, plating and electroforming, enameling, forming, raising, and casti ng
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Individual and group studio space
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The archives of the Krannert Art Museum
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The extensive collection of books, serials, and microform at the Ricker Library of Architecture and Art
Metals Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum in metals emphasizes specialized training for the development of the self-sustaining craftsman, the teacher of metals, and the designer-craftsman in industry. As you deepen your knowledge of metals, we encourage you to explore the traditions and techniques of other artistic mediums. The curriculum combines metals courses with Art + Design foundation courses, courses in related crafts, art history courses, electives, and general education units required by the university.
Crafts-Metals degree requirements are listed under the College of Fine and Applied Arts on the University of Illinois Programs of Study website.
Core Faculty
Billie Jean Theide
