The new program represents the second fine arts degree to be offered at ARCC, which also has an Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) in Music program. Art courses are offered on ARCC’s Coon Rapids and Cambridge campuses.

The new Art degree provides students with extensive studio experience in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, glass blowing and more, as well as a solid grounding in art history and visual theory. The program incorporates the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, facilitating easy transfer to four-year institutions.

ARCC has established an articulation agreement with Winona State University, which currently offers three art-related degrees: a Bachelor of Arts degree with either a Studio or a Graphic Design focus, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Teaching. Agreements with additional colleges and universities are also being planned. These articulation agreements help ensure that students’ completed coursework will be accepted by a school’s art department when they transfer into a four-year degree program.

“The AFA degree fits well with Anoka Ramsey Community College’s mission of developing articulate, critical and creative thinkers who are responsible contributors to the community,” says ARCC President Patrick Johns. “It offers students another solid career option.”

ARCC’s art department includes three full-time and two part-time faculty members with Master of Fine Arts degrees in Coon Rapids and one full-time member in Cambridge. All have earned acclaim locally and nationally for their art works.

For more information on the Associate of Fine Arts degree in Art, contact ARCC Dean of Educational Services Mary Raeker-Rebek at 763-422-3328, or email.