Visual Arts Facilities

Visual Arts at Roger Williams University introduces the students to a wide range of media specialties from the traditional materials of painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics to new media in photography, digital media and video.

Visual Arts students work in several specialized spaces across the campus.  As a result, art is everywhere and integrated into the fabric of the campus community in maker spaces as well as exhibition spaces. The Fine Arts Center – affectionately known on campus as “The Muffin," houses the traditional arts disciplines of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking.

Fun Fact: "The Muffin" used to be the original cafeteria of the university, where freshly baked blueberry muffins drew students from across campus in for a tasty treat!

Senior Studios

I'mage of art in white studio space with large sculpture visible

Herreshoff Museum, 26 Burnside Street, Bristol, RI 02809

Fifteen hundred square feet of well-lighted historic mill space where upper-class students have private workspace for more focused and ambitious projects.

They share their space with the ROGER THAT art gallery. The gallery regularly hosts exhibitions of local artists, archival finds, student work, and other curiosities. Driven by a roguish, heartfelt sentiment true to the university’s namesake, the gallery’s programming aims to energize both students and the public.

Sculpture

Image of students working in RWU's outdoor sculpture yard

Bristol Campus, Fine Arts Center 101 & 102
The first-floor sculpture studio contains woodworking, metalsmithing and jewelry making facilities, a fabrication lab for casting, moldmaking and other multimedia fabrication methods, including two industrial sewing machines and professional digital printing capabilities, as well as a spacious outdoor sculpture yard.

Drawing, Painting and Printmaking

Interior view of the Fine Arts Center showing work tables, windows, and skylightBristol Campus, Fine Arts Center 201 & 202
The second-floor studio space features large windows and high ceilings allowing for plenty of natural light.  The flexible and open floor plan allows students to move between media, interact with one another and find spaces to work outside of class.  The printmaking area has a production space for the creation of plates and has capabilities to offer relief, intaglio and silkscreen.  A large, Takach etching press is used for both woodblock and metal plate printing from small to large scale.

Interior of The Crow's Nest space showing large skylight and studio spaceThe Crow's Nest
The Crow’s Nest is located on the third floor of the art building, and includes flexible studio spaces for art majors. It features plenty of natural light, tables on casters and open wall space. Here students can work independently, outside of class, to develop their work in a community of artists.

Fun fact: Why is it called the Crow’s Nest? A crow's nest provides a good lookout point when built in an elevated position like a hillside or top of a hill.

Digital Studios

Mac LabBristol Campus, North Campus Residence Hall, Room 119
Students working in Photography, Digital Media, Film, Animation and Video have 24 hour access to the new Visual Arts Digital Studio featuring dual screen professional Mac Computers and three professional printers. 

The Visual Arts Department maintains an extensive inventory of professional cameras, projectors, tripods, light kits, audio recorders and digital media equipment for students to check out featuring:

  • Canon R5 camera
  • Red Komodo film camera
  • Canon 5D Mark II and Mark IV cameras 
  • Specialty lenses including Canon L primes and effects lenses like the Venus Optics Periprobe and the LensBaby Optic Swap System
  • Theater Projector
  • Handheld mini-Projectors
  • DanaDolly Camera track

Clay Studio

Student Marina Caspe works in the clay studio building a large sculptureThe New RWU - VARTS Ceramics facility is located at 87 Gooding avenue off of Metacom avenue about 3 miles from the main RWU campus. It is situated right behind Stop and Shop, and adjacent to the Beehive Pantry. Parking is available on the site, and the university shuttle services also provides transportation. The Clay Studio is 1500sq. ft. in size, and is equipped with 16 potter's wheels, an extruder, and three work-tables (4 x 8 ft) for hand building and sculptural work. The studio has three kilns which are separated from the main workspace in two well vented rooms, as well as a clay mixer and a pug mill, in an area dedicated to clay recycling. The Clay studio currently offers introductory, intermediate, and advanced level wheel throwing and hand-building classes in the clay medium. Ceramics is an area of study within the sculpture program, and its offerings are open to students across campus.