At the USC Roski School of Fine Arts our first priority is the education and cultivation of our students through the study of visual art. We provide a challenging context for students to research, produce, and critically evaluate their creative work within a cultural and historical framework. The School recognizes that the marriage of concept and form that has preoccupied artists for centuries has become critical to all human endeavors today.

With the 21st Century well launched, we are witnessing momentous shifts in culture and university education and dramatic growth of career opportunities open to art students upon graduation. The USC Roski School of Fine Arts takes a leadership role in addressing these developments by teaching modes of thought and providing tools of expression that bring contemporary issues into the studio and classroom, giving students access to new directions in art making and critical theory. Students develop material and research skills through thoughtful investigation and the rediscovery of the real, tactile, and genuine, observed human experience. While other art schools tend to be polarized between traditional and more technological directions, we have found a way to integrate them and see their mutual and interactive value. In order to realize the convergence of technology and art, both traditional and new media studies have been brought together, creating a stronger unified learning experience. Today, the areas of performance, video, and digital media are interacting with, and altering the very fiber of, the art world. While traditional areas of practice such as drawing, painting, and sculpture remain the constant foundation of artistic expression, new media and digital communication are quickly becoming the most widespread visual language in the world. In response to this expansion and in looking to the future, we have focused our energies on combining traditional aesthetic considerations with technology, creating a national model for arts education in the 21st century. We have bolstered our design, photography, and intermedia areas, adding seven new classes and state-of-art technology to provide our students the most up-to-date resources in these quickly evolving fields. It is clear that the future of creative expression and self-understanding is intimately related to the progress of both artistic thought and transformative technology, and it is the vision of the USC Roski School of Fine Arts to stay ahead of the curve and be a leader in these pursuits. We are eager for the brightest and most talented students to join us in this exciting and ambitious initiative. Ruth Weisberg Dean of the School of Fine Arts