Our Studios

Our Mission

Skidmore’s strong tradition in the liberal arts grounds our majors’ education in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, where courses emphasize critical thinking, significant reading and writing skills, and quantitative reasoning abilities.

Within this broader context, the Department of Art seeks to introduce and develop in all of its students those intellectual, creative, perceptual and technical abilities which are appropriate to the making of art, and the ability to evaluate, judge and appreciate which is appropriate to the understanding of works of art.

Our History

The Skidmore College Department of Art is one of the oldest departments at the institution. Starting in 1903 – what might be considered the true beginning of Skidmore academics – the fine and decorative arts were an important component of the Young Women’s Industrial Club, founded by Lucy Skidmore Scribner. In 1911 this club evolved into the Skidmore School of Arts, and finally became chartered as a four-year liberal arts college in 1922 and was given the name of Skidmore College.

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