Spaces to create
The Department of Art, Architecture + Art History at USD is equipped with extensive resources in facilities with which students engage hands-on, training them for professional futures.
The department is equipped with an extensive metal shop and wood shop, laser cutter, 3D printer, concrete mixer, spray paint booth, and several small and large format printers and plotters. The department also includes several exhibition spaces as well as an outdoor movie screen.
Visual Arts
Exhibition Areas
Take a walk around campus, you’ll take in works of art – from DAA+AH students. One unique feature of our program is that we provide gallery space for students to exhibit their work. The exhibit hall in USD’s Student Life Pavilion (SLP), the campus hub for student activities and dining, features works including sculpture by our students in the space. The Visual Arts Gallery exhibition space in Camino Hall showcases photography, prints, drawings and paintings, to name a few.
Architecture
Studio Space
Architecture at USD, as part of the Department of Art, Architecture + Art History, occupies the lower level of Camino Hall and a new 2,000-square-foot studio building designed by Rob Quigley, FAIA. Dedicated 24-hour access studio spaces include large drawing and work tables and computers with advanced graphic, three-dimensional design, and rendering software.
Art History
Hoehn Print Study Room
Established in 2007, the Hoehn Print Study Room houses the university’s print collection and serves as a space for the consultation of prints in the university’s permanent collection. As such, the Print Study Room is unique within the San Diego area as a publicly accessible research center dedicated to the study of prints. Direct engagement with the permanent collection is further facilitated by the presence of a print reference library that includes some 3,000 volumes related to print culture and the history of printmaking, especially in Western art practices, available online through Copley Library’s database. University classes, scholarly researchers and print enthusiasts are all welcome and encouraged to visit and utilize the Hoehn Print Study Room and its collections.
- DAA+AH Classrooms and Labs
- Other DAA+AH Facilities
CH-007 PRINTMAKING STUDIO
All Printmaking courses meet in the Printmaking Studio for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Printmaking students are provided monitored access to the Printmaking Studio throughout the week in order to work on projects outside of class time.
EQUIPMENT: two small etching presses; one large etching press; letter press; hot plate; rosin box; print drying rack; two acid etching baths; polymer plate maker; acid waste container; misc. still life objects
CH-028 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY LAB
All Photography courses meet in CH-028 for lecture, seminar and critique. 16 iMac stations equipped with Adobe Creative Cloud software are installed here along with four 17” Epson photo printers and one large format digital photo printer.
EQUIPMENT: 16 iMac computers; four Epson Professional digital photo printers; professional mat cutter; Rototrim paper cutters; Epson large format digital photo printer
CH-020 FILM AND VIDEO LAB
All Film and Video courses meet in CH-020 for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Film/Video courses are provided 24/7 access to CH-20 in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time. CH-020 is also equipped with video studio equipment (lights, backdrop), which provides for instruction in studio lighting and green screen techniques for both video and photo students.
EQUIPMENT: 17 – iMacs w/ specialized software; studio backdrop system; studio lighting kit (5 lights and peripheral equipment); 2 – large seminar/work tables
CH-027 PAINTING STUDIO
All Painting courses meet in the Painting Studio for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Painting courses are provided 24/7 access to the Painting Studio in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time.
EQUIPMENT: easels; rolling storage cabinets; fire-proof cabinet; paint/solvent waste container; solid solvent waste container; misc. tools; misc. still life objects
CH-029 DRAWING STUDIO
All Drawing courses meet in the Drawing Studio for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Drawing courses are provided 24/7 access to the Drawing Studio in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time. In addition, every Fall, the Visual Arts Senior Thesis Studio Seminar meets in the Drawing Studio every Friday throughout the semester.
EQUIPMENT: drawing tables; large guillotine cutter; hot plate; portable portrait model stage; misc. still life objects
CH-031 ART HISTORY CLASSROOM
Most Art History and Architecture History courses meet in CH-031 for lecture and seminar.
EQUIPMENT: 2 – calibrated Epson projectors; 2 – large projection screens; large 5 – large seminar tables
CH-043 ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
Most lower division Architecture Studio courses meet in CH-043 for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Architecture Studio courses are provided 24/7 access to CH-043 in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time.
EQUIPMENT: color laser printer; several large drawing/work tables
CH-P3 SCULPTURE STUDIO
All Sculpture courses meet in the Sculpture Studio for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Sculpture courses are provided 24/7 access to the Sculpture Studio in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time.
EQUIPMENT: top-load digital ceramic kiln; oil-based clay storage; dry plaster and concrete storage; professional sewing machine; large flat-screen monitor; air compressor; misc. hand tools; several large work tables
CH-P5 ARCHITECTURE PAVILION
The Architecture Pavilion provides space for Architecture students in their Senior year for the development of the thesis research projects. Each Architecture Senior is provided with a work table and an iMac to conduct research and build their research projects during their senior year. In addition, the Architecture Pavilion has dedicated space for upper division Architecture studio course instruction.
EQUIPMENT: 36 computers with Rhino and Adobe Creative Cloud; color laser printer/scanner/copier; two laser cutters; large format inkjet printer
CH-102 VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS STUDIO
All Visual Communications courses meet in CH-102 for lecture, seminar, project development and critique. Students enrolled in Visual Communications courses are provided 24/7 access to CH-102 in order to work on projects and assignments outside of class time. CH-102 is shared with Undergraduate Theater Arts and Performance Studies.
EQUIPMENT: misc. graphic design tools and equipment; large work tables