Studios and Learning Spaces
Students at the School of Art & Art History are able to fully explore and challenge their creativity because of the facilities and tools we provide. With state-of-the-art equipment and technology for around the clock production in all mediums, students explore new avenues of creation while receiving guidance from experienced technicians and professors.
Master of Fine Arts students have access to all of our workspaces, some of which require minimal training. In addition, every MFA student has a spacious private studio 24/7, and access to a new 5,000 square feet MFA village.
Graduate art history students investigate topics and focus on your papers in the comfort of spacious private offices and a research suite.
Undergraduate studio art students can explore beyond your specialization and incorporate a variety of media in your work. Selected honors undergraduate students are also granted studio spaces and full-time access. Hone your skills in other disciplines through the following resources:
Covered Outdoor Studio Center for largescale fabrication (most commonly used by Sculpture and Ceramics studios).
Metal, wood, clay and general fabrication shops accommodate everything from plaster to resin to bronzecasting (most commonly used by Sculpture and Ceramics studios).
High-resolution Artec Eva scanner and 3D printers (most commonly used by Animation & Digital Modeling and Sculpture studios).
Lighting Studio (most commonly used by Photography studio).
Digital Modeling and Fabrication Center with two new, 3-axis CNC routers in a specially designed workspace (most commonly used by Animation & Digital Modeling, Sculpture, and Ceramics studios).
Large, dedicated spaces for installations, projections, special projects, performances, and digital artworks.
Full time, professional USF technicians throughout the facilities.
Beautiful new 3,000 square feet Student Gallery.
All art history and studio art students are welcome to the Visual Resources Center, which offers current art journals, videos and reference books for check out.
All students are allotted a certain number of free prints per day. Use your free prints allocations at any of the free printing locations across campus.
contain more than 2.3 million volumes, more than 32,000 periodicals, and electronic access to state-wide collections and online databases. of the USF Library, in addition to housing valuable primary materials for the study of art and book history, regularly sponsors graduate symposia and exhibits.
Equipment and Support
Animation and Digital Modeling, and Video Studios
Digital Labs
There are digital labs throughout the entire studio complex, including an MFA-only lab. Students have access to the latest still-imaging, animation, design and video software on the most current Mac platforms. Sound booth, advanced animation, and post-production. (Commonly used by Photography and Printmaking studios as well.)
In the dedicated Animation Lab, students work with software such as Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects, Pixologic Zbrush, Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, Dragonframe, Photoshop, and many others. Wacom Cintiq graphics monitors are set up at each computer so students can draw and animate directly on the computer. For viewing work, the lab includes a large format hi-resolution projector and surround sound speakers. Furthermore, each computer is networked for screen sharing and instructor demos.
The Video Lab is a 17-station Mac Lab equipped with an array of video, audio, animation, compositing, image editing, and web-designing software such as Final Cut and, the entire Adobe Production Suite CS6, which that includes Premiere Pro, Illustrator, AfterEffects, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver.
Media Equipment
Students can visit the Media Cage to check out medium-format and 4” x 5” cameras, high-definition digital still and video cameras, tripods, professional lighting kits, microphones, digital audio recorders, Wacom tablets, a variety of camera and darkroom accessories, and other regularly upgraded gear to complete your creative work. (Commonly used by Photography studio as well.)
Students can also check out equipment from the USF Library’s (DMC). Additional resources available at the DMC include a , where students can use a green wall, backdrops, studio lights, and a virtual reality system.
Ceramics Studio
Clay
Numerous kilns include gas, electric, salt, and wood in varied sizes. (Commonly used by Sculpture studio as well.)
Soldner mixer
VPM 30 Peter pugmill
Spray booth
44" Brent slab roller
9 Electric kilns
4 Gas kilns
Soda kiln
Salt kiln
Wood burning kiln
Pizza kiln
Kiln Room
3 Gas reduction kilns
10 electric kilns
Car kiln
Catenary salt kiln
Sprung arch soda kiln
Anagama wood-burning kiln
Raku kilns
Painting and Drawing Studios
Work in your private studios. Access to a drawing studio with advanced lighting system, a still life/prop collection, slide, and opaque projectors, and a mini art library.
Photography Studio
Digital Facilities with 24-hour access
15 Mac Workstations
All networked iMac systems with current OSX
Current Adobe Suite Software
All systems are Color Calibrated for consistency and output
Imacon Flextight virtual drum scanner
Epson 10,000 XL flatbed scanner
Epson V750 scanner
4 Epson Stylus Pro Output Stations
Use Archival Ultra Chrome inks, and are Profiled and Calibrated to print on a variety of papers.
9600 prints 44 inches width on a roll of sheet paper
7900 prints 24 inches width on a roll or sheet paper
Two 4000 prints 17 inches width on a roll or sheet paper
4800 prints 17 inches width on a roll or sheet paper
Analog Facilities with 24-hour access
Black and white 4” x 5” enlargers
16” x 20” archival washer
Stainless steel sinks
Private darkrooms for advanced students and graduate students
Gang Lab for classes and beginning students
Photography Studio
A professional-quality studio makes it possible to control the lighting, background and style of images. This space is also available for students to document their artwork for their portfolios.
Flash heads
Light stands
Soft boxes
Light box
Reflector stands
Floor-to-cieling backdrops
Product photography infinity backdrop
Media Labs
Media labs include color-balanced monitors, top-of-the-line scanners and archival printers (up to 44”). (Commonly used by Printmaking studio as well.)
Printmaking Studio
Screenprinting
Complete facilities for screen-printing, including a 6-color rotary shirt press and numerous manual screen presses.
Graphics Darkroom
Graphics darkroom for photo-printmaking processes.
Etching and Lithography Presses
Large Charles Brand etching and lithography presses.
Laser Engraver/Cutter
Large 24” x 48” top-of-the-line laser engraver/cutter. (Commonly used by Sculpture studio as well.).
Sculpture and Extended Media Studio
Metal Work
TIG/MIG and spot welders, plasma cutter, horizontal/vertical band saws, light sheet metal equipment, and bronze foundry.
For welding purposes:
3 Oxy/acetylene setups
Spot welder
2 Mig welders
Tig welder
Beverly sheer
2 Plasma cutters
Horizontal bandsaw
Beadblaster
3 Stick welders
Air compressor
Abrasive cut off saw
Bench grinder
Wood Work
Table, radial and band saws, planer, lathe, dual compound slide miter box.
Our woodshop features:
10" Left tilt table saw
12" Jointer
20" Planner
Drill press
10" Radial arm saw
12" Radial arm saw
18" Bandsaw
Three 14" bandsaws
Wwood lathe
Edge belt sander
Belt disk sander
Spindle sander
25" Drum sander
Scroll saw
Common Work Area
General purpose area that is flexible and allows for large-scale work.
Sheet metal break
Sheet metal and rod roller
Jump shear
Vacuum form
Sheet metal corner cutter