Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD)

When Philip J. Steele founded Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in 1963, his dream was to provide students with an education based on traditional art and design principles in an environment that fostered personal meaning and growth.

From years of working as an artist and teacher, he understood that in order to provide a quality education it was essential that students have the opportunity to study with professional artists and designers who could both teach the courses and guide students as they sought to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. The College continues to reflect this vision today.

RMCAD is located on twenty-three wooded acres at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Lakewood, Colorado, in the west-central part of metropolitan Denver. Looking east from the campus you can see downtown Denver's skyline, and looking west you can see the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

RMCAD is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). The Interior Design Program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, formerly known as FIDER.

BFA in Animation

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The professional animators within the department teach students about the history of animation, current developments in animation and the future of animation. Since the field of animation is ever-changing, the departmental faculty continues to develop their own skills while helping to develop and nurture future generations of artists and animators.

RMCAD's animation program merges the following arts:

• Writing
• Storytelling
• Design
• Illustration
• Sculpture
• Theater
• Photography
• Filmmaking
• Technology of computers

Students studying animation at RMCAD learn to balance the aesthetic, social and critical aspects of visual communication with the realities of the professional production environment. Courses focus on basic tools such as the evolution of a concept, storyboarding, scriptwriting, character design, choreography and environment. These tools give students the ability to create personality, rules, atmosphere and events, which define the world of an animated film.

Within RMCAD's animation program there are two majors: Two-Dimensional Animation and Three-Dimensional Animation. The choice of either major allows students to focus on their development of that program's skills as early in the curriculum as possible, while encouraging them to explore subjects in the other program later on.

BFA in Art Education

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Throughout history, artists have shared their expertise, knowledge and skills to motivate others to learn about, to think about and to make art. Many of the greatest artists that ever lived have been teachers--from the shaman of Lascaux, to da Vinci, to Hans Hoffman.

At RMCAD, art education is approached as a visual language. Students who earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education are well-prepared to motivate and inspire others to creatively think about and make art. The mission of the department is simple--to give talented artists the skills necessary to be articulate and sensible art educators.

Through rigorous coursework, classroom projects and class interaction, the program teaches artists how to accurately communicate ideas, experiences and events by emphasizing the following:

• Vision
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Leadership
• Conceptual thinking
• Technical expertise

The RMCAD program is designed in accordance with the Colorado Performance-based Standards for Teachers of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).

Coursework also reflects an adherence to the Statutory Performance Measures of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the Model Content Standards of the CDE and the National Art Education Association.

BFA in Fine Arts

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Students in RMCAD's Fine Arts department can customize their course of study to fit their specific interests and career goals. Regardless of the specific set of courses they choose, all students in the fine arts program are challenged to expand their definition of art and develop the critical thinking skills that will help them be successful creating artwork in the context of the current art world. By studying the human form, drawing and basic design concepts, students develop their visual and technical skills and leave RMCAD prepared to be important and successful members of the world-wide arts community.

Students enrolled in the BFA in Fine Arts take the following eight core courses that provide introductory instruction:

• Painting
• Sculpture
• Photography
• Ceramics
• Form/content
• Experimental studies
• Modern and contemporary art

After completing the initial set of core courses students choose a second core group of seven to eight courses that focus either on painting or on sculpture.

Finally, students round out their studies by taking a final set of seven to eight studio elective courses in a wide range of disciplines that include the following:

• Jewelry
• Fibers
• Printmaking
• Installation art
• Digital photography
• Video art

BFA in Graphic Design and Interactive Media

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Discovery, inspiration, creativity and ideas. When used separately these are powerful words, but integrated into a process of critical thinking, research, observation and innovation they create new opportunities for design students at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.

RMCAD's Graphic Design and Interactive Media program combines theory and practice to inspire students and help them discover their own individual design expression, while at the same time preparing them for today's new business environment. With the development of new technologies and interactive media, the global marketplace is changing the role of the contemporary designer.

While the core graphic design and interactive media program is a good choice for any student, some students elect to expand their knowledge of digital media. To do so, students, may take the following courses:

• Motion Design
• Interaction Design
• Media Design

RMCAD recognizes and embraces this enormous potential by combining these technologies with a classical grounding in drawing, sociology, photography, theory and form. This gives students a solid base for creating new ideas while maintaining a strong emphasis on process and content.

BFA in Interior Design

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The BFA in Interior Design prepares students to be successful design professionals who are qualified to enhance the function and quality of interior environments.

In accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, formerly known as FIDER, the curriculum is focused on the development of interior spaces for the purpose of improving the quality of life, increasing productivity, and protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.

The program curriculum includes foundation, liberal studies and interior design courses. Students learn to investigate, analyze and produce design solutions within the context of design theory and problem solving strategies. Students learn to approach design as a process that includes programming, space-planning, structural analysis, and interior construction, while developing the skills necessary to implement their design solutions.

Students learn to present their ideas visually and verbally by using many different artistic methods. Ethical realities and practical aesthetics are explored in a format that emphasizes interaction and cooperation in a team approach to design. Students become proficient in the application of building codes and the development of construction documents to ensure that design solutions are appropriate and able to be implemented.

While the core interior design program provides students with an introduction to green design theory and philosophy, some students may elect to go further and pursue a specialization in green design.

BFA in Illustration

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Illustrators are visual artists who excel at representational drawing and painting. Illustrators apply their artistic skills in many varied ways. The work they do might accompany a children's story, appear on the cover of a national magazine, show up in the pages of a comic book or involve sketching out the key scenes for an animated film. Some illustrators create artwork for galleries, design toys, or fulfill the needs of advertising agencies.

The goal of the illustration program at RMCAD is to develop the conceptual, technical and business skills necessary to ensure each student's success upon graduation.

The RMCAD illustration program teaches the principles of visual communication through studio courses emphasizing visual perception, aesthetic awareness, conceptual problem solving, and the mastery of skills in drawing and painting using both traditional and digital media to promote imaginative illustrations.

Information

If you are interested in this school and would like to find out more, please Request Information from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.