Where Studio Art Graduates Work
Studio Art alumni and interns have joined organizations including:
- Marvel Entertainment
- The Walt Disney Company
- Johnson & Johnson
- American Treasure Tour Museum
- National Museum of Women in the Arts
- The RealReal
- The Vessel
- Eldred’s Fine Art and Antiques Auctioneers
- Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology
- Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
- Green Room Communications
- Teach for America
Studio Art Salary and Job Outlook
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
Every Studio Art graduate who has sought employment has found a job or internship. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a $55,290 median annual wage for craft and fine artists and $114,850 for art directors in May 2025.
Job Titles Studio Art Graduates Hold
Career paths represented among HPU Studio Art graduates include:
- Manager of Retail Commercialization, The Walt Disney Company
- Lead Scenic Painter
- Junior Graphic Designer
- Digital Comics Intern
- Mathematics Teacher
- Graduate Student, Creative Arts Therapy
- Graduate Student, Museum and Gallery Studies
- Graduate Student, Biomedical Visualization
Roles Studio Art Graduates Can Pursue
A Studio Art degree can also prepare students for roles such as studio artist, illustrator, gallery or museum assistant, curator, art handler, art teacher, art therapist, photographer and art director, and for graduate study in fine arts, art history, museum studies and art therapy.
Salary and employment opportunities vary by occupation, industry, location, experience and other factors.
Studio Art Student Organizations
Art Club welcomes students from every major and every skill level for artmaking and creative exploration.
The Creative Arts Fellows Program adds a four-year, team-based experience with like-minded students, with personal mentoring, networking, travel and chances to learn about careers in the arts from scholars and practitioners.
Across the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design, students also join the Graphic Design Club, Fashion Forward, Alpha Psi Omega, Mu Phi Epsilon, the HPU Dance Company and HPU’s a cappella ensembles.
Where Studio Art Students Intern
HPU studio art students have interned with companies like Marvel, Disney and much more. Recent internship sites include:
- Marvel Entertainment
- Hill Holiday
- 21 Oceanfront
- Cogent Analytics
- Passaic Valley Water Commission
Annual trips to New York City and Washington, D.C., also put students in front of gallery directors at world-famous art galleries.
Hear From an Alum
Gina Figliozzi-Dudley, Manager of Retail Commercialization, The Walt Disney Company
Major: Studio Art, with a minor in communication
Most impactful mentor at HPU: “Professor Mark Brown always pushes me to go outside of my comfort zone and challenges me to think in the moment and not the distant future. His advice and creativeness has really impacted me in applying to Marvel and taking on new projects with confidence.”
How HPU helped Gina: “HPU provided extremely inspirational professors who encouraged and pushed me to apply myself in professional and academic endeavors. HPU’s outlook of developing a “growth mindset” really did aid in boosting my confidence and helped me be more of a go-getter by opening up my mind to all of the potential paths that exist beyond the four years of schooling.”
Studio Art Graduates and Students in Their Own Words
Studio art majors credit faculty mentors, double majors and travel for where they went next.
Emily Judson
Studio Art major, Museum Studies minor · Art Museum and Gallery Studies, University of Leicester
“The most impactful mentor I have had in my time at High Point is my advisor, Professor Mark Brown, assistant professor of art. His Ceramics I class made me realize my passion for art and eventually led to me changing my major.”
Madeline Murray
Studio Art major, Psychology minor · Creative Arts Therapy Counseling, Hofstra University
“After switching from interior design to studio art, my academic advisor, Mark Brown, believed in me and saw my potential when I felt unsure.”
Kristin Stazzone
Studio Art major, Event Management minor · Junior Graphic Designer, Green Room Communications
“Mark Brown connected me with employment opportunities that I am forever grateful for. Benita VanWinkle guided me every step of the way when choosing which direction was best for me at HPU.”
Casey Garr
Biology and Studio Art double major · Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois at Chicago
“Scheduling long labs and long studios for two majors can be tricky, so I am very lucky the faculty worked with me to make sure I was able to graduate with both a BS in Biology and a BA in Studio Art.”
Lauren Henkel Engler
Studio Art and Performance Theatre double major · Lead Scenic Painter, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
“In conjunction with HPU’s scenic painting professor, Matthew Emerson, the art department gave me the skills and confidence in my abilities to seek out scenic painting opportunities.”
Kinsey Gebhart
Studio Art and Media Production and Entrepreneurship double major · Grand Tour of Italy
“Having the chance to go on the Grand Tour Global Experience program was not only a huge opportunity to learn about the culture in many cities but was also a way for me to grow in my art.”
Graduate Programs in Art and Museums
Studio Art graduates have been accepted to:
- Carnegie Mellon University, arts management
- University of Delaware, studio arts
- University of Louisville, art history
- University of Leicester, art museum and gallery studies
- George Washington University, museum studies
- University of Illinois at Chicago, biomedical visualization
- High Point University, communication and business leadership
Graduate Programs in Art Therapy and Counseling
- Hofstra University, creative arts therapy counseling
- Florida State University, art therapy
- George Washington University, art therapy and counseling
- Eastern Virginia School at Old Dominion University, counseling and art therapy
- St. Edward’s University, mental health counseling
- Goldsmiths, University of London, clinical psychology
Watch an Alum: Victoria Valentinas
Victoria Valentinas majored in interior design and minored in studio art at HPU. She now owns VV Designs, an interior design and custom art business in Charlotte and Pineville, North Carolina.
Dr. Jane Nichols, chair of interior design, saw Victoria’s artwork and invited her to help redesign the lobby of the Humane Society of the Piedmont. Victoria painted the custom faux brick wall and row-house doors, and she credits the project with launching the mural side of her business. Read the story.
“It was so rewarding to be able to use the skills I honed at HPU and to help bring joy and beauty to such a great cause, right in the middle of a pandemic.”
Victoria Valentinas talks about internships, faculty mentors and building her own design and art business in her Destination Success interview.
Art and Design Innovators in Residence
HPU’s Access to Innovators program connects students with global leaders for networking, mentorship and experiential learning.
Painter Monique Rollins, an Artist in Residence, has had exhibitions in the United States, Asia and Europe. On her first visit to campus, she spoke to Painting I and Painting II students about her work and gave feedback on their paintings in the studio.
Alexander Julian, HPU’s Fashion, Furniture, Textile Designer and Entrepreneur in Residence, is an emeritus director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and has served on the board of Americans for the Arts. During a campus visit, he taught design classes and joined a Life Skills Seminar with Dr. John Turpin, dean of the Hayworth School of Arts and Design.
Monique Rollins
Artist in ResidenceInternationally exhibited painter who works in oil, acrylic and charcoal.Meet the Innovators ›
Alexander Julian
Fashion, Furniture, Textile Designer and Entrepreneur in ResidenceFashion Hall of Fame designer and award-winning furniture and textile designer.Read the Story ›
Explore Studio Art at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU studio art ranks.
Curriculum & Research Accreditation & Awards
Questions about the program? Email Mark Brown, chair of the Studio Art and Graphic Design program, at [email protected].