Fine Arts

The study of Fine Arts broadens your understanding of art using a hands-on perspective while developing your aesthetic literacy. Through courses in Music, Visual Arts, Musical Theatre, and Film, you will examine the technical, social, performance, and historical perspectives of Fine Arts.

Fine Arts at STU

Our Fine Arts department offers you the opportunity to discover and develop your creativity. Our professors—all professional artists—welcome you at whatever your level of skill or experience and will work with you as you grow as an artist, student, and person.

We offer streams in:

Music
Visual Arts
Musical Theatre
Film

Whether your interest is in music, musical theatre, visual arts, film—or all four—you will benefit from an informative, engaging, and inspiring curriculum.

What sets STU’s Fine Arts Program Apart?

Small, engaging classes that emphasize personal interaction, discussion, and debate.
Courses are offered in Music, Musical Theatre, Visual Arts, and Film.
Our faculty are all professional artists, which means you will be learning from the best. You will benefit from their personal experiences, talent, and connections.
You will have the opportunity to showcase your work through live performances, on-campus art galleries, and more.
For-credit and extracurricular experiential learning opportunities are offered that connect with your academic and career ambitions.

Where the Study of Fine Arts can Take You

Studying Fine Arts helps you develop a critical eye for your own work as well as the work of others. It will allow you to build your confidence through performing and sharing your work and refine your discipline and persistence through the mastery of skills in music, visual arts, musical theatre, or film. Fine Arts also gives you the capacity for creative problem solving, adaptability, and teamwork.

This prepares graduates for meaningful careers in fields like:

Music and Composition
Theatre
Visual Arts
Education
Advertising
Design
Digital Media
Arts Management

“The collaborative experience you get is important. Working with different people, the workshops you complete, and having different people teach you only gives you more experience. You get to do some really cools things in the Fine Arts program that you wouldn’t get at another school or in a bigger music program.”

Zachary Greer, BA ’16, Interdisciplinary Honours - Concentration in Music
Film, Television, and Advertising Composer

Gain Experience and Build Your Resume

Fine Arts is a hands-on, practical field of study that gives you the opportunity to create and harness your own creativity.

In Music courses, you will teach in nearby schools and perform in community centres. Through an existing partnership with the Saint John String Quartet, you will have the chance to hear your compositions performed by trained professionals—and get their feedback!
Through courses in Visual Arts, you will have the opportunity to display your artwork on campus in the Yellow Box Gallery or the Student Art Gallery. In the past, students have also had their work included in publications.
Musical Theatre presents a live production on campus each year at the Black Box Theatre. Previous shows have included Chicago, Sweeney Todd, Newsies, and Cabaret.

Connect the study of Fine Arts with professional experience through the STU Internship Program in positions with:

Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Charlotte Street Art Centre
Open Your Art
Solo Chicken Productions
Theatre New Brunswick
The Ville Cooperative

Featured Courses

Introduction to Music Theory and Performance

Exploring Musics of the World

Drawing and Sketching

Analysis and Composition

Fields that Enhance Your Learning in Fine Arts

Fine Arts is complemented by many of the programs offered at St. Thomas that explore themes of art and culture such as English, Philosophy, History, and Anthropology, among others. Fine Arts serve as a rewarding and challenging major, second major, or minor.