An Education In The Art Of The North

The Kirtland Art program gets to the heart of expression in higher education

Do you want to produce award-winning art? Start with an associate degree from the #1 art program in Northern Michigan. The Kirtland Art program offers foundations in fine arts and a fresh perspective on the local art market. Whether you’re pursuing a career in graphic design or animation, or you have a keen eye for outdoor photography, our classes and degrees will help you hone your craft for careers in art or transfer to other art schools.

Art classes for everyone

The Kirtland Art program caters to all kinds of students, all kinds of experience levels and all kinds of artistic pursuits. Art Instructor Scott Rice likes to point out that “art knows no bounds.” He works with experienced artists, students with disabilities, high school students and senior citizens in community education courses. “Everyone brings a different kind of life experience,” Rice says. “Students apply skills to different mediums, whether it be work with Adobe products like Photoshop, inDesign and Illustrator, drawing painting and photography or even art history and appreciation.”

The well-rounded and diverse program all comes back to Rice, and his belief that everyone can become an artist or art appreciator as long as he and Kirtland remain committed to spreading art knowledge across Northern Michigan. Rice says he can teach anyone to be a better artist. “One of the things I always tell my students is if I could stop my dog from chewing on pencils, I could probably teach my dog how to draw.”

The business—and internships—of art

The art program at Kirtland goes beyond pure aesthetics or theory. The faculty stays connected to local art galleries, to see what’s new in the business of art, and to follow trends in what’s selling. In locations like Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City and across the region, Kirtland students and graduates have placed art for sale. Business-related internships are also possible at local art studios and galleries to give students real-world experience and insight into the buyer and seller perspective of the art world.

New state-of-the-art Grayling campus

Starting in the fall of 2021, the art program will have a brand new location at the main campus on 4 Mile Road in Grayling. The new art facilities feature modern design and new spaces for displaying student artwork and hosting events. The new location is conveniently located off I-75, and is a shorter, safer commute for the majority of students, from Gaylord to Grayling to West Branch and across the district.

Degrees and portfolios that transfer to other art schools

Kirtland graduates are heavily recruited by employers and art schools alike, and regularly take their associate degree—and strong portfolio—and transfer to a four-year program at reputable institutions like Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Scholarships for our transfer students are available and plentiful, with over $2 million awarded since 2002.

Feeling artistic yet? Learn more about our art program, scholarships and stand-alone art classes at https://www.kirtland.edu/programs-we-offer/art-program/.