School for American Crafts
School for
American Crafts
Overview
The School for American Crafts is dedicated to developing one-of-a-kind art using both traditional skills and modern technology. Students master their material of choice, whether its clay, wood, glass, or metals. They have access to world-class facilities including a glass hot shop; woodworking studio; flameworking and glass studios; and buffing, casting, and welding rooms. Under the tutelage of award-winning faculty and active artists, students immerse themselves in studio-intensive courses that inspire both process and conceptualization.
Full-tuition scholarships
Students applying to any School for American Crafts MFA program (ceramics, furniture design, glass, metals and jewelry design) are eligible for one of our new competitive, full-tuition scholarships.
100
More than 100 metals and jewelry design alumni have created pieces modeled on the runway at the annual Fashion Week of Rochester.
50
Luxury jewelry maker Tiffany & Co. has employed more than 50 metals and jewelry design alumni.
12
Each year, more than a dozen visiting artists are welcomed for demos and lectures.
Latest News
-
November 12, 2024
![A grid of four jewelry pieces made by RIT artists.]()
RIT emerging artists sparkle at Milano Jewelry Week
Seven metals and jewelry design students and recent alumni exhibited their work during Milano Jewelry Week, with four of their pieces being selected as "winners" at the Talent Show event.
-
October 10, 2024
![A grid of creative work by faculty/administration in design, film and animation, photography, and sculpture.]()
Venice Art Biennial showcases RIT's extensive creative community
Six faculty are featured in an exhibition in Venice that showcases the College of Art and Design's breadth of creative disciplines through the unification of sculpture, film, photography, and industrial design.
-
September 19, 2024
![a sculpture in a gallery.]()
‘My, My, Tiger’s Eye’ exhibition brings graduate student artwork to the Rochester community
Focusing on their growth as artists is what motivated Alex Paat and 14 graduate students to create My, My, Tiger’s Eye, a new exhibition hosted at Flower City Arts Center.
Featured Work and Profiles
-
![A set of three glass vessels with crystal growing inside.]()
'To Be Decayed I'
Rinoi Imada "Glassblowing is the one of essential parts of my art practice. It is labor intensive, and I need to have good communications with people who help me. However, I have a trauma to create works ...
Read More about 'To Be Decayed I' -
![Artist Interview: Madeline Rile Smith '20 video]()
Artist Interview: Madeline Rile Smith '20
RIT City Art Space's Artist Short Sesh features conversations with artists in the College of Art and Design about their work. The artist interview series, started by Gallery Director John Aäsp,...
Read More about Artist Interview: Madeline Rile Smith '20 -
![Carlos Caballero-Perez stands next to the public sculpture he created in Fairport.]()
Public Sculpture
Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez, professor of Metals and Jewelry Design, created a near-12-foot sculpture for the Village of Fairport, N.Y.’s Kennelly Park, outside the public library. It was the...
Read More about Public Sculpture -
![Alumni Spotlight: Tarrant Clements video]()
Alumni Spotlight: Tarrant Clements
Potter. Painter. Printmaker. Sculptor. Tarrant Clements '68 MFA (ceramics) has worked in a variety of mediums throughout her successful career.
Read More about Alumni Spotlight: Tarrant Clements -
![Molten Glass 3D Printer video]()
Molten Glass 3D Printer
RIT's glass program hosted the artist/designer/engineer team behind Evenline as artists in residence for the spring 2023 semester. The innovative company stationed its only-one-of-its-kind molten...
Read More about Molten Glass 3D Printer -
![Cover of the New Glass Review publication.]()
Faculty featured in 'New Glass Review'
David Schnuckel, Suzanne Peck RIT glass faculty Suzanne Peck and David Schnuckel were both selected for the 42nd issue of New Glass Review, the Corning Museum of Glass’ flagship publication showcasing 100 timely, innovative glass...
Read More about Faculty featured in 'New Glass Review'
Undergraduate Programs
The School for American Crafts offers an Associate in Occupational Studies in furniture design. The program is a highly-focused, two-year course of study in which students learn how to use basic hand tools and begin to explore the technical and visual potential of wood. The school has a legacy dating back more than 70 years. It is closely aligned to our School of Art’s vibrant studio arts BFA, which offers options in ceramics, furniture design, glass, and metals and jewelry design, among others. Both schools have unparalleled facilities for students to conceptualize and create art from start to finish.
Graduate Programs
The school offers MFA degrees in ceramics, furniture design, glass, and metals and jewelry design. All graduate students have individual studio spaces and access to state-of-the-art facilities to hone technique and design pieces that showcase their personal expression in their medium. A thesis project is the culminating experience for all graduate students. It’s produced independently by the student under the advisement of faculty members chosen to serve on that student’s thesis committee. The thesis involves design research and study, a creative project, and written and illustrated documentation.
Student Resources
For internal College of Art and Design resources such as academic information, forms, FAQs and more, visit inside.cad.rit.edu. For information about academic advising, visit here.