Furniture Design Option - Studio Arts BFA


Furniture Design Option
Studio Arts BFA
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- Furniture Design Option - Studio Arts BFA
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Overview
The furniture design option engages you in pursuit of your creative interests while providing a comprehensive technical background in contemporary woodworking. It focuses on technical expertise, freeing you to investigate a full range of creative expression and professional interests. This option is part of the Studio Arts BFA program.
Furniture design students at RIT have long upheld a high standard of craftsmanship, creative design, and art-making. Combining these three areas is the foundation of all projects. Whether it’s making furniture or sculpture, you will be guided by the principles of creative problem-solving.
Inspiration is around every corner for furniture design students. A well-maintained studio with personal workspaces and state-of-the-art machines and tools is only buoyed by the opportunity to learn from faculty who are internationally recognized in the field. Positioned at a university known for pioneering efforts in technology, the arts, and design, the furniture design option empowers collaboration and exploration in related disciplines, including engineering, ceramics, glass, industrial design, and metals and jewelry design.
The furniture design option is rooted in the traditions and legacy of RIT’s School for American Crafts. Alumni have crafted extraordinary careers, greatly contributing to the advancement of the field. Graduates operate their own successful studios around the country, work as product designers, craftspeople, and furniture makers at top woodworking studios, and go into adjacent industries such as manufacturing and shipbuilding.
Join us for Fall 2023
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis.
Careers and Experiential Learning
Salary and Career Information for Studio Arts BFA
Cooperative Education and Internships
What makes an RIT education exceptional? It’s the ability to complete relevant, hands-on career experience. At the graduate level, and paired with an advanced degree, cooperative education and internships give you the unparalleled credentials that truly set you apart. Learn more about graduate co-op and how it provides you with the career experience employers look for in their next top hires.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Your art and design co-ops will provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your artistic capabilities in dynamic professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
Students in the furniture design option are strongly encouraged to complete a cooperative education or internship experience.
Featured Work
Sculpture and Furniture Design
A sample of furniture and sculpture designed by Jared Abner ’21 (Furniture Design). In his artist statement, Abner describes his work as both subtraction and addition.
Senior Exhibition
RIT Furniture Design students conclude their studies by showcasing their final body of work in a group capstone exhibition in one of the College of Art and Design’s gallery spaces.
Functional Art
Nathan DeFreest
A sample of the capstone work of Nathan DeFreest ’20 (Furniture Design).
Featured Profiles
Building a Pipe Organ
A skilled designer and musician, Kelly Cleveland '21 (Furniture Design) constructed an awe-inspiring handmade pipe organ for his capstone project.
Pre-College Portfolio Prep Workshop 2022
RIT's annual Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop offers students an engaging and rewarding experience. The course, taught by our School of Art's drawing and painting faculty, is a visual arts...
Best of Both Worlds: Design and Craft
Domenic Fiorello '11 (Furniture Design) owns and operates a custom furniture design studio in Cleveland, Ohio, where each piece is designed with the same attention to detail he learned at...
Admissions and Financial Aid
This option is part of the Studio Arts BFA. Please visit the degree program page for admission requirements.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
Latest News
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October 4, 2022
RIT welcomes prospective students for National Portfolio Day
RIT's College of Art and Design faculty, along with those at 25 other top art and design schools, reviewed students' portfolios as they prepared their artwork for the college admissions process.
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April 7, 2022
Academic advisor receives Provost’s Award for dedication to student success
Nate Rohman, academic advisor for RIT's graphic design and studio arts BFA programs, will be honored April 12 at the Celebration of Teaching and Scholarship ceremony.
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September 7, 2021
New leadership roles, faculty hires highlight changes in College of Art and Design
RIT's Schools of Art, American Crafts, Film and Animation, and Photographic Arts and Sciences are all under new leadership.