Who We Are

Welcome to the SAMC Art + Design department!

The focus of our program is on cultivating a web of vibrant interdisciplinary connections between students, faculty, and the broader physical, social, and cultural environments we are immersed in. This is a place where robust creative training, interpersonal collaboration, whole-person wellness, and one-on-one mentorship are treated with great care and importance. Our program is designed to equip and empower every student to discover their unique creative voice so that they might inspire change, champion innovation, and lead real-world creative impact.

We live in a time where change seems to have become the only constant. Those in creative professions will increasingly become the most well-equipped to quickly adapt and innovate as new changes and ways of thinking arise. Being a creative professional (such as an artist or designer) is one of the most direct and active ways you can engage with the world. It cultivates curiosity, invites innovation, and inspires change.

To be an artist is to actively question, to learn how to struggle and overcome, and to rethink and reframe how we think about the world’s greatest problems. To be a designer is to seek out direct creative solutions to these problems, especially the ones the rest of the world has given up on. Those equipped with tools from both of these mindsets are uniquely positioned to be on the front lines of culture, having both the capacity to reveal new insights and address them directly.

This is a small program where you won’t get lost in the crowd; where you can thrive in a community and make a real difference. Our program emphasizes academic rigour and cultural relevance while encouraging personal wellness and spiritual vitality. Whatever your background, this is a program where you can bring your full self to the table.

As you look toward the future, our Art + Design community and program will guide you into creative professions that focus on visual art, digital design, and innovative thinking. Each of our faculty members is an active professional within their field. We cultivate a creative environment where mentorship is intentional, and each student is personally supported as they find their own unique path. Our goal, as faculty, is to personally guide you and your peers, as you become the next generation of creative professionals and culture leaders.