Meet the Dean

Welcome to the USC Roski School of Fine Arts!

Over the past year—my second as Dean of the Roski School—I have had the privilege of getting to know our students and watching the development of their creative practices. Officially, Roski students graduate from the University of Southern California with BA, BFA, MA, MPAS, or MFA degrees—but their accumulated experiences reach far beyond their diplomas: the exhibitions they've shown in, or organized, both on and off campus; the internships they've completed, at design firms, fashion labels, artist studios, and more; and the University and community organizations they've given their time to, led, and even formed. The breadth of their activities and the depth of their commitment is impossible to miss.

In many ways, the far-reaching, wide-ranging experiences of students at the Roski School are grounded—as well as gathered, focused, and launched—in the studio and through exhibition making. Our students are introduced to practices in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, video, and graphic design, along with, crucially, the critical study of art and culture. They're encouraged to articulate their ideas in and through any and all media—from traditional representation to conceptual projects—and to experiment not only with materials and space but with varied approaches to contemporary art as well. Perhaps most importantly, they come to learn what it means to be an artist, designer, curator, or critic. They understand their roles as cultural producers who can affect the world both in their ability to make things, and in their ability to make things happen.

Art school must certainly teach skills, but it should also provide the inspiration, guidance, and context for imaginative ideas and collaborative processes. It should expose students to the research necessary to inform, expand, and ground one's thoughts, and present methods and models that can be used to execute ideas formally and conceptually. During their time at the Roski School, students are trained to pose pressing questions and express ideas in two and three dimensions; in a range of media, both analog and digital; in writing; and in exhibitions. But making art and solving problems creatively are not just individual endeavors; they are collective experiences, and Roski students also learn how to ask each other questions, how to exchange ideas, how to work in teams—in short, how to collaborate.

At the Roski School, our goal is to make students visually literate—to teach them to observe and analyze the world, to reflect and critique what they see, to envision and then form something new. Roski students learn how as cultural producers they can shape the way we live and what we value.

At USC, students of all disciplines—and especially the arts—have many opportunities to explore interdisciplinary studies and to form networks of ideas that inspire them uniquely. The possibilities for intellectual pursuits at USC are limitless, and Roski students are challenged to look outside the studio and beyond the gallery, to seek out topics that will inspire reflection and serve as windows to the world.

Meanwhile, beyond the borders of the University, Los Angeles provides a strong vantage point and unparalleled access to indispensable creative resources. L.A. is an undisputed creative capital, where all of the art forms—fine art and design, as well as film, television, architecture, theatre, music, and fashion—compose the dynamic texture of the city. Here artists show their work in galleries and museums; create, animate, and art direct television, film, and advertising; and provide the creative inspiration for an endless range of fields.

We live at a time when the ability to conceive, produce, and analyze visual imagery—and to make a living from one's imagination—is one of the most valuable, sought-after skills a person can have. Graduates of the Roski School of Fine Arts are uniquely prepared to take on the challenges of the 21st century and, indeed, to shape the future. They are part of the next generation who will lead the visual arts; they will take up roles as practicing artists, designers, arts writers, or curators—or they'll define new ones. Our alumni are among those leading the arts in Los Angeles and around the world—and each class of students is prepared to be no different.

Rochelle Steiner
Dean, Roski School of Fine Arts