PROGRAM TYPE
On Campus
DEGREES
BA
Contact

Darrell Matsumoto, MFA
Digital & Social Media Design | BA
Program Overview
With the rise of digital and social media, there is a growing need for communication professionals that can create messages that will resonate with multiple audiences. This major will provide comprehensive study in digital media design, lens and light arts, and media marketing. Students will learn how to think clearly, critically, and creatively in response to communication challenges through the use of digital media design.
Through the combined experience of professional practice, internships, and capstone experience, students will be positioned to create compelling content, with an understanding of how this media can impact all facets of the marketing mix, including website traffic, customer relationships, and brand messaging.
More Information
Course of StudyCourse Of Study
About The Department of Art and Design
The Department of Art and Design provides students with a broad-based liberal arts education infused with the principles of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Inclusive within the vibrant liberal arts education the department offers modern programs focused on specific professional skills in graphic design, media arts, photography, videography studio arts, self-designed program in the arts, and the therapeutic dimensions of art therapy.
There is an emphasis upon an interdisciplinary approach toward the visual arts and design, psychology and the creative arts therapies. In the classroom professors emphasize a broad understanding of the dignity of humankind, the importance of developing compassion, and the need to cultivate the awareness of just and ethical practice.
Essential to all programs is The Studio Model. In a studio course, students work in a specifically designed space which creates an open collaborative environment. This Studio Model provides an expansive and expressive atmosphere for learning. The studio environment allows open communication and constructive criticism to enrich and forward art practice. Imperative to the model is the required work outside of designated meeting times. The studio demands the constant process of production-critique-production, seeking feedback from all participants. The faculty teaches, guides, and nurtures the group or cohort.
In the junior and senior years, advanced course work is designed to run concurrently with community field placements to afford students the opportunity to observe and work alongside professionals. Each student’s placement in the community is chosen to directly reflect her/his interest and to provide a comprehensive and hands-on, team approach to learning. Students are placed by the College in appropriate settings and supervised by College personnel. The internships/practica are credit-bearing and are available to students in all of the above disciplines. Art Therapy placements range from public and private hospitals, community treatment centers providing therapeutic services to a wide range of clientele. Graphic Design Media Art, and Art internships provide students with real world experiences.
Additionally, students are encouraged to experience study abroad through programs ranging from summer study in the creative arts, to a spring break in Berlin, Paris or Vienna with our Urban Seminar program. It is important to note that Anna Maria College is a member of The American Art Therapy Association.
A bachelor’s degree from the Department of Art and Design prepares students for a wide range of graduate study and career options in art therapy, marketing/advertising/social media, creative industries, graphic design, media production, studio artist, or museum/gallery study.
Course Of Study
Curriculum Map
Click here to download the Digital & Social Media Design Curriculum Map.
Art Minors
Students interested in art who major in another field may minor in art. An art minor may be of particular interest to the Liberal Studies major who wishes to engage in a creative endeavor, or the business major who may find art and design skills an asset for a career in marketing, advertising, or public relations. A portfolio presentation of basic artistic skills is required to declare a minor in art.
Minors are possible in:
- Art
- Art Therapy
- Digital and Social Media Design
- Graphic Design
- Video and Photographic Art
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of a BA in Digital and Social Media Design, students will:
- Demonstrate proficiency with the principles of visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements in two and three dimensions; color theory and its applications; and digital arts
- Exhibit working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization
- Solve communication problems, including the skills of problem identification, research and information gathering, analysis, generation of alternative solutions, prototyping and user testing, and evaluation of outcomes
- Examine design history, theory, and criticism from a variety of perspectives, including those of art history, linguistics, communication and information theory, technology, and the social and cultural use of design objects
- Collaborate with others, both as a leader and participant, to produce high-quality work
New England Secondary School Art/Design Competition
Call for Entries: October 5, 2022 – December 5, 2022
Virtual Exhibition Dates: December 21, 2022 – February 24, 2023
ZOOM Awards Presentation: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Art Center Gallery
Director: Darrell Matsumoto, MFA
Art Center Gallery in Miriam Hall at Anna Maria College serves as the venue for numerous art and design exhibitions throughout the year, to support the intellectual and cultural life of the College and surrounding community. Of special note, the gallery presents special exhibitions, which showcase the contemporary work of practicing artists and designers, which also includes a published catalogue.
View our exhibitions below.
Self-Designed Major
Suggestions for Self-Design Majors
- Photography/Video
- Painting/Mixed Media
- Sculpture/Installation Art
- Digital Arts
- Performance Art
- Art and Business
Self-Design Program Outcomes
- Identify and describe the historical and cultural context of art and design
- Demonstrate working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization
- Demonstrate perceptual acuity, conceptual understanding, and the technical facility at a professional entry level in their chosen field(s). The ability to perceptively analyze works of art and design and to critically evaluate its quality
- Demonstrate functional competence with principles of visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements and its application in drawing, two-dimensions and three-dimensions, color theory, and digital arts
- Work independently on a variety of art and design projects. The ability to conceptualize, research, and produce an independent project. Produce a capstone exhibition and portfolio
Art and Design Minors
Students interested in art who major in another field may minor in art. An art minor may be of particular interest to the Liberal Studies major who wishes to engage in a creative endeavor, or the business major who may find art and design skills an asset for a career in marketing, advertising, or public relations. A portfolio presentation of basic artistic skills is required to declare a minor in art.
Students interested in art who major in another field may minor in art. An art minor may be of particular interest to all majors who wishes to engage in a creative endeavor. The Art Minor is perfect complement to any major.
- ART 101 Drawing I
- ART 103 Fundamentals of Design and Color
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 204 Introduction to Sculpture and Clay
- ART Elective
- Art History Elective
This minor and the course selection is designed to provide the Visual Art major with the necessary foundation in psychology, forming an excellent introduction to the field of Art Therapy. Note: Students must have completed PSY101, PSY207 or PSY215 prior to ATH courses.
- ATH 150 Methods, Material, and Techniques for Art Therapists
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
- PSY 207 Child Development or PSY215 Psychology of Adolescence
- PSY 306 Abnormal Psychology
- ATH 201 Art Therapy I
- ATH 202 Art Therapy II
A minor in Graphic Design may be of particular interest to students in the art or business programs, providing them with knowledge of technology coupled with design relevant to both the creative and professional worlds.
Requirements for Art majors:
- DES 140 Introduction to Graphic Design
- DES 251 History of Graphic Design
- DES 210 Typography II
- ART 248 Introduction to Digital Photography
- DES ___ Upper-level Graphic Design course
- Business or Marketing elective
Requirements for non-Art majors:
- ART 101 Fundamentals of Design and Color
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 248 Introduction to Digital Photography
- DES 140 Introduction to Graphic Design
- DES ___ Upper-level Graphic Design course
- Business or Marketing elective
This minor is designed for any student interested in the study of Photography and Videography. The minor will provide a solid foundation in the lens and light arts, which has a myriad of applications in our media driven society.
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 248 Digital Photography I
- ART 239 Videography I
- ART 249 Digital Photography II or ART 240 Videography II
- ART/DES Elective
- ART 354 Modern and Contemporary Art History
Meet Our Faculty




Dyan Gulovsen

Alice Lambert


Darrell Matsumoto, MFA


Julie Soucy Hurley


