The University of Montana Western

Fine Arts

"The arts have been with us since the dawn on human consciousness. The arts are how we as individuals and as a culture express our thoughts and feelings about the world we live in. At Western we're committed to helping our students take their rightful place in this long history of human creativity. Western students with a passion for the musical, theatrical, and visual arts develop their craft and creativity in an environment of one on one instruction and support."

- Randy Horst, Former Associate Professor of Art

General Information about Fine Arts Degrees

Fine Arts Faculty

General Information about Fine Arts Degrees

Students interested in the arts have several degree options at Western.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Visual Arts is for students interested in pursuing careers in the visual arts such as working at art galleries, museums, or being a studio artist. The BA offers students the opportunity to combine their art degree with specialized study in crafts media such as glass blowing, with business classes so that one can both make and market their artwork, or with interdisciplinary study in the arts for students interested in arts administration careers. The capstone to this degree is a thesis project or internship.

Western also offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Secondary Education with majors in Art and Music, minors in Art, Drama, and Music, and a broadfield in Art (meaning ceritification solely in Art). Art, Drama, and Music students are certified to teach K-12, giving them employment possibilities in both elementary and secondary schools.

Sample positions held by graduates:

public school teachers in the arts
studio artists
graphic designers
public relations
state government

Fine Arts facilities include:

art gallery
sculpture lab with casting equipment, gas and arc welder, and trip hammer
crafts lab with glass furnaces, annealers, batching room, and sand blaster
printmaking and B&W photography labs
computer art lab
ceramic lab with wheels, slab roller, extruder, and electric, gas, and raku kilns
private and group practice rooms
computer music lab
two proscenium stages

Samples of post-graduate options include:

Studio degrees in the Visual Arts
Art Education
Art Therapy
Music Education
Drama Education
Arts Administration

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Fine Arts Faculty

Visual Art

Eva Mastandrea
Chair, Fine Arts
Professor of Art
B.F.A., Montana State University
M. A., Montana State University
M.F.A., University of Montana
(406) 683-7312
e_mastandrea@umwestern.edu

David Regan
Assistant Professor of Art
B.F.A., Rochester Institute of Technology
M.F.A., Alfred University
(406) 683-7342
d_regan@umwestern.edu

Nolan Salix
Adjunct Instructor of Art
B.A., Aquinas College Grand Rapids, Michigan
M.F.A., Montana State University
(406) 539-67198
n_salix@umwestern.edu

Glenn Bodish
Adjunct Instructor of Art
B.F.A., Southern Oregon University
Interim Director of the UM Western Art Gallery/Museum
M.F.A., University of Montana
(406) 491-1444
g_bodish@umwestern.edu

Whitney Badgett
Adjunct Instructor of Art
B.A., University of Montana Western
M.F.A., Goddard College
(406) 596-7537
w_badgett@umwestern.edu

Drama

Judy Ulrich
Professor of Education
B.F.A., University of Wisconsin-Superior
M.A., Michigan State University
Ph.D., Michigan State University
(406) 683-7422
j_ulrich@umwestern.edu

Larry Brazill
Instructor of Drama
B.R.E. Midwestern Baptist College
M.T.E., Central Washington University
M.E.D., University of Montana Western
(406) 683-7038
l_brazill@umwestern.edu

Music

Brent Poe McCabe
Assistant Professor of Music

B.M., Keene State College
M.M., The Juilliard School
D.M.A., University of Arizona
(406) 683-7405
b_mccabe@umwestern.edu

Gay Garard-Brewer
Instructor of Music

B.M. University of Montana
M.M., University of Montana
D.M.A,, Catholic University
(406) 683-7406
g_garardbrewer@umwestern.edu

Albert Brewer
Adjunct Instructor of Music

B.M.E. University of Montana
M.M.E., University of Montana
D.M.A., Catholic University
(406) 683- 7407
a_brewer@umwestern.edu