Elevating The Arts
The growth of art and design education at Belmont took another step forward as the first architecture students were admitted and the University merged with Watkins College of Art.
In just a few short weeks Belmont University will begin courses in an exciting new undergraduate major, architecture. Announced in Feb. 2019, the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program will fill a significant gap for architectural education in the fast-developing Middle Tennessee region. Belmont’s program will be the only one of its kind in the area and one of only two in the state.
“Architecture is a field that touches all of us in our daily lives,” said Dr. Jhennifer Amundson, dean of the O’More College of Architecture & Design. “Being an architect allows you to take part in a great expression of cultural merit. It’s a tremendous blessing to take part in building a community, to leave a lasting memorial to human values.”
The new college will join Belmont’s highly regarded visual arts and graphic design programs with those from Watkins and will be helmed by longtime Belmont faculty member and alumnus, James Pierce.
Belmont’s architecture students will enjoy an array of cross-disciplinary opportunities throughout the University, with O’More’s program in interior design as well as with the University’s long-established visual arts majors. In fact, Belmont is elevating its creative community with a recently announced intent to merge with the Nashville-based Watkins College of Art. The new college will join Belmont’s highly regarded visual arts and graphic design programs with those from Watkins and will be helmed by longtime Belmont faculty member and alumnus, James Pierce.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “For well over a century, Watkins has fostered the talents and honed the crafts of thousands of phenomenal artists. This merger will enable us to accelerate and elevate art education in the Southeast and beyond.”
The addition of Watkins and the advent of the O’More architecture program further fortifies Belmont as the center for art and design in the region. In addition to the financial stability, resources and expanded reach Belmont offers, the partnership provides Watkins students with an array of opportunities not currently available, such as study abroad possibilities, dedicated career development staff and increased options for general education courses.