Find your program at the UW-Madison Art Department
Expand your perspective and connect with your classmates, your community, and the world around you! UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMGRADUATE PROGRAMFind your program at the UW-Madison Art Department
Expand your perspective and connect with your classmates, your community, and the world around you! UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMGRADUATE PROGRAMThe University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.
This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. We respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.
UW Art in the News

Glass Madison 2023 – 2024
The UW-Madison Glass Lab is one of UW’s treasured “firsts”—the first collegiate glass program in the nation. 2022 marked the sixtieth anniversary of this seminal narrative. In 2023-2024, the UW Glass Lab presents Glass Madison—a year-long celebration of the sixth decade of this history, composed of Exhibitions, a Symposium, and Public Programs.
Glass Madison: Exhibitions
Opens in October
Glass Madison Exhibitions reflect contemporary glass practice through a survey of work from the sixth decade of the UW Glass Lab, featuring current student, alumni, and faculty work.
The Sixth Decade of UW Glass
October 1 – 22
Location: Art Lofts Gallery & Backspace Gallery, 111 N Frances St, Madison, WI
Absolute Zero
September 29 – November 16
Artists: Felicia LeRoy [BFA ’14] and MFA Candidate Carolyn Spears
Opening Reception: Friday, September 29, 6-8pm
Gallery Talk: Thursday, October 5, 5-7pm
Location: Memorial Union Gallery, 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI
The first of the Glass Madison Exhibitions opens this week! The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee presents Absolute Zero, referring to the basis of the Kelvin temperature scale—the theoretical extreme of the lowest temperature possible. Featuring Felicia LeRoy and Carolyn Spears, their expertise in some of the hottest material on earth is paired with their subject matter, which addresses extremes in human and geological experiences via the glass-like substance of ice.
Flameworking at UW-Madison
October 1 – 22
Location: Gelsy Verna Gallery, 111 N Frances St, Madison, WI
Research & Outreach
October 2 – 17
Location: School of Education Gallery, 1000 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI
Tom Zickuhr Solo Exhibition
October 1 – 22
Location: Micro Gallery, 111 N Frances St, Madison, WI
Exuviae
January – February 2024
Location: Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S Livingston St, Suite 100, Madison, WI
Indeterminate Objects
January – February 2024
Location: Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S Livingston St, Suite 100, Madison, WI
Intercollegiate Small Works
October 6 – 20
Location: Gallery 7, Humanities Building 7th Floor, 455 N Park St, Madison, WI
Glass Madison Exhibitions
Glass Madison Educational Gathering Symposium
October 6 – 7, 2023
The Glass Madison Educational Gathering is a symposium of intercollegiate and community glass programs. This convening brings together the creative communities that grew from the founding of the UW Glass Lab at the close of its sixtieth anniversary. Students, educators, and glass professionals alike are invited to join us for two days of celebrating contemporary glass practice.
Register now for the Glass Madison Symposium
Events
Tiny Pleasures: Art Exhibition
September 17 - 24 Artists: Art...
Center for Culture, History, and Environment Year of Environmental Art: Fall 2023 Colloquia Events
Wednesdays @ 12 - 1pm September...
2023 Folk Artist-in-Residence Liesl Chatman – Community Engaged Artistry: Spoon Carving, Kolrosing, and Educational Equity Artist Talk
Monday, September 11 @ 4 - 5pm...
Glass Madison 2023 – 2024
The UW-Madison Glass Lab is one...
Graphic Design for Accessibility Symposium
Friday, September 15 @ 11am -...
Visiting Artist Colloquium: Heather Green
Wednesday, December 6 @ 5:00 -...
Fall 2023 Visiting Artist Colloquium
Come visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison Art Department!
Tours are now available by appointment, view our upcoming Art Department events for prospective students at Visit Bucky: apps.admissions.wisc.edu/visitbucky/
Carefully read the event information and COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Campus Visitor Agreement before your visit.
Arts at UW
Did you know?
The UW-Madison Art Department is:
- #1 in Printmaking
- Ranked among the top 15 Fine Arts MFA programs
- Founded the 1st collegiate Glass program in the U.S.
- 1 of only 5 universities in the nation with a Neon program
Ranking Source: U.S. News & World Report
The University of Wisconsin-Madison ART DEPARTMENT is committed to teaching art in the context of a major research university and a vibrant intellectual community. Offering the following degrees: B.S., B.F.A., M.A., & M.F.A. in Studio Art, B.S. in Art Education, Certificate in Art Studio, and Certificate in Graphic Design.
Take a 720° virtual tour of the Art Department