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The creative economy is fast becoming the most dominant—and most job-secure—an economic sector globally. In survey after survey, the qualities most sought by employers are those embodied by artists and cultivated through artistic training: creativity, unconventional and innovative thinking, intellectual risk-taking, empathy, intuition, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. These qualities make creative professionals invulnerable to the vagaries of the 21st-century marketplace: automation, outsourcing, globalization, and low wages. To thrive in and benefit from the creative economy, you must become a creator. Watkins College of Art challenges individuals to develop their talent, refine their creative practice, and dedicate their lives to advancing culture through art's illuminating power. We foresee a future that brings greater regional, national, and international recognition to the value of art, artists, and places like Watkins that serve as incubators for the creative mindset. Artists who deliver the most significant benefits to the cultures they flourish follow a universal creative path—they seek, work, and reveal. How is this manifest? Artists are driven relentlessly by questions, by the need to apprehend the elusive, decipher the puzzle, and answer the unanswerable. The best societies are fearless in the same way. No meaningful answers emerge without an artist's hard work, and no culture can advance without the same tenacity. In seeking out questions and pursuing answers, both cultures and creative individuals reap rich rewards. And the answers they provide improve, elevate, and electrify our common cause. The artist's enlightenment becomes our own. Watkins exists to serve this dynamic interplay—sparking the artistic and societal impulses to seek, refine, challenge, and push our mutual work. Watkins exists to provide avenues for artists to reveal their insights to the world at large. This is the project of a boundless civilization. And it is the promise of a Watkins education. Our first significant digit is 1885—the year of our founding. Over the next century, Watkins evolved into an influential art institution with local impact and global reach. More specifically, we are a regionally and nationally accredited nonprofit independent college of the visual arts offering bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degrees in film, fine art, graphic design, illustration, interior design, and photography, as well as a BA in art. Our graduate programs include two MFA degrees—in film and visual arts. We also are a committed community partner, offering classes in a broad range of subjects for adults, teachers, and children of all ages through our Community Education programs. A community of creative people tends to create a community of creative organizations—and that is the case at Watkins. As a student, you will have the option of building new experiences and perspectives by joining one of many arts-oriented campus organizations—or starting one of your own. At Watkins, we are continually working to provide you with the latest resources necessary to your success as a creative professional. We also want you to be a healthy and happy member of the Watkins community, so we offer a wide range of support systems to sustain you while studying and creating. Accommodations are available for students with diagnosed physical, learning, psychiatric, or other disabilities upon request. Students seeking accommodations for a disability or disabling condition should contact the director of student life as soon as possible upon arrival to begin the accommodation process. If the accommodations are relevant to on-campus housing, this process should begin with the first housing inquiry. Accommodations cannot be requested retroactively. Accommodations are determined and implemented on a case-by-case basis as is reasonable and appropriate and may include but are not limited to: extended time on tests and in-class assignments, note-taking assistance or access to class notes, flexible course scheduling, and reduced course load. At Watkins, we are all trailblazers in one form or another. Within our respective media, we seek to create things no one is ever seen or even imagined. That inventive spirit and commitment to excellence also shape our approach to career-building. On the professional front, we are consummate networkers. Our career services infrastructure reflects our deep connections across the art, design, and film communities and our commitment to long-term relationships and personalized guidance and mentorship. The world knows today as Watkins College of Art has its roots in the generosity and vision of one man—Samuel Watkins (1794-1880). Orphaned at the age of four, Watkins was a self-made entrepreneur and philanthropist with no formal education. In his will, he left $100,000 and property in the center of Nashville to establish a school that would teach the "business of life" to people in need. With more than 130 years of continuous educational service to its credit, Watkins College of Art operates as an independent, nonprofit, four-year, nationally accredited college of visual arts. Located in Nashville, one of the most vibrant cultural capitals in the United States, Watkins's 73,000-square-foot academic, community, and art-making facility, two state-of-the-art residence halls, 13 acres of land, and room to grow position the college as a leader in visual arts education. Fulfilling its founder's legacy, the school's award-winning faculty, students, and alumni continue to shape and positively influence the cultural horizon and economy of the community as they define the role of art, design, film, and artists in the 21st century. Watkins College of Art has been designated a major cultural institution by local and state arts agencies. It receives funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). View full university