Why Choose Russell Sage’s Art + Extended Media BFA Program

See how Russell Sage’s Art + Extended Media degree blends studio practice, collaboration, and real-world experience.

Work on shared projects with students from across Art + Design programs. Participate in collaborative studio experiences that reflect real-world professional teamwork, and collaborate on large-scale creative projects during legendary Art + Design department experiences like Charrette (theme-based creative challenges) and Fire Night.

In Albany and Troy, you’ll be surrounded by galleries, museums, performing arts venues, and events that connect you with local designers and other creative professionals.

Russell Sage College’s Visual Arts programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190. 703-437-0700.

A Master of Fine Arts degree or master’s degree in graphic design is the next step for many individuals with a BFA in Art + Extended Media who want to continue their studies. Our undergraduate Art + Extended Media degree program is also excellent preparation for master’s programs in other fields that align with your goals, like a master’s degree in Art Education from Sage’s Esteves School of Education. 

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Top 25

For seven consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Russell Sage among the top 25 national universities for social mobility — proof that our students see real returns. Learn more about financial aid at Sage.

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Best Value

With first-year merit scholarships of $21,000 to $26,000 and one of the lowest private college tuition rates in New York State, Russell Sage ranks #36 nationally for Best Value (U.S. News & World Report 2026).

Investing in the Arts

While Russell Sage is widely recognized for our broad catalog of healthcare programs, we believe a comprehensive education embraces the spectrum of human talent. That is why we are heavily investing in the future of the creative workforce.

“What Sage can afford a student is the ability to not just explore what it means to be an artist, but also to really refine your technique or to refine your concepts here, where some of the places you might be locked into one discipline, here you have the ability to explore or refine your discipline. Students, when they come here into the Art and Extended Media program in their sophomore year, will have their own studio space and they will be able to work in that same space for the rest of their time here.”

William Fillmore, MFA
Assistant Professor of 3D and Extended Media

A Creative Hub in The Capital Region

New York’s Capital Region — home to Russell Sage’s two campuses — offers a vibrant arts and design community with galleries, museums, theaters, performance venues, and cultural events.

You’ll also network with Russell Sage College’s entire Art + Design department and members of Albany and Troy’s creative communities at department-sponsored Artist Lectures, Opalka Gallery programs, and other activities.

Explore Troy, NY
  • Pride Parade

Professional Spaces to Create and Showcase Your Design

Student gestures toward work in art gallery

Studio Art Program & Facilities

Our Art + Extended Media program emphasizes a strong studio practice. Following foundation year courses, you’ll receive a studio space. Art majors meet together in a studio seminar course where they refine their practice. 

We believe that an art practice should be well-rounded, where students can answer conceptual challenges with many skills. Studio art majors take courses from the Graphic + Media Design and Interior + Spatial Design programs, making Art + Extended Media a unique BFA degree program, where physical and digital creating go hand-in-hand.

You’ll explore clay, metal and wood in our sculpture facilities. In printmaking, you’ll create works through relief, etching and screenprinting processes. We also maintain a black and white darkroom that students experiment with as early as their first year. Our drawing and painting studios offer the space and light for realizing whatever challenge you take on.

Lost in Art is one of several student groups you can join. Lost in Art is an extension of the Art + Extended Media program and invites all Sage students to workshops, mural painting, exhibitions and other events. You may also serve on the editorial staff or publish your work in Vernacular, a student-run publication and campus tradition for more than 50 years.  

On-Campus Galleries: Opalka & The Little Gallery

Located on Russell Sage’s Albany campus, Opalka Gallery hosts contemporary design, typography, and media exhibitions from national designers. The Little Gallery in Rathbone Hall is an intimate venue for showcasing work of students, faculty, and alumni.

Art + Design Technology Center

Located on the first floor of the Art + Design building in Albany, the A+D Tech Center has a dedicated Mac lab, professional scanners, and large-format archival printers.

You don’t need to buy thousands of dollars of equipment. You can sit down at high-end Wacom Cintiq interactive pen displays to draw directly onto the screen, or borrow HD video cameras, lighting kits, tripods, and specialized microphones for your media projects. The center also features a 3-D printer, a vacuum former, and a professional laser cutter for precision cutting and etching.

Explore the Tech Center

Internships and Capstone Project

As a studio art major, you’ll develop your authentic, original voice through studio classes, an internship and year-long capstone project which culminates in the annual Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition.

Research and internship opportunities are plentiful, thanks to our connections throughout Troy and Albany, New York. Employers that have recently hosted studio art majors from Sage include the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Albany Center Gallery, Opalka Gallery, MASS MoCA, as well as a number of professional photographers.

A Day in the Life of an Art + Extended Media Major at Russell Sage

Follow Davis as she takes us through her day as an Art + Extended Media Major at Russell Sage College

Affordability, Admissions, and Transferring

Affording an Art + Extended Media BFA

We understand that cost and value are top concerns when choosing a college. That’s why we work with every student as an individual in the admission process – whether they’re a transfer student or a student coming to us straight out of high school.

What to Know:

  • Russell Sage prioritizes college access and affordability. We have been included on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges for Social Mobility list for seven consecutive years.
  • 100% of incoming, full-time undergraduates at Russell Sage receive financial aid.
  • Transfer merit scholarships are generous compared to other colleges – starting at $20,000 to $22,000 a year.
  • In many cases, Russell Sage is more affordable than SUNY or other private schools.
  • We want to make every transfer students’ credits count, just one of the reasons we’ve been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll for seven straight years.

Don’t forget! You have to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — to receive a complete financial aid package from any college. 

Transfer to OUr Art + Extended Media BFA Program

Because program courses are highly sequential, we closely review your portfolio and coursework to award maximum credit. We also maintain articulation agreements with community colleges to ensure your credits transfer smoothly and keep your graduation timeline on track.

Explore Transfer Experience

What Can I Do with an Art + Extended Media BFA?

Careers With a BFA in Studio Art

Whether you want to make art, teach, or curate experiences in galleries and museums, a degree in Art + Extended Media provides a professional foundation for career success.

Create original work in media such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, or film. Professional artists may exhibit and sell their work, take commissions, apply for grants and residencies, and build careers through studios, galleries, and community partnerships.

Why Russell Sage: Sage supports students who are serious about becoming working artists. You’ll have your own studio space, close faculty mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and connections to galleries and public art projects. You’ll graduate with the experience and portfolio needed to pursue independent practice or advanced study.

Teach visual art in elementary, middle, or high school settings while helping students build creative skills, confidence, and visual understanding.

Why Russell Sage: A BFA from Russell Sage sets you up for the required graduate teaching degree and art teacher certification. Sage’s M.A.T. in Art Education provides the coursework and experience needed to teach pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Support the presentation, interpretation, and care of art in museums and galleries. Roles may include curatorial assistance, collections management, exhibition preparation, education, visitor engagement, or gallery administration.

Why Russell Sage: At Sage, you’ll gain hands-on experience with on-campus galleries and exhibitions, and through a robust internship program. The college’s location in New York’s Capital Region, offers access to a vibrant arts community with additional opportunities to expand your network.

“Professor Sean Hovendick taught a class called Professional Practices, which basically guided me step-by-step about making my resume and having my portfolio ready.”

Abner Velazquez ’25
On the class he credits with helping him land his internship with In summer 2024, Velazquez interned with small business, aGatherin’, and begin planning his post-BFA career (his goal is to illustrate children’s media.)
A man with curly hair and glasses smiling in front of a colorful mural with abstract shapes and cartoon faces

Alumni Career Outcomes

Meet the students and graduates building success with a Art + Extended Media BFA degree.

Learn from Our Experienced Faculty

Personal advising, experienced faculty

Art + Design faculty members write and illustrate books, participate in juried art exhibitions and contribute to attention-getting design projects — but you will find that they are supportive teachers, first. Russell Sage College is a small school, so your professors get to know you and your goals. They’ll offer constructive critiques as you grow as a designer and help you to identify fulfilling opportunities and brainstorm creative projects — while you are a student and even after you graduate.

Have questions about a BFA Degree?

William Fillmore
William Fillmore
Associate Professor of 3D Art and Extended Media
Brian Cirmo
Brian Cirmo
Assistant Professor of Art + Extended Media

Frequently
Asked Questions – 
Art + Extended Media BFA

Yes — Russell Sage does accept transfer students to the BFA program. That said, studio art degrees are highly sequential, with courses designed to build on one another over four years. Transferring can sometimes add time or cost, and financial aid and merit packages are often stronger for students who begin as first-year students.

If you do choose to start at a community college, we recommend looking for one with articulation agreements with Sage’s BFA programs, which can help keep credits aligned and your progress on track.

In the BFA in Art + Extended Media, you’ll explore a variety of media in courses like Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, and Ceramics, to help you develop technical skills and creative versatility. You’ll also study Art History, Modern and Contemporary Art Criticism, and participate in Professional Practices courses that guide portfolio development.

Internships and Capstone projects give you hands-on experience, preparing you for exhibitions, graduate study, or a career as a professional artist.

A capstone is a two-part seminar and culminating experience where you focus on a personal artistic direction and prepare for your BFA exhibition. You’ll combine technical skills, conceptual research, and professional practices to create work that reflects your creative voice and builds a portfolio for careers or graduate study.

Yes! A BFA in Studio Art is a great starting point for a range of creative careers. You can start working right after graduation, or continue your studies with a master’s in art, design, or a related field to grow your career further.

The BFA in Art + Extended Media builds technical skills, creative problem-solving, and professional experience through internships, public projects, and exhibitions. Graduates go on to careers as professional artists, educators, or in museums, galleries, and other creative industries.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for roles like archivists, curators, and museum workers are expected to grow faster than average over the next decade, while opportunities for art directors are projected to remain stable—just a few examples of the many paths a BFA can open.

A BFA in Studio Art gives you a strong foundation in technical  skills and professional practice. For students who want to teach, Russell Sage College offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Art Education — a natural next step that leads to New York State Visual Arts Certification, pre-K through 12th grade. It’s designed for those with an undergraduate degree in art or a related field and is the only art education program in New York’s Capital Region.

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Beth Carlin
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Enrollment Management

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