Non Ministrari sed Ministrare. "Not to be ministered unto but to minister," proclaims Wellesley's motto, capturing in four Latin words the College's mission: To provide an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.

Wellesley’s Art Department includes Art History, Studio Art, and Architecture; we also intersect with programs in Cinema and Media Studies and Media Arts and Science.  Our Art History program includes historical, critical, and thematic courses that provide a deep and rich major and the critical tools that every undergraduate needs to navigate an increasingly complex visual world.  Our Studio program offers intensive courses in numerous media - including dedicated facilities for photography, video, printmaking, painting and drawing, sculpture (wood, metal, and clay/plaster), and new production technology like laser cutters and 3-D printers - as well as the opportunity to engage in intermedial work.  The Architecture program, a partnership with MIT since 1985, combines Studio with historical and critical practices and has long served as a model for other Liberal Arts schools.  Both faculty and students work closely with the Davis Museum, providing hands-on experience through the direct study of works of art and through internship and leadership opportunities.  Cinema and Media Studies and Media Arts and Sciences reach across the campus to offer students multi-disciplinary training while grounding related Studio practices within our larger Department. 

It is our profound belief that the rigorous study of art and visual culture is critical to a Liberal Arts education and to the power of women to interpret, shape, and master their environments.