KUart’s Bachelors of Fine Arts program offered three majors when it first started—Painting, Sculpture, and for the first time in Nepal, Graphic Design. KUart now has five programs for aspiring artists.
“Over the years, we have developed a curriculum for Extra South Asian Art Studies and Art in Education,” informs Chitrakar. The Art in Education BFA major which was initiated a year back has been a groundbreaking development for the art scene in Nepal.
“BFA degrees in Nepal have always been focused on Painting and Sculpture and there was no priority put on Art in Education,” states Chitrakar, who completed his Masters of Fine Arts in Painting from Delhi University. “Art students are no longer limited to becoming painters or sculptors. There are employment possibilities in animation, interior design, product design, advertising, and many more. We want our students to realize their potentials in these fields as well.”
The Art in Education program at KUart is designed for students to understand the implementation of art in the education field and to be able to teach students from kindergarten level to grade 12. The rigorous program involves education theory and child psychology courses to advanced studio and art history courses. Students are also required to teach at a school for two years in order to gain practical experience. Punyashil Gautam from Rato Bangla School has also been a major contributor in developing the program at KUart.
“The KUart BFA degree used to be a three-year program but we extended it to four years in 2005,” informs Chitrakar. The first two years consist of foundation courses, after which a student can decide on a major. Completing a six-month-long thesis is mandatory in order to graduate from KUart. “We have also introduced a much flexible independent study program for students,” tells Chitrakar. “Independent studies allow students to create a threshold for themselves after they graduate from here.”
“Students who have passion for the arts should not have to study science or commerce,” asserts Sujan Chitrakar, who is constantly working to improve KUart. “What we are trying to do at the Center for Art and Design is to create awareness about the scope of art in today’s modern world and also provide an opportunity to students to pursue what they truly love.”
Currently, KUart has seven permanent faculty members and 20-25 visiting professors per semester, depending on the courses offered. The main building is located at Mandhikatar in Kathmandu.
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