Art & Environmental Justice
Ayla Boylen uses her art and partnership with the Bernie Sanders Campaign to push for Cedar Rapids to declare a climate crisis and work on a Green New Deal.
Hands-on learning
Cement your foundation in visual arts concepts, principles, and techniques.
Networking makes a difference. Instructed by our talented faculty who work in the media they teach, Mount Mercy’s engaging curriculum is intertwined with guest artists, seminars, exhibitions, field trips, workshops, student-teaching, and internships, and provides students with the opportunity to study and practice with nationally-known artists in their areas of interest.
Beautiful ceramics sculpture by an MMU student.
Detailed drawing work developed while at Mount Mercy.
Intricate graphic design work.
Example of a student's life-like painting skills.
Unique perspective of printmaking design.
Expressing a deeper meaning through sculpture work.
Curriculum
Students cement their foundation in visual arts concepts, principles, and techniques.
Our art facilities offer hands-on learning in sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, painting, drawing, photography, video, and alternative media like installation, fostering diverse and energetic work as unique as a fingerprint.
Many students display and even sell their work at local exhibitions and special events, including:
- NewBo Art Fest
- Marion Arts Festival
- The Area College Exhibit at the Lowe Arts Center in Marion
- New Bohemia’s 2x2 Exhibit
- Midwestern university print exhibits
Smaller class sizes definitely give you more one-on-one attention and the chance to stand out. It also prepared me by giving me the chance to take a multitude of art classes including printmaking, drawing, painting, and art history.
Randah Espy O'Doherty '15
Graphic Design, Fine Arts
Randah Espy O’Doherty was able to use her time at MMU to hone her craft and network with others.
What are the next steps?
Mount Mercy offers competitive tuition and generous scholarships.
We also encourage all students to apply for federal, state, and other kinds of financial assistance.
Learn more about:
- Federal and state grants and loans
- MMU-offered scholarships
- Tuition reimbursement from employers
- 10% tuition discount for employees of partner organizations
- Veterans benefits such as the Yellow Ribbon program and GI Bill®
We make it easy by accepting applications year-round! No deadline, no fee, no pressure.
- Create your application
- Apply under standard admissions criteria or go "test optional"
- Request official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Mail to:
* Mount Mercy University Admissions
1330 Elmhurst Drive NE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402
1330 Elmhurst Drive NE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402
* If you are applying for an accelerated program, please mail to "Accelerated Programs"
For more detailed instructions on how to apply, see our Admissions page.
Careers in art
Networking makes a difference.
Art majors often go on to become museum arts administrators and staff in various non-profit institutions such as Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), art consultants, or apply to graduate school to follow careers such as college teaching, book illustration, or work in related professional fields.
Mount Mercy graduates have worked for organizations like the Herbert Hoover Museum, Raining Rose, or Groundswell, using their training as an art major to advance their natural talents. Other graduates have become entrepreneurs, company vice presidents, photographers, consultants, teachers, artists, art directors, art professors, and more.
Art facilities and studios
Complete with equipment for small to medium-scale woodworking, carving, glass and plaster casting, and soldering. (Students complete metal work at a local foundry.)
Featuring 10 electric wheels and two (manual) kick wheels, hand-building tools, clay mixers/extruders, glaze-mixing areas, and both gas and electric kilns.
Two intaglio presses, one lithography press, letterpresses, and type drawers, screens and table mounts for silkscreen, tools for relief painting, exposure units for digital printmaking, a ventilated spray booth, small scale papermaking tools, and paper soaking/drying areas.
Spaces for both beginning and advanced classes, equipped with easels and carts for each student, painting storage racks, encaustic supplies, and a still life collection.
For both manual and digital photography. Equipment includes a light system for studio work, monochromatic backdrops for studio work, and lightbox. Digital and manual SLRs, tripods and video cameras are available for checkout.
Classroom is equipped with basic supplies commonly used in elementary/secondary art programs and includes a SmartBoard.
Space for courses and studio presentations. This classroom is equipped with a SmartBoard.
16 machines containing the latest graphic design and video editing software (Adobe Creative Suite), and a full range of fonts. The lab also contains a large-format color printer as well as black and white, and color laser printers.