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Willamette University

What Can You Do With an Intermedia Degree?

An intermedia degree prepares you for creative careers that cross traditional boundaries between art, design, media, technology, and performance. Graduates can pursue roles as multidisciplinary artists, filmmakers, photographers, curators, arts administrators, designers, creative technologists, and other creative professionals. Career paths can span studio art, museums and galleries, digital media, arts organizations, education, and freelance creative practice.

A group of students moving their bodies to imitate the screen in front of them

What is Intermedia Art?

Intermedia art is an approach to artmaking that combines multiple artistic media, methods, or disciplines. An intermedia artist might bring together photography, video, sculpture, performance, sound, writing, digital technology, installation, or other forms to communicate a single idea.

In intermedia art, the concept often determines the medium. Rather than beginning with a specific material or technique, artists choose and combine the tools that best communicate what they want to express. At PNCA, students can expect to develop a creative voice and gain an array of technical skills across mediums. Instead of being limited to one way of making art, students choose the tools and media that best express each project, message, or idea.

What Is the Difference Between Intermedia, Multimedia, and Interdisciplinary Art?

Intermedia focuses on combining different artistic media to develop and communicate an idea. Multimedia typically uses multiple media or technologies in one project, while interdisciplinary art draws from different artistic disciplines, fields, or areas of knowledge. The terms can overlap, but they emphasize different approaches to making art.

What Jobs Can You Get With an Intermedia Degree?

Consider a variety of career paths such as:

  • Art and Creative Practice

    • Artist
    • Multimedia Artist
    • Interdisciplinary Artist
    • Installation Artist
    • Performance Artist
    • Video Artist / Filmmaker
    • Photographer
    • Digital Artist
    • Public Artist

  • Creative and Design Careers

    • Designer
    • Art Director
    • Creative Director
    • Exhibition Designer
    • Set Designer
    • Creative Technologist
    • Producer

  • Galleries, Museums, and Arts Organizations

    • Curator
    • Preparator
    • Art Handler
    • Arts Administrator
    • Studio Manager
    • Arts Consultant
    • Gallery Manager
    • Archivist (may require additional education)

  • Business and Education Careers

    • Creative Entrepreneur
    • Teaching Artist
    • Educator (may require additional education)

Is Intermedia a Good Major?

Intermedia can be a good major for students who don't want to limit their creative practice to a single medium. It may be especially appealing if you enjoy experimenting with different materials and technologies, developing conceptual work, and combining areas such as video, photography, sculpture, performance, sound, installation, and digital art.

An intermedia major may be a good fit if you:

  • Want to work across several artistic media
  • Care more about finding the right medium for an idea than specializing in one technique
  • Enjoy experimentation and creative problem-solving
  • Are interested in both traditional and emerging art forms
  • Want to build a portfolio that demonstrates a range of creative and technical abilities
An intermedia student presenting their thesis in front of a room

Is an Intermedia Degree Worth It?

An intermedia degree can be worthwhile for students who want a flexible creative education rather than training in a single artistic medium. You can explore different forms of art while developing a portfolio, creative voice, and skills that apply across creative fields.

Career outcomes vary because intermedia graduates pursue many different paths. Your portfolio, technical skills, professional experience, and ability to work across disciplines can help you prepare for careers in the arts, design, media, museums, and other creative industries.

An intermedia student presenting their thesis in front of a room

What Skills Do You Learn?

With an Intermedia BFA, students develop a strong portfolio, build their artistic voice, and gain practical skills that apply to a variety of creative careers. Students can expect to develop:

 

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Communication and collaboration skills
  • Research and critical thinking skills
  • Creative experimentation
  • Cultural awareness
  • Interdisciplinary approaches to artmaking
  • Technical skills across media
  • Skills for giving and receiving feedback
  • Project management
  • Concept development

Freelance and Independent Artist Careers

Freelance and independent creative work is common across the arts. Intermedia artists may take on commissions, exhibitions, installations, performances, creative production work, photography or video projects, residencies, and collaborative projects. Independent work offers creative flexibility, but it also requires business skills. Artists need to understand contracts, pricing, invoicing, grant applications, project management, client communication, taxes, and marketing their work.

At PNCA, we offer workshops that help artists gain the business skills they need. Join sessions that cater to your needs to help you build out your creative practice.

An intermedia project installed at PNCA

How Our Alumni Are Using Their Degree

PNCA alumni have used their degree to achieve a variety of goals and accomplishments. Intermedia graduates have gone on to build careers as artists, curators, performers, filmmakers, and other creative professionals. Explore where an Intermedia degree can take you:

  • Demian Diné Yazhi' ’14 is a transdisciplinary artist and founder of R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment. He has received the Brink Award and grants from Art Matters Foundation and Potlatch Fund.
  • Darja Bajagić ’12 earned an MFA from Yale University School of Art and has exhibited her work internationally. She is represented by galleries in London and New York.
  • Alex Mackin Dolan is a New York-based artist and curator who has exhibited at Swiss Institute and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. He has also co-directed and co-curated artist-run spaces.
  • Anthony Hudson ’13 is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, performer, and filmmaker. He is a Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Artist Fellow and has performed and exhibited widely.
  • Nickolaus Typaldos ’07 is a multidisciplinary artist whose sculptures and performances have been exhibited at venues including David Zwirner, MoMA PS1, and the Underground Museum.
  • Mary Mattingly ’02 is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores environmental issues, sustainability, and homelessness. She has received a Yale University School of Art Fellowship and created large-scale projects including WetLand.
Why Choose PNCA for
Intermedia?
    1 /
    Build Mentorships and Connections

    Build your own interdisciplinary arts pathway with personalized support from faculty and peers. Small class sizes encourage close connections with professors and give you opportunities to develop your work through collaboration and feedback. Outside the classroom, you'll be part of Portland's vibrant creative community, with opportunities to explore museums, galleries, public art, film, interactive media, and independent arts organizations.

    A student chatting across from another student in a classroom
    2 /
    Create with State-of-the-Art Facilities

    Through the nature of intermedia, students need access to a wide range of labs, facilities, and equipment. Create with PNCA's animated arts lab, 3D fabrication shops, the Gilkey Center for Printmaking, the Creative Technology Lab, the Lighting Studio, the Photography Lab, or even the Sound Lab. We offer a large selection of industry-grade equipment so students can embrace different disciplines and forge new art forms.

    A group of students exploring performance in a well-lit room with wood floors
    3 /
    Career Support

    Through the Office of Career Design, students can find the support they need for their career. Attend workshops on building a professional portfolio, applying for artist residencies, writing grants, and managing taxes as a creative professional. The Career Design office also leads on-campus events, inviting industry leaders to share insights and help you with your creative practice. Build connections with alumni, peers, professors, and industry professionals through opportunities, internships, and applied learning.

    A panel of industry experts at a PNCA career workshop
    4 /
    A Culture of Experimentation

    At PNCA, we encourage our students to experiment, explore, and create. Our curriculum and courses help guide students through their ideas and allow them to invent new concepts while defining their creative voice. Take courses like Hybrid Painting, Offsite Projects, Screen+Devices, and Video Installation. Join a culture that is curious about change and embraces new ideas.

    A student presenting their intermedia work titled 'Esoteric Africa' to an audience

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Willamette University

Intermedia