Facilities

Ceramics
The newly renovated Ceramics studio features a large common workspace with four worktables and eighteen potters wheels. There are specialized spaces for clay making, glazing, plaster, and a large kiln area complete with six electric Skutt kilns, three gas kilns and one raku kiln.

Learn more about the Ceramics concentration

Communication Design
The Communication Design concentration is housed is the Central Classroom, suite 311, on the Auraria Campus. The facility boasts state of the art digital technology, studio and lecture spaces, printing and production facilities, as well as four faculty offices. This design hub has been structured in such a way as to embrace the functionality of a professional design studio; students are free to work in any number of spaces based on their needs, interests, or coursework requirements and thus are encouraged to build a spirit of collaboration among students in the discipline. The studio features a design library for student reference, which saves on the walk to the library when pressed for time. Twenty iMac computers outfit the space, newly updated in January 2008. Two data projectors are strategically positioned in two teaching spaces to allow for project demonstration and critique of work. When faced with producing design solutions, the Communication Design student has at his/her disposal color and black and white laser printers, a tabloid format ink jet printer, and a large format poster sized archival printer. These in-house options make it easy for students to make their design solutions a reality very quickly. Additional resources in the studio include a copy stand for photographing artwork as well as digital equipment available for check-out including video cameras, digital cameras, microphones, tripods, and headphones.

Beyond the Communication Design studio, the program also manages a small letterpress printing facility located in the Central Classroom 311 suite. This space houses a historic piece of equipment—an 1895 Columbia and Mitchell tabletop platen-press. It is capable of printing up to 8x10” and provides a wonderful counterpoint to the digital technology so emphasized today in design education. Students are able to work with faculty and/or trained studio assistants producing a variety of printed ephemera. The historical significance of printing with movable type connects students with their studies in design history and typography among other subjects. Students have the ability to produce printed works as a part of coursework or in self-directed efforts.

Learn more about the Communication Design Program

Drawing
The Drawing area services the Foundation drawing courses (Drawing I & II) as well as the Drawing concentration. Students enrolled in Drawing courses have access to professional grade drafting tables that function at multiple levels and angles (from table top to easel). In addition, a computer station allows students the opportunity to access the Internet and scan imagery. Advanced Drawing students have access to an Epson Stylus Pro 4880. Recent remodeling includes storage for various supplies for student use during class time as well as a professional mat cutter.

Learn more about the Drawing concentration

Jewelry Design/Metalsmithing
The Jewelry Design/Metalsmithing studio provides 18 individual workstations and a separated discussion area within the studio. Metalsmithing area can be separated by industrial soundproof screen from the workbench area. The studio facility consist of the following:

• A well-equipped metalsmithing studio
• Torches (Natural gas and compressed air, acetylene & air, oxy-acetylene, micro torch, annealing torch)
• Fume exhaust hoods
• Rolling mill
• Metal shear
• 36" sandblaster
• Small and large drill presses
• Casting equipments (vacuum caster, centrifugal casting machine)
• Vulcanizer
• Small and large drill presses
• Belt sander
• Disk sander
• Titanium rectifiers
• Lathe
• Grinder and buffing/polishing machines with air filter
• Electric 50 ton hydraulic press
• Tumbler
• Ultrasonic
• Steamers
• Small and large enameling and casting kilns
• Flexshaft stations
• Etching station

Learn more about the Jewelry Design/Metalsmithing concentration

Learn more about the Photography concentration

Printmaking
The Printmaking area, housed in a studio of approximately 3300 square feet, is fully equipped for production in intaglio, lithography, screenprinting, relief and the various photo-mechanical processes. The intaglio section contains two Charles Brand and two Takach presses with bed sizes up to 48” x 96” and etching facilities for zinc and copper. The lithography section has three Takach and one Griffin press with the largest bed size being 40”x72”. The area is equipped for both plate and stone production and contains over fifty stones in various sizes up to 22”x30”. Screenprinting uses four vacuum bases for production up to 30”x44”, making use of water-based technology. Servicing all photo-mechanical processes is an area comprising a complete wet darkroom, a NuArc exposure unit, and a Macintosh computer station supported with an HP laser jet printer, an Epson 7200 ink jet printer, and scanner. Ample workstations support the production of prints ranging in size up to 48”x72”.

Learn more about the Printmaking concentration

Spatial Media
The 5000 square foot Sculpture facility includes fully equipped wood and metal studios, classrooms, a state of the art ceramic shell investment room, separate sanding and metal finishing studios, and a fully equipped tool room with  hand, power, and pneumatic tools, and assorted supplies. The wood studio includes table saws, band saws, compound miter saws, assorted sanders, a panel saw, wood lathe, planer, jointer, and several drill presses. The metal facility includes MIG, TIG, Stick, Spot, and Gas welders, a plasma cutter, finger break, step shear, rollers, horizontal and vertical band saws, hydraulic pipe bender, abrasive chop saw, drill presses, and a 2-ton bridge crane throughout. A newly renovated 1000 square foot, fully enclosed sculpture yard will be completed before the Spring 09 semester and will include a fully paved patio, soft metal crucible furnace, burn-out kiln, sand pit, rolling work tables, electric glass kilns, an outdoor welding area, and a fully traversable bridge crane.

Learn more about the Spatial Media concentration

Auraria Digital Resource Center

The Auraria Digital Resources Center (ADRC) is part of the University of Colorado Digital Image Collaborative-- a cross-campus digital media consortium among academic departments and colleges at the University of Colorado and the institutions of the Auraria Higher Education Center. The ADRC serves the art and art history faculty, students, and staff of the Metropolitan State University of Denver and is dedicated to providing access to digital content that supports research and curriculum.  

The Auraria Digital Resources Collection is a digital media database of historical and contemporary fine art and cultural objects, which currently hosts over 25,000 digital images, digital audio files, and full streaming digital video.

Current faculty have access to all of the collections found within the Digital Image Collaborative and LUNA Imaging shared network. The Digital Resources Center has faculty browsing and scanning computer stations available 24/7. We are also excited to host in-class demonstrations and workshops for students on accessing these important educational resources.

Manager: Hannah Wilson Hannah.Wilson@ucdenver.edu