Facilities & Resources

Create in Spaces Designed for Making

Fine Art courses at Vista provide access to dedicated classroom spaces, digital labs, and industry-standard tools that support a wide range of artistic disciplines. From traditional studio practices to emerging technologies, our facilities offer hands-on learning in an environment that encourages experimentation, collaboration, and creative growth.

Whether working in 2-D, 3-D and/or digital media, you'll gain technical and conceptual skills essential to artistic practice. Many courses provide access to materials and art supplies helping you stay focused on developing your art.

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Art Studios at Palmetto Center for the Arts

PAINTING & DRAWING STUDIO - PCA 116

Naturally lit studio designed for drawing and painting courses, featuring easels, drawing horses, and flexible workspace for individual and collaborative projects.

PHOTOGRAPHY LAB - PCA 117

Digital photography studio equipped with Mac workstations running Adobe Creative Cloud. DSLR cameras and lenses are available for students to check out. Produce high-quality photographic prints using archival inkjet printers.

Equipment:
DSLR cameras, various lenses , studio lights, tripods, Epson P6000 large format printer, Epson P800 printer, Epson 3880 printers, dry mounting press, Epson scanners

DIGITAL MEDIA / 2-D DESIGN - PCA 118

Mac lab featuring Adobe Creative Cloud, Wacom drawing tablets, professional scanning equipment, and large-format printing resources for graphic design, digital illustration, and multimedia projects.

Equipment:
Epson P6000 large format printer, Epson P800 printer, Epson 3880 printers

CERAMICS STUDIO - PCA 123

A fully equipped ceramics facility featuring pottery wheels, handbuilding tables, glazing areas, multiple electric and gas kilns, soda and raku firing capabilities and clay mixing equipment. Large kiln yard with covered outdoor working area.

Equipment: (4) L&L electric kilns, (2) 100 cu ft gas fired Geil Kilns, (2) 25 cu. ft. gas fired soda kilns, Laguna Raku Kiln, slabroller, extruders, electric and manual pottery wheels, sandblaster, air sprayer, Peter Pugger PM100 clay mixer

SCULPTURE & 3-D DESIGN - PCA 125

Students work with wood, steel, and mixed media using professional fabrication equipment including welding stations, plasma cutting systems, metalworking tools, woodworking machinery, and CNC technology for three-dimensional design and sculpture.

Equipment: Saw Stop table, Jet drill press, metal cut saw, pipe cutter, CNC plasma table, Miller Model 614 plasma cutter, Millermatic 212 mig welder, 7" chop saw, 40" break-over/metal shear, oxy-acetylene cutting torch set up

ART METALS I - PCA 125

Learn to make handmade jewelry like rings and necklaces. Experiment with metalsmithing processes like cold-connections, silver-soldering and forming. Students work with specialized tools and equipment while developing craftsmanship and design skills.

Equipment:
• Sheet fabrication: Two acetylene Smith torch soldering stations
• Sheet manipulation: drill press, flex shaft, sawing and piercing
• Forming: forming hammers, ring mandrels, stakes, and dapping set
• Sand Casting: casting sand and flasks, oxygen/propane casting torch
• Enameling: sifted vitreous enamels
• Joining: stone setting and riveting
• Makerspace collaboration: 3D modeling software and printing

PRINTMAKING - PCA 125

The printmaking studio supports traditional and experimental printmaking through relief, intaglio, screenprinting, monotype, collagraph, and alternative lithography processes. Students have access to professional etching presses, screenprinting equipment, specialty inks, drying racks, and a wide range of hand tools that encourage both technical mastery and creative exploration.

Equipment:
• Two Conrad etching presses: 24" x 48" and 12" x 24"
• Screen printing presses
• Assorted screens for screen printing
• Gelli plates for monotype and experimental printing
• Drypoint etching plates
• Relief carving tools and blocks
• Inking tables and brayers
• Drying racks

Current Processes
• Relief printing (woodcut, linocut)
• Drypoint etching
• Screenprinting (using stencils and drawing fluid)
• Monotype (using Gelli plates and plexiglass)
• Lithography on non-traditional surfaces (Mokulito and kitchen litho)
• Collagraph plates (for mixed-media relief and intaglio)
• Registration systems for multi-color prints
• Specialty inks (fluorescent, metallic, water-based, oil-based)