The arts are vital to cultural expression, they enrich our lives while challenging and broadening our views of the world. The fine arts faculty foster an educational environment that encourages creativity, individual growth, and meaningful expression. They provide interdisciplinary approaches to the practice of art and the study of visual culture. At WSU, students have the opportunity to put their ideas into form while becoming visually literate, historically grounded, and familiar with the diversity of arts and cultures worldwide. Opportunities for internships, study abroad, and personal interaction with faculty. The Forst Visiting Artist Endowment brings diverse artists to the Pullman campus for interactive residencies with students each semester. Close relationship with the WSU Museum of Art, one of the top five museums in the Northwest, including annual faculty and M.F.A. thesis exhibitions. WSU undergraduate students manage one of the department's two galleries in Pullman and assist faculty with the Art Center on the Tri-Cities campus.