The Fine Arts School established in 1959, aims to educate individuals talented in the education, creation, and research of fine arts.

The school consists of 9 departments: Department of Traditional Chinese Painting, Department of Oil Painting, Printmaking Department, Sculpture Department, Department of Fine Arts Education, Department of Art History, New Media Arts Department, Calligraphy Department, and Mural Department. There are seven majors for undergraduates including Painting, Sculpture, Fine Arts, Photography, Digital Media Arts, Traditional Chinese Painting, and Calligraphy. Painting is subdivided into oil painting, printmaking, murals, and illustration. Traditional Chinese Painting is subdivided into painting and traditional Chinese painting. Fine Arts is subdivided into arts history and fine arts education. Digital Media Arts is subdivided into experimental images and art and media majors. The school is eligible to grant a degree for Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and academic Doctorate of Fine Arts (with a total number of 32 research specialties). There are 71 school members, which include 58 full-time teachers with 26 Masters and 8 PhDs, 16 professors, and 15 associate professors. There are 31 Master supervisors and 9 external Master supervisors. The college now has 1,931 students, including 1,734 undergraduates and 180 graduates.

The majors of Fine Arts and Painting are accredited as provincial key disciplines. The course of woodcutting is a top course at the provincial level. The majors of painting and fine arts education are accredited as featured majors of Yunnan province. The Fine Arts School also possesses a provincial teaching group for painting, a pilot teaching demonstration center for plastic arts and media, and teaching studios for Sun Jiandong and Zhang Ming at the provincial level.

In recent years, teachers in the Fine Arts School have undertaken 3 state-level projects and 12 provincial ones, with 18 monographs and 66 academic papers published. 39 pieces of works created by teachers have been selected or awarded, of which 2 have won state excellence awards, 6 provincial first prizes, 3 second place provincial prizes, 6 third place provincial prizes, and 5 provincial excellence prizes.

The Fine Arts School advocates scientific research, creation, education, and external exchanges through exhibition. By organizing biennial exhibitions of teachers’ works and intercollegiate exchange exhibitions with colleges both at home and abroad, the excellent teaching and research achievements of the college have been fully displayed.