The history of the Faculty of Arts dates back to 1971, when musical education was established as part of the UMCS Higher Teacher Training College. The next year, artistic education was created. In the beginning they were three-year full-time studies, but in 1973, five-year studies of music education and art education were launched at the newly created Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University.
In 1974, as a part of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, the Musical Education Institute and the Artistic Education Institute were established. In 1976, the artistic faculties received their first headquarters in the pavilion at Zana 11a. Then the Music Education Department was moved to pl. Litewski 5. Also this year, the Institute of Artistic Education has been established in the structure of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology with two fields of study: music education and art education.
From February 1, 1989, the Institute of Artistic Education began operating as an independent faculty. In 1991 it received two buildings located at al. Kraśnicka with a total area of ​​approx. 4000 m2. Soon one of the buildings (al. Kraśnicka 2a) was converted into the seat of the Music Education Department. However, for another year, the extension of the second building (al. Kraśnicka 2b), which was to become the seat of the Artistic Education Institute, was underway. Finally, at the beginning of 1993, the entire Institute was already operating in new spaces.
Another important fact in history was the transformation of the Institute of Artistic Education into the Faculty of Arts at UMCS. The Art Department was created by unanimous resolution of the Academic Senate of April 23, 1997, enforced on September 1, 1997.
Along with the qualitative increase of the Faculty's research and teaching staff, new fields of full-time and evening, master's and bachelor's studies were launched. In the 1999/2000 academic year, the first selection of candidates for 5-year full-time master's studies in graphics was carried out, and in the 2001/2002 academic year for painting. In the same academic year, 3-year bachelor evening studies were launched - jazz and stage music. An attractive form, both in terms of location and curriculum, there were 3-year bachelor studies at the College of Fine Arts in Kazimierz Dolny, educating students in the fields of graphics and painting.
Since October 2000, Faculty of Arts has been operating in an institutional system. It consists of two separate units: Institute of Fine Arts and Institute of Music.
In 2001, the Faculty obtained the right to conduct the first degree qualification dissertations in the field of visual arts in the artistic discipline of graphics. Since 2003, Faculty has the right to confer the degree of doctor of art in the above-mentioned field, currently under the name of the degree of doctor of fine arts in the discipline of fine arts.
In 2010, the departmental Gallery Zajezdnia was opened in the nearby trolleybus depot. Gallery Zajezdnia, located thanks to the courtesy of the city authorities in MPK, was a testing ground, where apart from the current statutory activity and culture animation classes, workshops in the field of art marketing, covering the entire process of preparing a cultural event (exhibition, festival), and film workshops were organised, which resulted in the creation of a short film form. Gallery Zajezdnia was regularly visited by schoolchildren, the vernissages have became part of the cultural map of Lublin.
The Faculty of Arts is perceived as a scientific and artistic institution with a constantly evolving scientific staff, which apart from teaching activities, presents their creative achievements in many art and music competitions and festivals in Poland and abroad. The mission of the Faculty is to popularize art and educational activities at the level of the artistic school. Employees of Faculty are the organizers of the "ART-EDUCATION" Lublin Forum and co-organizers of the Lublin Contemporary Art Forum. W. Lutosławski. They actively participate in program and artistic councils of numerous galleries and artistic and cultural institutions.