Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University

Academy logo
Type	Private
Established	1929
President	Dr. Elisa Stephens
Undergraduates	7000
Postgraduates	2500
Location	San Francisco , CA , USA
Campus	Urban
Athletics	Intramural YMCA Classes, Soccer Team
Website	www.academyart.edu

The Academy of Art University (formerly known as Academy of Art College) was founded in San Francisco in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens. Since then, it has gradually expanded to occupy over 30 buildings in the downtown area and with an enrollment of approximately 9,500 students, it is the largest art and design school in the USA.

The Academy offers accredited AA, BFA, MFA, M-Arch, or Certificate programs both online and on campus in twelve majors: Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture (MFA & M-Arch only), Computer Arts/New Media, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Motion Pictures & Television, and Photography.

HISTORY

The Academy of Art University was established in San Francisco in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens, a fine art painter who had accepted the position of Creative Director for Sunset Magazine. Assisted by his wife, Mrs. Clara Stephens, he opened the new school in a rented loft at 215 Kearny Street to teach advertising art. In a few years, a distinguished faculty of practicing art and design professionals was assembled and the school’s philosophy was formulated: hire established professionals to teach future professionals. In 1933 the curriculum was expanded to include Fashion Illustration, and in 1936 a Fine Art Department was added. In 1951, after graduating from Stanford University, Dr. Richard A. Stephens took over the Presidency from his parents. His vision led to the expansion of the Academy from an enrollment of fifty students in two rented loft spaces to a 5,200 student body, with continued expansion of department majors available. In 1966 the school was incorporated and granted authority to offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education of the State of California. The graduate program was inaugurated in 1977 and approved by 1983. Dr. Elisa Stephens, the granddaughter of the school’s founder, succeeded her father as President of the Academy of Art University in 1992. Dr. Stephens has been committed to expanding the Academy’s curriculum to stay current with new technologies and industry trends, as well as making state-of-the art facilities and resources available to Academy students. In 2004, the name of the school was changed from Academy of Art College to Academy of Art University in recognition of its depth, scope and quality.

DEPARTMENTS

The Academy has 12 different majors. Advertising: Anyone can make ads that are funny or dramatic; not everyone can make ads that actually help sell their products. The Academy's advertising program will teach students an integrated approach to marketing communications that's backed by solid strategic thinking. They will create ads that work for the client, the consumer, and the times. When graduates leave, they will know how to express product advantages in fresh, meaningful, memorable ways that convince consumers they match their needs and lifestyles — this will give them a portfolio that screams for employer attention. They will also have the skills and thinking ability to land a job that's challenging, exciting, and pays a salary that's almost embarrassing. Animation & Visual Effects: At the Academy's School of Animation and Visual Effects, it doesn't matter whether prospective students intend to study 2D or 3D animation; they will be instructed by professional animators who have their fingers on the pulse of the industry. These expert instructors will help them navigate the world of professional animation, and make sure they graduate with the versatility to move between pencil and mouse. Architecture (MFA-M.ARCH Only): The Academy of Art University's School of Architecture program has been designed to prepare the graduate — through education and through the process of designing — to create visual and physical changes to our built environment that enhance its quality and our experience. The Academy's architecture students create the buildings that define a neighborhood, that define a landscape, that define a city, that define and reshape our idea of place. Instructors recognize that the highest level of architecture successfully integrates design, technology, art, form, environment, construction and culture, and all within the realities of architectural practice.But more than that: the graduates of the Academy's architecture school have a portfolio of work on par with that of any other school, and with artistry to separate them from the crowd.

Actress Diane Baker heads the school's Acting program, which is the most recent addition to the university's degree offerings. Legendary ILM animator, Tom Bertino, heads the Graduate Dept. of the School of Animation.

Rather than being centered within a unified campus, the university holds classes in a number of buildings, most of which are within a few blocks of each other in downtown San Francisco. There are classes in Several of the buildings, which are significant historical structures; in some cases, bought by the university to preserve them from demolition or commercial redevelopment. There are eleven student dormitories. Some dormitories are coed, some are not, and some occupy structures built in the early 20th Century. The university also has a limited number of student apartments. Residence facilities and all academic buildings are linked by an extensive school shuttle bus system, free to students, that runs both daytime and evening routes.

In the summer of 2005, the university purchased St. Brigid's Church on Van Ness Avenue from the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. The church was first opened as a parish in 1864 as a small wooden structure set on sand dunes. A large new stone church on the same site was completed in 1904 and survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and fires with relatively minor damage when a desperate fight finally stopped the spreading of such fires across the street from the church on Van Ness Avenue. The church had been closed by the Archdiocese in 1994 as a cost-saving measure. After a seismic restoration forecast to cost $7,000,000 USD, the university plans to use the church as a meeting hall, and its basement gymnasium will provide a sports facility for the school. Arrangement for access for former St. Brigid's parishioners (who have fought to re-open the church ever since its closure in 1994) have apparently been discussed, but no conclusions have been reached.

The University is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). The Foundation of Interior Design Education and Research (FIDER) accredits the Interior Architecture & Design School with a BFA degree as a professional level program. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has granted the School of Architecture candidacy status to offer a two year Master of Architecture degree.

External links

• San Francisco Academy of Art University
• More than 200 Art & Design Leaders Attend Academy of Art University 'Spring Show'
• Deanne Fitzmaurice, Academy Alumni, wins 2005 Pulitzer Prize