School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Last updated
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SAIC logo.svg
Type Private art school
Established1866;158 years ago (1866)
Accreditation HLC
NASAD
President Jiseon Lee Isbara
Academic staff
141 full-time
427 part-time
Students3,532
Undergraduates 2,894 (fall 2018) [1]
Postgraduates 745 (fall 2018)
Location
Chicago
,
Illinois
,
United States

41°52′46″N87°37′26″W / 41.87944°N 87.62389°W / 41.87944; -87.62389
Campus Urban
Affiliations Art Institute of Chicago
AICAD
Website saic.edu

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum and school, SAIC has been accredited since 1936 by the Higher Learning Commission and by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design since 1944 (charter member). It has been a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) since the association's founding in 1991 and is also accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Contents

The school's 280 Columbus Avenue building in Grant Park, is attached to the museum and houses a premier gallery showcase. School of the Art Institute Chicago Grant Park.JPG
The school's 280 Columbus Avenue building in Grant Park, is attached to the museum and houses a premier gallery showcase.

Its downtown Chicago campus consists of seven buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the AIC building. SAIC is in an equal partnership with the AIC and shares many administrative resources such as design, construction, and human resources. The campus, located in the Loop, comprises chiefly five main buildings: the McLean Center (112 S. Michigan Ave.), the Michigan building (116 S Michigan Ave), the Sharp (36 S. Wabash Ave.), Sullivan Center (37 S. Wabash Ave.), and the Columbus (280 S. Columbus Dr.). SAIC also holds classes in the Spertus building at 610 S. Michigan. SAIC owns additional buildings throughout Chicago that are used as student galleries or investments. There are three dormitory facilities: The Buckingham, Jones Hall, and 162 N State Street residencies.

History

The institute has its roots in the 1866 founding of the Chicago Academy of Design, which local artists established in rented rooms on Clark Street. It was financed by member dues and patron donations. Four years later, the school moved into its own Adams Street building, which was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Because of the school's financial and managerial problems after this loss, business leaders in 1878 formed a board of trustees and founded the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. They expanded its mission beyond education and exhibitions to include collecting. In 1882, the academy was renamed the Art Institute of Chicago. The banker Charles L. Hutchinson served as its elected president until his death in 1924. [2] The school grew to become among the "most influential" art schools in the United States. [3]

Walter E. Massey served as president, from 2010 until July 2016. [4] He was succeeded by Elissa Tenny, who formerly served as the school's provost. [5] In 2024, Tenny was succeeded by Jiseon Lee Isbara, a fiber artist and academic administrator. [6] [7]

Academics

SAIC offers classes in art and technology; arts administration; art history, theory, and criticism; art education and art therapy; ceramics; fashion design; filmmaking; historic preservation; architecture; interior architecture; designed objects; journalism; painting and drawing; performance; photography; printmaking; sculpture; sound; new media; video; visual communication; visual and critical studies; animation; illustration; fiber; and writing. [8]

"Painting critique": students' critiquing Ben Cowan's work SAIC PaintCritique.jpg
"Painting critique": students' critiquing Ben Cowan's work
The Etching Room, with etching presses and workstations SAIC EtchLab.jpg
The Etching Room, with etching presses and workstations

SAIC also offers an interdisciplinary Low-Residency MFA for students wishing to study the fine arts and/or writing.

In 2024, the school reported a six-year graduation rate of 68%. [9]

Chicago Architects Oral History Project

In 1983, the Department of Architecture began the Chicago Architects Oral History Project. More than 78 architects have contributed. [10] [11]

Demographics

As of fall 2018, the school enrolled 2,895 undergraduate and 745 graduate students. About three quarters of them were female and about one-third of them were from outside of the United States. [12]

Activities

Visiting Artists Program

Founded in 1868, the Visiting Artists Program (VAP) is one of the oldest public programs of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Formalized in 1951 by Flora Mayer Witkowsky's endowment of a supporting fund, the Visiting Artists Program hosts public presentations by artists, designers, and scholars each year in lectures, symposia, performances, and screenings. It showcases work in all media, including sound, video, performance, poetry, painting, and independent film; in addition to significant curators, critics, and art historians. [13] [ citation needed ]

Recent visiting artists have included Catherine Opie, Andi Zeisler, Aaron Koblin, Jean Shin, Sam Lipsyte, Ben Marcus, Marilyn Minter, Pearl Fryar, Tehching Hsieh, Homi K. Bhabha, Bill Fontana, Wolfgang Laib, Suzanne Lee, and Amar Kanwar among others. [14]

Additionally, the Distinguished Alumni Series brings alumni back to the community to present their work and reflect on how their experiences at SAIC have shaped them. Alumni speakers have included Tania Bruguera, Jenni Sorkin, Kori Newkirk, Saya Woolfalk, Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, Trevor Paglen, and Sanford Biggers. [15] [ citation needed ]

Galleries

Student organizations

ExTV

ExTV is a student-run time-arts platform that broadcasts online and on campus. Its broadcasts are available via monitors located throughout the 112 S. Michigan building, the 37 S Wabash building, and the 280 S. Columbus building.

F Newsmagazine

F Newsmagazine is SAIC's student-run newspaper. The magazine is a monthly publication with a run of 12,000 copies. Copies are distributed throughout the city, mainly at locations frequented by students such as popular diners and movie theaters.

Free Radio SAIC

Free Radio SAIC is the student-run Internet radio station of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Free Radio uses an open programming format and encourage its DJs to explore and experiment with the medium of live radio. Program content and style vary but generally include music from all genres, sound art, narratives, live performances, current events and interviews.

Featured bands and guests on Free Radio SAIC include Nü Sensae, The Black Belles, Thomas Comerford, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jeff Bennett, Carolyn Lawrence, and much more. [17] [18] [19]

Student government

The student government of SAIC is unique in that its constitution requires four officers holding equal power and responsibility. Elections are held every year. There are no campaign requirements. Any group of four students may run for office, but there must always be four students.

The student government is responsible for hosting a school-wide student meeting once a month. At these meetings students discuss school concerns of any nature. The predominant topic is funding for the various student organizations. Organizations which desire funding must present a proposal at the meeting by which the students vote whether they should receive monies or not. The student government cannot participate in the vote: only oversee it.

Rankings

In a 2002 survey conducted by the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University, SAIC was named the "most influential art school" by art critics at general interest news publications from across the United States. [20]

In January 2013, the Global Language Monitor ranked SAIC as the #5 college in the U.S., the highest ever for an art or design school in a general college ranking. [21]

As of 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranks SAIC as the second best overall graduate program for fine arts in the U.S. tied with the Yale School of Art. [22] In their previous rankings done in 2016, U.S. News & World Report's college rankings ranked SAIC the fourth best overall graduate program for fine arts in the U.S. tying with the Rhode Island school of Design. [23] In 2021, the university was ranked the seventh globally according to the QS World University Rankings by the subject Art and Design. [24]

Notable people

Notable professors at SAIC include Nick Cave, James Elkins, Lisa Wainwright, Stephanie Brooks, Mary Jane Jacob, Frank Piatek, Edra Soto, Michelle Grabner, Jefferson Pinder, Adrian Wong, and Candida Alvarez.

Notable alumni include Ivan Albright, Thomas Hart Benton, Sanford Biggers, [25] Sonya Clark, [26] Amanda Crowe, Megan Elizabeth Euker, Richard Hunt, Rashid Johnson, [27] Jeff Koons, Joan Mitchell, Georgia O'Keefe, Trevor Paglen, [28] Sterling Ruby, [29] Dread Scott, [30] Belle Silveira, Charles W. White, and Grant Wood. [31]

Controversy

Mirth & Girth

On May 11, 1988, a student painting depicting Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago, was taken down by three of the city's African-American aldermen based on its content. [32] The painting by David Nelson, 'Mirth & Girth, was of Washington clad only in women's underwear [33]

Police Superintendent LeRoy Martin ordered the removal of the painting, [32] which was returned the following day. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department and the aldermen on the grounds that they had violated Nelson's First, Fourth, and Fourteenth amendment rights. In 1992, a federal court affirmed his constitutional rights had been violated. [30] In 1994, the city agreed to a settlement: the money would go toward attorneys' fees for the ACLU. The three aldermen agreed not to appeal the 1992 ruling and the police department established procedures over seizure of materials protected by the First Amendment. [32]

What Is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?

In February 1989, as part of a piece entitled What Is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?, a student named "Dread" Scott Tyler spread a Flag of the United States on the floor of the institute. The piece consisted of a podium, set upon the flag, and containing a notebook for viewers to express how they felt about the exhibit. In order for viewers to write in the notebook, they would have to walk on the flag, which is a violation of customary practice and code. While the exhibit faced protests from veterans and bomb threats, the school stood by the student's art. [30] That year, the school's state funding was cut from $70,000 to $1, and the piece was publicly condemned by President George H. W. Bush. [34] Scott would go on to be one of the defendants in United States v. Eichman , a Supreme Court case in which it was eventually decided that federal laws banning flag desecration were unconstitutional. [35]

Racial slur and art studies

In 2018, then Dean Martin Berger, an art historian, gave an academic lecture on the civil rights movement in which he read a quote that employed the N-Word. This part of his presentation caused controversy among faculty and staff, some thought it appropriate in the academic setting in which it was used, while others did not. [36]

Academic freedom controversy

In 2017, a controversy arose after Michael Bonesteel, an adjunct professor specializing in outsider art, and comics, resigned after actions taken by the institute following two Title IX complaints by transgender students being filed against him in which each criticized his comments and class discussion. The institute initiated an investigation and took certain actions. Bonesteel described the SAIC investigation as a "Kafkaesque trial", in which he was never shown copies of the complaints. He claimed he was assumed to be "guilty until proven innocent" and that SAIC "feels more like a police state than a place where academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas is valued". [37]

Laura Kipnis, author of a book on Title IX cases in which she argues that universities follow reckless and capricious approaches, argued that SAIC was displaying "jawdropping cowardice". [38] She said, "The idea that students are trying to censor or curb a professor's opinions or thinking is appalling". [38] [39] The school said the claims made against it were "problematic" and "misleading", and that it supports academic freedom. [37]

Property

This is a list of property in order of acquisition:

SAIC also owns these properties outside of the immediate vicinity of the Chicago Loop:

SAIC leases:

Academic partnerships

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OCAD University</span> Public art university in Toronto, Canada

Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD U, is a public art university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its main campus is located within Toronto's Grange Park and Entertainment District neighbourhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalamazoo Valley Community College</span> Public college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, US

Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was established in 1966 by the overwhelming approval of voters in nine local school districts. Kalamazoo Valley offers 50 certificate programs and associate degrees in 60 areas of study. In addition to associate degree and certificate programs in business, health care, human and public services, technical and industrial occupations, the college also provides a quality experience for students preparing to transfer to four-year institutions following graduation. Michigan National Guard close family members can receive tuition assistance to attend KVCC as of August 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts</span> Museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the first and oldest art museum and art school in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Carr University of Art and Design</span> Canadian art school in Vancouver, Canada

The Emily Carr University of Art + Design is a public university of art and design located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1925 as the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, it is the oldest public post-secondary institution in British Columbia dedicated to professional education in the arts, media, and design. The university is named for Canadian artist and writer Emily Carr, who was known for her Modernist and Post-Impressionist artworks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Building</span> United States historic place

The Fisher Building is a landmark skyscraper located at 3011 West Grand Boulevard in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The ornate 30-story building, completed in 1928, is one of the major works of architect Albert Kahn, and is designed in an Art Deco style, faced with limestone, granite, and several types of marble. The Fisher family financed the building with proceeds from the sale of Fisher Body to General Motors. It was designed to house office and retail space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Northwest College of Art</span> Art school at Willamette University

The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is an art school of Willamette University and is located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1909, the art school grants Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and graduate degrees including the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees. It has an enrollment of about 500 students. The college merged with Willamette University in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia College Chicago</span> Private art college in the US

Columbia College Chicago is a private art college in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1890, it has 6,493 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roosevelt University</span> Private university in Chicago, Illinois, US

Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university enrolls around 4,000 students between its undergraduate and graduate programs. Roosevelt is home to the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

The Lamar Dodd School of Art is the art school of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus College of Art and Design</span> Private art school in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) is a private art school in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1879 as the Columbus Art School and is one of the oldest private art and design colleges in the United States. Located in downtown Columbus, CCAD's campus consists of 11 buildings on 9 acres (36,000 m2) and is adjacent to the Columbus Museum of Art. Approximately 900 full-time students are enrolled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design</span> Private college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) is a private art school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1974, MIAD is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. MIAD is considered the successor to the Layton School of Art, and was formerly known as the Milwaukee School for the Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Architectural College</span> Architectural college in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is a private college in Boston. It is New England's largest private college of spatial design. The college's main building is at 320 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Brown (artist)</span> American artist and painter (1941–1997)

Roger Brown was an American artist and painter. Often associated with the Chicago Imagist groups, he was internationally known for his distinctive painting style and shrewd social commentaries on politics, religion, and art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Institute of Chicago</span> Art museum in Chicago, United States

The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park. Its collection, stewarded by 11 curatorial departments, includes works such as Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and Grant Wood's American Gothic. Its permanent collection of nearly 300,000 works of art is augmented by more than 30 special exhibitions mounted yearly that illuminate aspects of the collection and present curatorial and scientific research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Institute of Chicago Building</span>

The Art Institute of Chicago Building houses the Art Institute of Chicago, and is part of the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The building is located in Grant Park on the east side of Michigan Avenue, and marks the third address for the Art Institute. The main building was built for the joint purpose of providing an additional facility for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, and subsequently the Art Institute. The core of the current complex, located opposite Adams Street, officially opened to the public on December 8, 1893, and was renamed the Allerton Building in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Side Community Art Center</span>

The South Side Community Art Center is a community art center in Chicago that opened in 1940 with support from the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project in Illinois. Opened in Bronzeville in an 1893 mansion, it became the first black art museum in the United States and has been an important center for the development Chicago's African American artists. Of more than 100 community art centers established by the WPA, this is the only one that remains open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Lee Hu</span> American artist, goldsmith and educator

Mary Lee Hu is an American artist, goldsmith, and college educator, known for using textile techniques to create intricate woven wire jewelry.

Interdisciplinary Arts was an academic department in the School of Media Arts at Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steinway Hall (Chicago)</span> Office building / indoor theater in Illinois, United States

Steinway Hall was an 11-story office building, and ground-floor theater, located at 64 East Van Buren Street in Chicago, Illinois. The theater had at least 14 names over the years, opening in 1896 as the Steinway Music Hall, and closing in the late 1960s as Capri Cinema. In the early 1900s, the building held the offices and nucleus of a group of famous Chicago architects that included a young Frank Lloyd Wright. These architects, inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement and the philosophies of Louis Sullivan, formed what would become known as the Prairie School.

Elissa Tenny is an American academic and educator and the fifteenth President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She is also the first woman to hold the title of President at SAIC in its 158-year history.

References

  1. ↑ "Quick Facts: Enrollment". School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. ↑ Dillon, Diane (2005). "Art Institute of Chicago". In Reiff, Janice L.; Keating, Ann Durkin; Grossman, James R. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Chicago (Electronic ed.). Chicago Historical Society and Newberry Library.
  3. ↑ Roeder, George H. Jr. (2005). "Artists, Education and Culture of". In Reiff, Janice L.; Keating, Ann Durkin; Grossman, James R. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Chicago (Electronic ed.). Chicago Historical Society and Newberry Library.
  4. ↑ "Walter Massey Named President Emeritus". June 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ "SAIC Names Elissa Tenny President to Succeed Walter Massey, Effective July 1, 2016" (Press release). Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  6. ↑ Said, Zayreen (February 15, 2024). "SAIC selects new president". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 12, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Office of the President | School of the Art Institute of Chicago". www.saic.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  8. ↑ "Areas of Study" . Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "Graduation and Retention Rates". School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  10. ↑ "Chicago Architects Oral History Project". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on 24 April 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Chicago Architects Oral History Project: General Information and Ordering Transcripts". The Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on 16 February 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "About: Enrollment". SAIC. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "Visiting Artists Program" . Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "Visiting Artists Program: Past Events & Podcasts". School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  15. ↑ "Past Events & Podcasts" . Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  16. ↑ School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2020-02-27). "SAIC Announces New Home for Its Iconic Galleries in Chicago's Loop". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  17. ↑ "Babe Wave". FreeRadioSAIC. Archived from the original on 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  18. ↑ Tarun (2011-08-22). "Cartoons On The Radio". FreeRadioSAIC. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  19. ↑ andy (2011-11-01). "Interview With Thomas Comerford". FreeRadioSAIC. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  20. ↑ Szántó, András (2002). The Visual Arts Critic (PDF) (Report). NAJP/Columbia University. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
  21. ↑ "What's the Buzz? Exclusive TrendTopper MediaBuzz Rankings (January 2013)".
  22. ↑ "Best Fine Arts Schools". U.S. News & World Report.
  23. ↑ "2017 Best Graduate Fine Arts Programs". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 2017-03-14.
  24. ↑ "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Art & Design". 13 May 2024.
  25. ↑ "The Bravery of Sanford Biggers | School of the Art Institute of Chicago". www.saic.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  26. ↑ "Alum Sonya Clark Weaves the Fabric of America Together | School of the Art Institute of Chicago". www.saic.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  27. ↑ "Rashid Johnson - Artists - Acquavella Galleries". www.acquavellagalleries.com. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  28. ↑ "Trevor Paglen". www.macfound.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  29. ↑ "The Grotesque Beauty of Sterling Ruby's Work | School of the Art Institute of Chicago". www.saic.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  30. 1 2 3 Dubin, Steven (1992). Arresting Images, Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions . Routledge. ISBN   0-415-90893-0.
  31. ↑ Profiles saic.edu
  32. 1 2 3 Matt O'Connor (21 September 1994). "Suit Ended on Picture of Washington". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  33. ↑ "ACLU jumps into 'Mirth and Girth' art controversy". United Press International. Chicago. May 13, 1988. Retrieved February 21, 2022. The American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue Chicago police because of the seizure of a painting depicting the late Mayor Harold Washington wearing women's underwear.
  34. ↑ Campbell, Adrianna (9 January 2017). "Banner Year: At a Time of Heated Race Relations in America, Dread Scott Wades Into the Fray". ARTnews. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  35. ↑ Cohen, Alina (July 25, 2018). "It's Legal to Burn the American Flag. This Artist Helped Make It A Form of Free Speech". Artsy. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  36. ↑ Smith, Leo (2020-03-10). "When the Dean Said a Slur, And Then Got Promoted". F Newsmagazine. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  37. 1 2 Roll, Nick (July 24, 2017). "Tensions in the Art Classroom". Inside Higher Ed.
  38. 1 2 Jori Finkel (18 August 2017). "Art school under fire for bowing to transgender student complaints". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  39. ↑ Tom Bartlett, "The Offender", The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 10, 2017. Available online to subscribers only.
  40. ↑ News Desk (2020-03-02). "SAIC'S GALLERIES WILL MOVE TO NEW 62,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOME". Artforum. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.