American Academy of Art College
Private art school in Chicago, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The American Academy of Art College was a private for-profit art school in Chicago, Illinois.[1] It was founded in 1923 for the education of fine and commercial arts students. In July 2024, the college announced its pending closure.[2]
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| Type | Private for-profit art school |
|---|---|
| Active | 1923–2024 |
| President | Richard H. Otto |
Academic staff | 21+ full time |
| Students | 242 |
| Location | , , United States 41°52′38.8″N 87°37′28.5″W |
| Website | www |
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History
The American Academy of Art was founded in 1923 by Frank Young and Harry L. Timmins to train students for careers in commercial and fine art.[3]
Academics
Enrollment was typically between 400 and 500 students. Eight areas of study were offered for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, all of which required 126 credit hours to graduate. The academy was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Notable alumni
- Joyce Ballantyne, illustrator
- Thomas Blackshear, illustrator
- Bruce Burns
- Sandy Dvore, designer
- Gil Elvgren, illustrator
- George Hurrell, photographer[4]
- William Kuhlman, illustrator and wildlife artist [5]
- Loren Long, author and illustrator
- Rupert Kinnard
- Alex Ross, comic book illustrator
- Richard Schmid, painter
- Richard Sloan, artist
- Daniel Sotomayor, political cartoonist (attended but did not graduate)
- Haddon Sundblom, illustrator
- Jill Thompson, author and illustrator
- John Tobias, game designer
- Anthony Cruz, designer
- Kanye West, rapper (attended but did not graduate)