The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), founded as two separate nonprofit organizations - The Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America in 1991 and 1968, respectively - merged in 2002 as a national organization dedicated to advancing the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism, and their allied arts. It does so through education, publication, awards, and advocacy. Today there are fifteen regional Institute chapters and an international UK affiliate that together extend this unique public service.
The organization is a valued educational resource for students of art, planning, and architecture; for design professionals; and for the general public. It offers a wide array of programs including continuing education classes, travel programs, lectures, salons, and conferences. It publishes an academic journal called The Classicist as well as the acclaimed book series, the Classical America Series in Art and Architecture. The Grand Central Academy of Art flourishes as the Institute’s division of fine arts pedagogy, while the Beaux-Arts Atelier welcomes students of classical architecture and design.
Partnerships with non-architect, building, and residential designers via the American Institute of Building Design as well as Habitat for Humanity International bring the traditional design skills sustained and disseminated by the Institute to bear in diverse communities across America. An official Institute blog offers a further voice for advocacy.
Awarded annually, the Arthur Ross Awards are an increasingly recognized awards program administered by the Institute that honors excellence in the classical tradition, be it in practice, scholarship, or patronage. The first awards were presented by Brooke Astor in 1982. The Institute additionally offers two affiliated fellowships at the American Academy in Rome to advance the career of the architect or artist recipient and to foster a continuity of knowledge of the classical tradition as a vital aspect of contemporary culture around the globe.
The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) is the leading national nonprofit educational organization dedicated to advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism, and the allied arts. Under the heading “Academic Programs” the ICAA has developed a wide variety of course offerings, including studio-based seminars, lectures and travel tours. By adapting course content and crafting delivery methods to meet the educational needs of a diverse body of learners, the ICAA has pioneered an ecumenical curriculum model aimed to educate all individuals interested in mastering the language of classical design.