VCU School of the Arts
| Type | Public university |
|---|---|
| Dean | Joseph H. Seipel |
| Students | 3,108 |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia, USA |
| Campus | Monroe Park Campus |
| Nickname | VCUarts |
| Website | http://www.arts.vcu.edu |
Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts, located in Richmond, Virginia, comprises 16 programs and more than 3,000 students. With the inclusion of the campus in Qatar, come an additional five programs and another 214 students. As part of a large, urban public research university, VCUarts students have the opportunity to pursue cross-disciplinary collaborations and to study alongside scholars in different fields. The VCUarts graduate program has been the top-ranked public university visual arts and design graduate program in the country since 2003. VCUarts has the lowest annual tuition among the top 10 schools of arts and design in the country.
The first important step in the expansion of the curriculum into an entirely new field was the opening in 1928 of the School of Art in a studio constructed in the loft of an old stable. The establishment of the School of Art resulted partly from the encouragement provided by an initial gift of $10,000 by Colonel Abraham Archibald Anderson, a wealthy New York artist; partly from gifts from Richmond citizens of $24,000; partly from a grant of financial assistance made by the State Department of Education; and partly from the willingness of the first teacher, Miss Theresa Pollak, to work in those early years without a salary guarantee.
Around the 1940s and 1950s the School of Arts began acquiring some recognition nationwide. A brochure issued by Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) about 1940 carried two photographs which had been published by Life magazine. The school has been for years one of the largest at RPI and its successor, Virginia Commonwealth University. Herbert J. Burgart, who became director about 1966-67 was quoted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on March 23, 1969, as saying that his information was that it is the "largest professional art school in the country, with 1,200 full-time undergraduate students and 75 graduate students."
By 1970, the faculty had increased to 72 full-time and 24 part-time teachers. In 1971, the Pollak Building--a studio, office, and classroom space--was named for Theresa Pollak in honor of her selfless dedication to the school.
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