Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts

Other names	VCU School of the Arts VCUarts
Former name	RPI School of Art
Type	Public art school
Established	1928 (1928)
Founder	Theresa Pollak
Parent institution	Virginia Commonwealth University
Dean	Shawn Brixey
Academic staff	227
Students	2,885
Undergraduates	2,705
Postgraduates	180
Location	Richmond, Virginia, United States 37°33′N 77°27′W / 37.55°N 77.45°W / 37.55; -77.45
Campus	Urban
Website	arts.vcu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (also referred to as VCU School of the Arts or simply VCUarts) is a public non-profit art and design school located in Richmond. One of the 13 degree-offering schools at VCU, the School of the Arts comprises 18 bachelor's degree programs, six master's degree programs, and one doctorate program. Its satellite campus in Doha, Qatar, VCUarts Qatar, offers five bachelor's degrees and one master's degree. It was the first off-site campus to open in Education City by an American university. As the most prominent art school operating in the Commonwealth, VCUarts advertises itself as an institute that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and research across departments, along with a curriculum that focuses equally on arts conceptualization and physical practice.

Founded in 1928 as a single painting class by artist Theresa Pollak, VCUarts became the official art school of the university in 1933. Since the early 20th century, the school has benefited from the funding and support of Virginia's state government and wealthy patrons of the arts, which has subsequently aided in the growth of Richmond's cultural profile. The school's Anderson Gallery, established in 1931, was the sole venue for arts exhibitions in Richmond until the opening of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1936. The incoming Institute for Contemporary Art is a project that was initially affiliated with the School of the Arts before ownership was transferred to VCU.

VCUarts has been consistently ranked among the top 10 art programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, with its Sculpture MFA program occupying the top spot across all U.S. programs. As of 2016, VCUarts has the top ranked visual arts and design graduate program among public universities, and tied for second overall.