The College Philosophy

Founded in 1946 by Edward T. and Adele K. Paier, the College continues to offer students both timeless and contemporary skills in the visual arts, as well as a solid grounding in academics and human value systems necessary for growth and success in modern society.

Career-oriented students can pursue study programs in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, or photography. The faculty is drawn from top professional ranks and provides instruction based on the creative demands of their fields. Students willing to take on new and rigorous challenges can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to find a place in the productive stream of professional art.

In addition to the exploration of ideas and technique in the art curricula of the College, the degree programs also include studies devoted to art history, humanities, mathematics, physical science, and social science. Each of these areas includes imaginative and analytical expression of human experience – with oneself, with others, and with the world. This perspective contributes to an appreciation of the unity of life and to the understanding vital to the development of mature art statements. Each of these areas, rich in verbal expression, adds depth to the use of visual symbols, and each of these areas, diverse in modes of expression, adds range of creativity to artists who are sensitive to the world about them. Commitment to these perceptions is vital to the development of today's artist and is at the core of the College's approach to education. The school was accredited as a 4-year, degree-granting institution in 1982.