American Academy of Art College

American Academy of Art College

Type	Private for-profit art school
Active	1923 (1923)–2024
President	Richard H. Otto
Academic staff	21+ full time
Students	242
Location	Chicago , Illinois , United States 41°52′38.8″N87°37′28.5″W / 41.877444°N 87.624583°W / 41.877444; -87.624583
Website	www.aaart.edu

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]

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]
• 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)

References

1. "American Academy of Art College". Higher Learning Commission. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
2. Greenberg, Susan H. "For-Profit Art College Closes in Chicago". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
3. "Academy History". American Academy of Art. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
4. https://georgehurrell.com/george-hurrell/timeline/

External links

• Official website