Beginning as a trade school with three instructors and 35 students, the School of Visual Arts has grown into a dynamic, multi-disciplinary institution with a faculty of more than 800 creative professionals and a student body of over 3,500.

In 1947, Silas H. Rhodes (1915 - 2007) and Tarzan illustrator Burne Hogarth (1911 - 1996) co-founded the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, with New York City-based arts professionals as faculty, a practice that continues to this day. In 1956, the institution was renamed School of Visual Arts (SVA), reflecting a belief that there is more to art than technique and that learning to become an artist is not the same as learning a trade. In 1972, the New York State Board of Regents authorized SVA to confer the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film, Fine Arts, Media Arts and Photography, the first proprietary school in the state to be so recognized. Today, the College offers 11 undergraduate degrees, including: advertising; animation; cartooning; film and video; fine arts; graphic design; illustration; interior design; photography; visual and critical studies; and computer art, animation and special effects.

In 1983, SVA opened its first graduate program, a Master of Fine Arts in painting, drawing and sculpture. In time SVA added seven graduate programs; art criticism and writing; art education; art therapy; computer art; design; design criticism; digital photography; illustration as visual essay; and photography, video and related media.

Alumni

SVA counts some of the world's greatest artists among its alumni. Thousands of them constitute the core of the cultural capital of the world, New York City; thousands of others can be found throughout the United States and in over 30 countries around the world.

Some notable alumni include: artists Inka Essenhigh, Rodney Alan Greenblat, Keith Haring, Suzanne McClelland, Elizabeth Peyton, Alexis Rockman, Kenny Scharf, Gary Simmons and Sarah Sze; photographers Guy Aroch, Renée Cox, Justine Kurland and Lorna Simpson. Others include Paul Davis, principal, Paul Davis Studio; Sal DeVito, creative director, DeVito/Verdi; Pete Hamill, author and journalist; Patrick McDonnell, creator, Mutts comic strip; Bill Plympton, Academy-Award nominated animator; Bryan Singer, director, X-Men, Usual Suspects; Carlos Saldanha, co-director, Ice Age and Robots; Harris Savides, cinematographer, Finding Forrester and Zodiac.

News and Events

There are a variety of public exhibitions and events that take place at SVA. The College operates three galleries: the SVA Gallery at 209 East 23rd Street; the Westside Gallery at 141 West 21st Street; and the Visual Arts Gallery at 601 West 26th Street in the Chelsea gallery district. To find out more or sign up for the College’s weekly e-newsletter or monthly e-calendar of events, visit www.sva.edu/signup.

In Memoriam

SILAS H. RHODES

Silas H. Rhodes's name was synonymous with one of the most vital and prestigious arts colleges in the U.S. In his roles as SVA's co-founder, president, and chairman of the board, this renowned educator pioneered numerous innovative approaches, including the concept of team teaching, a system of academic advisors instead of deans, and instruction by professionals working in the arts. He also art directed some of New York City's favorite posters. For his contribution to the enrichment of the urban landscape, Rhodes received commendations from the Governor of New York and from the Mayor of New York City. Born in New York in 1915, he received a BS from Long Island University and an MA and PhD from Columbia. For his voluntary service in the 1st Air Commando Group DFC during WWII, Rhodes earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. In 1947 Rhodes co-founded The Cartoonists and Illustrators School (as SVA was then known). From the start Rhodes believed that a thriving art school should have as its faculty working art professionals. The name change and expanded curriculum reflected the scope of visual arts education. Rhodes served as SVA's chairman of the board and president, creative director of the Visual Arts Press Ltd, The College's Design Studio, and president of the Visual Arts Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit organization that advances the arts as both individual vocation and social force.