The University of the Arts
The performing arts programs of the University of the Arts date back to 1870, when three graduates of Germany's Leipzig Conservatory opened the Philadelphia Musical Academy. The Academy became an independent college of music in 1950, one of only eight institutions in the nation to offer four-year Bachelor of Music degrees. The school changed its name to the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts (PCPA) in 1976. One year later, the Philadelphia Dance Academy became part of PCPA and, in 1983, the School of Theater was created, achieving the college's ideal combination of dance, music, and theater arts.
In 1985, PCA and PCPA merged to become the Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts, a collaboration bringing the institution one step closer to becoming the nation's first comprehensive arts university. After being granted university status in 1987, the University of the Arts became the largest institution of its kind in the nation, offering programs in design, fine arts, media arts, crafts, music, dance, and theater.
In 1996, the University added a third academic division, the College of Media & Communication, which merged with the College of Art & Design in 2011 to become the College of Art, Media & Design.
Person TypeInstitution
Terms
Mexican American artist and master muralist, born 1968
American painter, illustrator, and printmaker, 1858–1932
American sculptor and papermaker, 1926–2012
American artist, born 1965