The American Academy of Art College was a private for-profit art school in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1923 for the education of fine and commercial arts students. In July 2024, the college announced its pending closure.
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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.
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
William Kuhlman, illustrator and wildlife artist
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)