Affiliations Woodruff Arts Center Founded 1905 | Phone +1 404-733-5001 | |
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Active 1905 (1905)–2006 (2006) Location Atlanta, Georgia, United States Address 1600 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA Notable alumni Kara Walker, Ty Pennington, Roe Ethridge, Roy LaGrone, Radcliffe Bailey Similar The Art Institute of Atlanta, Portfolio Center, Bauder College, Morris Brown College, Agnes Scott College | ||
The Atlanta College of Art (ACA) was a private four-year art college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1905, it was the oldest art college in the Southeast until it was absorbed by Savannah College of Art and Design in 2006.
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History
In 1905, the Atlanta Art Association helped establish an art college and museum that would later become the Atlanta College of Art and the High Museum of Art, respectively. In 1963, the college was incorporated into the Woodruff Arts Center on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta, named for its primary benefactor, Robert W. Woodruff. The center opened in 1968, comprising ACA, the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre.
In August 2005, the boards of trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) formally approved the merger of ACA and SCAD. In June 2006, the two institutions combined operations at SCAD's Atlanta location. The merger was widely contested by many ACA students, faculty and members of the Atlanta arts community.
Campus
In 2002, the High Museum of Art announced an expansion plan for the museum that included a new dormitory for the college. Italian architect Renzo Piano was hired for the project. SCAD acquired this dormitory in its merger with ACA and named it "ACA Residence Hall" in honor of the college.
Courses and programs
The college offered studies in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, photograghy, sculpture, digital art, video and graphic design. The school also offered programs through the Georgia Artists Registry, ACA Gallery shows, community education classes for adults, and summer programs in the arts for children and teens.
Notable Alumni
Notable alumni of the Atlanta College of Art include Courtney Adams, Radcliffe Bailey, Roe Ethridge, Ty Pennington, and Kara Walker.