Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s strong Bachelor of Fine Arts program is attracting aspiring professional artists who want to study in an urban environment, and within a community that actively supports the arts.
PCA&D is a professional art college offering four-year Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) programs in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, and Photography. It is your place to prepare for a life in art.
The Design Center at PCA&D
The exciting news this year is our new 9,200 square foot Design Center at PCA&D, which will consolidate and enhance all of the digital aspects of the College under one roof. This means that students from all disciplines (graphic design, illustration, photography, and fine arts) will be able to connect their creative energies in one dynamic environment.
The Design Center will open in time for the new school year (August 2010) and a public opening will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2010.
The College would not be able to enhance its curriculum and facilities -- and build the Design Center -- without a sound financial foundation. Even in these recessionary times, PCA&D continues to exert prudent oversight of all its resources and thus, it remains a financially stable non-profit educational leader.
Financial overview of PCA&D
In the greater Lancaster community, the College is an important regional economic resource. Since 1987, it has invested more than $9.5 million in its properties and related improvements, and makes an annual contribution of more than $9 million to the economic flow of Lancaster city.
PCA&D alone generates 70,000+ person visits to the city
During the past year, the number of visits by persons who take classes or attend special events at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design exceeded 70,000. Each of these 70,000 visits also means that visitors use restaurants, shops, parking facilities, and other city businesses. The ability to bring that many people into the city reflects the difference PCA&D makes on the day-to-day, year-round economic flow of downtown Lancaster.
PCA&D's success can be attributed to a clear and focused mission; a talented board, faculty, and staff; enthusiastic students of all ages and interests; smart planning; and a community with a true appreciation of and commitment to the arts.
PCA&D's signature events
PCA&D has several events that are unique within and link the College to the Lancaster community.
The 24-hour Designathon provides real-world experience for senior graphic design students by matching them with non-profit agencies in need of professional-quality creative work.
The Mosaic Project builds bridges between the College and students (and their families) from a middle school and a high school in the area: one rural and one urban. The Mosaic Project provides these families with opportunities to meet nationally-known artists, attend Saturday art classes (some led by the visiting artists), receive scholarships to non-credit classes (to use within one year), and attend a class with family members. The Project also brings nationally-known artists to the Lancaster community: that is unusual among galleries in this area.
The Senior Show & Celebration is an annual event, held the Saturday before graduation. Each year, members of the graduating class display their senior thesis projects and fill over 60,000 square feet of space with top-quality work. The Celebration lasts for three hours: during that time, over 1,000 people come to PCA&D to enjoy the artwork, the students who created it, their friends and family, live music on every floor, and freshly-made refreshments. The Senior Show & Celebration is truly the gallery event of the year in Lancaster, Pa.
More about PCA&D
In 2008, PCA&D was admitted as a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design, a consortium of 36 leading art schools in the United States. We are also accredited by Middle States and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Since 1997, the number of full-time degree students has increased by 79 percent – from 164 to 294. These students come from all over Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Delaware, and most live in a four- to five-block radius of the College.
The College's small, intimate environment means our students receive more individualized instruction from the studio faculty, all of whom are professional, working artists and designers. With studios and classrooms designed to meet students' needs and a challenging, first-class curriculum, PCA&D provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in arts-related positions or advanced studies following graduation.
Our Continuing Education program is "Your place to explore art," and provides a wide variety of credit and non-credit studio and computer courses for youth, high school students, and adults.
Pre-college classes assist teenagers who are considering art as a career by providing opportunities for them to expand their portfolios, an important component to the college admissions process.
The Continuing Education program enrolls students primarily from Lancaster County, and has grown from 232 students in 1997 to more than 1,400 annually. Through Continuing Education, PCA&D offers Certificate programs in:
Digital Design Series: Web
Digital Design Series: Print
Home Interiors
Mural Painting
Digital Photography