Kendall College of Art and Design

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is a college of art and design located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kendall College of Art and Design
Former name
David Wolcott Kendall Memorial School
Kendall School of Design
TypeArt school
Established1928 (1928)
Parent institution
Ferris State University
PresidentTara McCrackin
Students832
Location
Grand Rapids
,
Michigan
,
United States

42°57′56.9″N 85°40′06.5″W
Websitewww.kcad.ferris.edu
Image Courtesy Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University

Founded in 1928 as a private art academy, the college merged with Ferris State University in 2000. Offering bachelor's and master's degree programs across 25 majors encompassing visual arts, decorative arts and critical theory, KCAD is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Academics and rankings

Rankings

According to U.S. News & World Report, KCAD's Master of Fine Arts program in Studio Art is ranked #110 in the United States, tied with those of California State University, Chico, and California State University, Long Beach.[1]

Programs

The college's primary offering is its four-year undergraduate program, which combines general-education courses based on a model it calls Pathways, common foundational subjects, and a concentration of courses specific to each area of study, usually with a heavy studio focus.[2] Kendall offers degrees in: Art History: Studio (BS), Art History: Academic (BS), Collaborative Design (BFA), Digital Art and Design: Entertainment Arts (BFA), Digital Art and Design: Multimedia Design (BFA), Drawing (BFA), Fashion Studies (BFA), Graphic Design (BFA), Illustration (BFA), Interior Design (BFA), Medical Illustration (BFA), Painting (BFA), Photography (BFA), Printmaking (BFA), Product Design: Furniture Design (BFA), Product Design: Industrial Design (BFA), Product Design: Metals/Jewelry Design (BFA), and Sculpture/Functional Art (BFA).[3] Spring 2020, enrollment is 832 [4]

Kendall offers graduate programs in several disciplines: Architecture (MArch), Certificate in Design and Innovation Management (MBA), Painting (MFA), Visual and Critical Studies (MA), and Design (MA).[5]

It offers dual-enrollment programs through several area high schools, in which students receive both high school and college credit. These classes are taught either on Kendall's campus or at high schools. As of 2018, the participating districts were: Allendale, Byron Center, Coopersville, Davison, Delton-Kellogg, Design Street Plainwell, East Lansing, Grand Blanc, Grand Ledge, Lake Orion, Northview, Troy, Vassar, and Waterford-Kettering.[6]

Non-credit courses are also offered, including general interest classes for both youth and adults, and continuing studies programs for arts professionals.[7]

Image Courtesy Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University

The Digital Art and Design program at Kendall College of Art and Design are leaders in inclusive design for those with disabilities. The leaders of the DAD department are passionate about creating designs that work for everyone - both print and digital.

History

David Wolcott Kendall was a nationally known furniture designer, during Grand Rapids' heyday as "Furniture City". The David Wolcott Memorial School was established in 1928 by the will of Helen M. Kendall, his widow. The school opened in 1931, offering a two-year program in design, with 35 students. The school was located at 145 Fountain Street, at the western edge of what is now Heritage Hill.[8]

In 1947, growing from an influx of students following World War 2, the school's name was changed to Kendall School of Design. In 1961, having outgrown the Heritage Hill site, it relocated to 1110 College Avenue NE in the Highland Park neighborhood. In 1977, Kendall began offering baccalaureate degrees, and in 1981 was accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It moved again, to the seven-story Manufacturer's Building at 111 Division Avenue North (on the corner of Fountain Street, a short distance from the original site) in 1984.[8]

The name of the school was changed in 1987 to Kendall College of Art and Design. As part of a merger with Ferris State University, the college bought the adjacent Interstate Building in the 1990s, constructing an atrium which became the combined structures' main entrance at 17 Fountain Street NW. In 2000 the school became formally Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, and it continued renovating the new space for studio and classroom use. After the Grand Rapids Art Museum moved out of the Federal Building to the north, the university took ownership of it and reopened it as the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building in 2012 as part of the Kendall campus. In 2013, the college merged with the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, which had recently relocated to a new facility a few blocks to the south, and continues to operate as an arts organization.[8]

Facilities
Image Courtesy Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University

The college occupies two historic structures in downtown Grand Rapids, between Division and Ionia Avenues and Fountain and Lyon Streets. The seven-story main building contains most of the college's classroom, studio, and office space. The Woodbridge N. Ferris Building contains exhibition space, the Material ConneXion Library, and additional classroom and office space.[8]

Facilities include black-and-white darkrooms, photo studios, a library, galleries, an historic furniture collection, sculptural wood- and metalworking shops, a metalsmithing/jewelry design studio, digital fabrication contemporary technology such as wide format inkjet printers, laser engraving/cutting systems, 3D scanners, rapid prototyping/3D printers, CNC milling machines, printmaking equipment, life drawing studios, audio recording booth, and 24-hour-access student studios.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "U.S. News & World Report Education". www.usnews.com. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  2. "General Education | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  3. "Undergraduate Programs | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  4. "Kendall College merging arts programs, making cuts". mlive. Feb 19, 2020.
  5. "Graduate Programs | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  6. "Dual Enrollment | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  7. "Continuing Studies | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  8. "History | Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University". www.kcad.ferris.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
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