60-acre (25-hectare) suburban campus in Valencia, Calif., dedicated to training promising students in the performing and fine arts. California Institute of the Arts was founded in 1961 through the merger of the Chouinard Art School (founded in 1921) and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (founded in 1883). Much of the money for the venture came from filmmaker Walt Disney, who wanted to create a school that would encompass all of the visual and performing arts. All classrooms, offices, studio space, and theaters are in one central, modern building. The campus also provides housing for more than half of the students. The academic calendar is divided into semesters. The Institute consists of five schools: art and design, dance, theater, film and video, and music. Students enroll in a particular school but may take courses in other disciplines. Within the main fields, students may choose to concentrate on a specific area such as commercial art, computer graphics, jazz, voice, photography, and stringed instruments. The Institute grants bachelor's and master's of fine arts degrees. The faculty consists of equal numbers of full- and part-time instructors, all of whom are working artists. About two fifths of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. The Institute enrolls more than 1,000 students, about 700 of whom are undergraduates. Admission is selective and requires a portfolio review or audition. Students are attracted from across the United States and a few foreign countries. Men outnumber women. Extracurricular activities for students include a drama group, chorus, and the student-run newspaper and radio station. The proximity of the campus to Los Angeles provides additional cultural and social opportunities. |