California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts logo
Other name
CalArts
Former name
  • Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (1883–1961) Chouinard Art Institute (1921-1961)
TypePrivate art school
Established1883; 141 years ago (1883)
FoundersEmily Valentine, Nelbert Chouinard, Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney, Lulu May von Hagen
AccreditationWASC[1]
Endowment$213.8 million (2022)[2]
PresidentRavi Rajan
Academic staff
400 (fall 2019)
Administrative staff
262 (fall 2019)
Students1,353 (fall 2023)
Undergraduates1,025 (fall 2019)
Postgraduates492 (fall 2019)
6 (fall 2019)
Address
24700 McBean Pkwy
, , ,
United States

34°23′34″N 118°34′02″W / 34.3928°N 118.5673°W / 34.3928; -118.5673
CampusSuburban, 60 acres (24 ha)
Websitecalarts.edu

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees through its six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater.[3]

The school was first envisioned by many benefactors in the early 1960s including Nelbert Chouinard, Walt Disney, Lulu Von Hagen, and Thornton Ladd.[4][5] CalArts students develop their own work, over which they retain control and copyright, in a workshop atmosphere.

  1. ^ "California Institute of the Arts". Western Association of Schools Colleges. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2022.Annual Report (Report).
  3. ^ "Academics". CalArts. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  4. ^ Rushkoff, Douglas (1995). Media Virus: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture. Ballantine Books. p. 102. ISBN 0-345-39774-6.
  5. ^ "Timeline". CalArts. 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.