History of the College
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design began as the dream of a handful of dedicated artists and their supporters in the spring of 1982 after York Academy of Arts in York, Pa., closed its doors. Key members of its faculty decided to continue the tradition of art education by forming a new school. In eight short weeks, the non-profit Pennsylvania School of the Arts (PSA) was formed.
At that time, PSA offered a three-year diploma program that consisted of classes in fine art, interior design, and communication arts.
PSA quickly outgrew its building and looked to the city of Lancaster for its new home. In 1987, the school moved to 204 North Prince Street in downtown Lancaster. With its commitment to and investment in the city, it became one of the key cultural anchors in Lancaster and part of the leading edge of the city’s economic development.
With the move, school officials announced that PSA’s name would change to Pennsylvania School of Art & Design.
The move from Marietta to the city of Lancaster provided students and staff with more space (from 14,000 to 37,000 square feet), better facilities, ample northern light, room to expand, plentiful city housing and a vibrant campus: downtown Lancaster itself.
In the fall of 1999, Pennsylvania School of Art & Design was approved as a college and awarded degree-granting privileges by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In August of 2000, the first freshman pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts walked through the new College’s doors.
In the summer of 2001, the College marked another milestone when it purchased the property at 204 North Prince Street, making its leased home of the past 12 years a permanent one. This purchase provided the College with an opportunity for expansion and has established Pennsylvania College of Art & Design as an anchor in downtown Lancaster.
In July of 2003, the College changed its name to Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. The college also purchased the property at 202 North Prince Street, increasing its size to more than 60,000 square feet.
Today, PCA&D is a leader in central Pennsylvania’s arts and business communities. As a professional art college, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and photography, professional programs, pre-college courses, and credit and non-credit art classes for adults, high school students and youth.
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has truly become “Your place to prepare for a life in art.”
Archival photos courtesy of Christian R. Herr, Jr. and Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Rudisill.