Kendall College of Art and Design
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Kendall College of Art and Design, of Ferris State University is a college of the visual arts in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It offers both Bachelor's and Master's degrees (primarily of Fine Arts) in a variety of subjects.
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[edit] Academics
Kendall has undergraduate programs in Art Education, Art History, Digital Media, general Fine Art, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Metals/Jewelry Design, Painting, Photography, and Sculpture/Functional Art. Most first-year students take a selection of common "foundation" classes and introductory courses in their major, along with some general Humanities, Science, and Art History classes. Later years' studies consist primarily of studio classes in the student's major field and related electives, and additional general education classes.
The graduate programs include an MFA in Fine Art and an MBA with a focus on design issues.
Dual enrollment for advanced high school students is available. A variety of non-credit classes for both children and adults are also offered to the community.
[edit] History
The school was founded in 1928 as David Wolcott Kendall Memorial School, through a bequest by his widow Helen M. Kendall. Mr. Kendall had been a nationally-recognized pioneer in the local furniture industry. The institution became known as Kendall School of Design in 1947, was accredited as Kendall College of Design in 1981, and became Kendall College of Art and Design in 1987 to reflect its programs in the Fine Arts. Previously a private college, it merged with Ferris State University in 2000, but retains a substantial degree of autonomy as a full college, with its own academic programs, facilities, faculty, staff, and president.
[edit] Facilities
The college occupies a 7-story historic building in downtown Grand Rapids. Facilities include color and black-and-white darkrooms, photo studios, a library, two galleries, a furniture collection, sculptural wood- and metalworking shops, a metalsmithing/jewelry design studio, digital fabrication technology such as 2 rapid prototyping systems and 4 CNC milling machines, printmaking equipment, life drawing studios, audio recording booth, 24-hour-access student studios, a coffee shop, a bookstore with art supplies, and classroom/labs equipped with Mac and Windows computers.
A substantial expansion of the college's facilities began around the time it joined Ferris. First it took over the adjoining building, renovating and adding studio, classroom, gallery, and office space, effectively doubling the size of the Kendall building. Later, the college committed itself to acquire and adapt the historical Grand Rapids Art Museum building across the street after the museum finishes relocating in 2007, where it plans to add gallery, auditorium, classroom, studio, and office space.
In 2007 the college launched an initiative to promote the use and ownership of computers by its students, revamping its facilities to better accommodate laptops, and revising the curriculum to take advantage of universal computer availability. Discounts on hardware and software are available to help cover the purchase cost.
[edit] Students
As of Spring 2007 total enrollment (undergraduate and graduate) is about 1100 students, with a faculty:student ratio of about 1:14. Most students live in apartments downtown or in nearby neighborhoods such as Heritage Hill and Eastown. The college assists students in finding housing, and also offers renovated, furnished apartments a block from the main building. In the atrium of the building, students often partake in table-top sports such as ping pong and foosball.
