View source for School of the Art Institute of Chicago

{{Short description|Private art school in Chicago, Illinois}}
{{For|the art museum|Art Institute of Chicago}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = School of the Art Institute of Chicago
 | native_name            = 
 | native_name_lang       = 
 | other_name             = 
 | former_name            = Chicago Academy of Design<br>Chicago Academy of Fine Arts
 | image                  = SAIC logo.svg
 | image_size             = 
 | image_upright          = .7
 | image_alt              = 
 | caption                = 
 | latin_name             = 
 | motto                  = 
 | motto_lang             = 
 | mottoeng               = 
 | established            = {{Start date and age|1866}}
 | closed                 = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}} -->
 | type                   = [[Private university|Private]] [[art school]]
 | parent                 = [[Art Institute of Chicago]]
 | affiliation            = 
 | endowment              = 
 | budget                 = 
 | officer_in_charge      = 
 | chairman               = 
 | president              = [[Jiseon Lee Isbara]]
 | superintendent         = 
 | provost                = Martin Berger
 | vice_chancellor        = 
 | director               = 
 | head_label             = 
 | head                   = 
 | faculty                = 141 full-time<br>427 part-time
 | academic_staff         = 
 | administrative_staff   = 
 | students               = 3,640 (fall 2024)<ref name=demos />
 | undergrad              = 2,806
 | postgrad               = 589
 | doctoral               = 
 | other                  = 
 | city                   = [[Chicago]]
 | state                  = [[Illinois]]
 | province               = 
 | country                = United States
 | coor                   = {{Coord|41|52|46|N|87|37|26|W|source:eswiki_region:US_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
 | campus                 = [[Urban area|Urban]]
 | former_names           = 
 | language               = 
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 | colors                 = 
 | colours                = 
 | athletics              = 
 | sports                 = 
 | nickname               = <!--athletic nickname-->
 | mascot                 = 
 | affiliations           = [[Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design|AICAD]]
 | accreditation          = [[Higher Learning Commission|HLC]]<br/>[[National Association of Schools of Art and Design|NASAD]]
 | website                = {{URL|https://www.saic.edu|saic.edu}}
 | logo                   = 
 | footnotes              = 
}}

The '''School of the Art Institute of Chicago''' ('''SAIC''') is the [[Private university|private]] [[art school]] of the [[Art Institute of Chicago]] (AIC) in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].

Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the [[museum]] and school, SAIC has been [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] since 1936 by the [[Higher Learning Commission]] and by the [[National Association of Schools of Art and Design]] since 1944 (charter member). It has been a member of the [[Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design]] (AICAD) since the association's founding in 1991 and is also accredited by the [[National Architectural Accrediting Board]].

Its downtown Chicago campus consists of seven buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the [[Art Institute of Chicago Building|AIC building]]. SAIC is in an equal partnership with the AIC and shares many administrative resources such as design, construction, and human resources. The campus, located in [[Chicago Loop|the Loop]], comprises chiefly five main buildings: the McLean Center (112 S Michigan Ave), the Michigan building (116 S Michigan Ave), the Sharp (36 S Wabash Ave), Sullivan Center (37 S Wabash Ave), and the Columbus (280 S Columbus Dr). SAIC also holds classes in the [[Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership|Spertus]] building at 610 S Michigan Ave. SAIC owns additional buildings throughout Chicago that are used as student galleries or investments. There are three dormitory facilities: The Buckingham, Jones Hall, and 162 N State Street residencies.

== History ==
The institute has its roots in the 1866 founding of the '''Chicago Academy of Design''', which local artists established in rented rooms on Clark Street.  It was financed by member dues and patron donations. Four years later, the school moved into its own Adams Street building, which was destroyed in the [[Great Chicago Fire of 1871]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Like a Phoenix Born from the Ashes {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/news/phoenix-born-ashes |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Because of the school's financial and managerial problems after this loss, business leaders in 1878 formed a [[Board of directors|board of trustees]] and founded the '''Chicago Academy of Fine Arts'''.  They expanded its mission beyond education and exhibitions to include collecting. In 1882, the academy was renamed the Art Institute of Chicago. The banker [[Charles L. Hutchinson]] served as its elected president until his death in 1924.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2005 |title=Art Institute of Chicago |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Chicago |publisher=Chicago Historical Society and Newberry Library |url=http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/79.html |last=Dillon |first=Diane |editor-last=Reiff|editor-first=Janice L.|editor2-last=Keating |editor2-first=Ann Durkin |editor3-last=Grossman |editor3-first=James R. |edition=Electronic}}</ref> The school grew to become among the "most influential" art schools in the United States.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2005 |title=Artists, Education and Culture of |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Chicago |publisher=Chicago Historical Society and Newberry Library |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/83.html | last=Roeder | first=George H. Jr. |editor-last=Reiff|editor-first=Janice L.|editor2-last=Keating |editor2-first=Ann Durkin |editor3-last=Grossman |editor3-first=James R. |edition=Electronic}}</ref>

[[Walter E. Massey]] served as president, from 2010 until July 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saic.edu/about/mission-and-governance/office-of-the-president/speeches/walter-massey-named-president-emeritus|title=Walter Massey Named President Emeritus|date=June 28, 2018|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-date=May 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528050559/https://www.saic.edu/about/mission-and-governance/office-of-the-president/speeches/walter-massey-named-president-emeritus|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was succeeded by [[Elissa Tenny]], who formerly served as the school's provost.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.saic.edu/press/saic-names-elissa-tenny-president-succeed-walter-massey-effective-july-1-2016|title=SAIC Names Elissa Tenny President to Succeed Walter Massey, Effective July 1, 2016|access-date=28 March 2018|archive-date=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222054544/http://www.saic.edu/press/saic-names-elissa-tenny-president-succeed-walter-massey-effective-july-1-2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2024, Tenny was succeeded by Jiseon Lee Isbara, a [[fiber artist]] and academic administrator.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Said |first1=Zayreen |title=SAIC selects new president |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/02/15/school-of-the-art-institute-of-chicago-selects-korean-artist-educator-as-its-next-president/ | work=Chicago Tribune| date=February 15, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-date= |archive-url= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of the President {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/leadership-governance/office-president |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref>

== Academics ==
[[Image:SAIC PaintCritique.jpg|thumb|right|Then faculty member [[Barbara Rossi (artist)|Barbara Rossi]] leading a critique of student work in 2006.]]
SAIC offers classes in art and technology; arts administration; art history, theory, and criticism; art education and [[art therapy]]; ceramics; fashion design; filmmaking; historic preservation; architecture; interior architecture; designed objects; journalism; painting and drawing; performance; photography; printmaking; sculpture; sound; new media; video; visual communication; visual and critical studies; animation; illustration; fiber; and writing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saic.edu/t4/academics/areasofstudy/|title=Areas of Study|access-date=20 February 2019}}</ref>

SAIC also offers an interdisciplinary Low-Residency MFA for students wishing to study the fine arts and/or writing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Low Residency MFA Program {{!}} Low-Res Master of Fine Arts at SAIC |url=https://www.saic.edu/low-residency-mfa |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref>

In 2025, the school reported a six-year graduation rate of 64%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Graduation and Retention Rates |url=https://www.saic.edu/about/consumer-information/graduation-retention |access-date=2022-05-30 |publisher=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |language=en}}</ref>

==Chicago Architects Oral History Project==
In 1983, the Department of Architecture began the ''Chicago Architects Oral History Project.'' More than 78 architects have contributed.<ref name="artic.edu/caohp">{{cite web |title=Chicago Architects Oral History Project |url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/caohp/ |website=The Art Institute of Chicago |access-date=27 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424051652/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/caohp/ |archive-date=24 April 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago Architects Oral History Project: General Information and Ordering Transcripts |url=http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/caohp/about.html |website=The Art Institute of Chicago |access-date=27 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216111832/http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/caohp/about.html |archive-date=16 February 2006}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Pie chart
|caption=Fall 2024 student body make up
|value1=34.7
|label1=White
|value2=29
|label2=International
|value3=12.7
|label3=Hispanic
|value4=9.4
|label4=Asian or Pacific Islander
|value5=5.9
|label5=African American
|value6=4.1
|label6=Multiethnic
|value7=4.1
|label7=Not specified
|value8=0.1
|label8=American Indian
|radius=90
|footer=Source<ref name=demos />}}

As of fall 2024, the school enrolled 3,395 students, 2,806 of which were undergraduate and 589 graduate students. 76% of them were female and 29% were from outside of the United States. 7.5% of students were from Chicago.<ref name="demos">{{cite web |title=Consumer Information and Required Disclosures |url=https://www.saic.edu/consumer-information |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227175145/https://www.saic.edu/consumer-information#accordion=anchor-31832-4 |archive-date=27 December 2024 |access-date=13 February 2025 |publisher=School of the Art Institute of Chicago}}</ref>

==Activities==
[[Image:SAIC EtchLab.jpg|thumb|right|The Etching Room, with etching presses and workstations (2006)]]

===Visiting Artists Program===
Founded in 1868, the Visiting Artists Program (VAP) is one of the oldest public programs of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Formalized in 1951 by Flora Mayer Witkowsky's endowment of a supporting fund, the Visiting Artists Program hosts public presentations by artists, designers, and scholars each year in lectures, symposia, performances, and screenings. It showcases work in all media, including sound, video, performance, poetry, painting, and independent film; in addition to significant curators, critics, and art historians.<ref name="VAP">{{Cite web |title=Visiting Artists Program |url=https://www.saic.edu/visiting-artists-program |website=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref><ref name="VAPhist">{{Cite web |title=Visiting Artists Program (VAP) History |url=https://libraryguides.saic.edu/vaphistory |website=SAIC Library Guides |publisher=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>

Recent visiting artists have included composer and artist [[Raven Chacon]], artist working with artificial intelligence [[Stephanie Dinkins]], and sculptor and choreographer [[Guadalupe Maravilla]] (2023–24 school year).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=O'Keefe |first=Alex |title=Research Guides: Visiting Artists Program (VAP) History: Home |url=https://libraryguides.saic.edu/vaphistory |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=libraryguides.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> Visiting artists for the 2022–23 school year included [[Torkwase Dyson]] and [[Wu Tsang]], 2021-22 included [[Shirin Neshat]], [[Hito Steyerl]] and [[Katie Paterson]], and 2020-21 included [[Meg Onli]] and [[Fred Wilson (artist)|Fred Wilson]].<ref name=":1" />

Other visiting artists have included [[Catherine Opie]], [[Andi Zeisler]], [[Aaron Koblin]], [[Jean Shin]], [[Sam Lipsyte]], [[Ben Marcus]], [[Marilyn Minter]], [[Pearl Fryar]], [[Tehching Hsieh]], [[Homi K. Bhabha]], [[Bill Fontana]], [[Wolfgang Laib]], [[Suzanne Lee]], and [[Amar Kanwar]] among others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Visiting Artists Program: Past Events & Podcasts|url=https://www.saic.edu/visiting-artists-program/past-events|access-date=2021-03-24|website=School of the Art Institute of Chicago|language=en}}</ref>

Additionally, the Distinguished Alumni Series brings alumni back to the community to present their work and reflect on how their experiences at SAIC have shaped them. Alumni speakers have included [[Tania Bruguera]], [[Jenni Sorkin]], [[Kori Newkirk]], [[Saya Woolfalk]], [[Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba]], [[Trevor Paglen]], and [[Sanford Biggers]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saic.edu/visiting-artists-program/past-events|title=Past Events & Podcasts|access-date=20 February 2019}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

===Galleries===
*SAIC Galleries – Located at 33 E. Washington Street, SAIC Galleries occupies four floors and offers 26,000 square feet of exhibition space for annual student and faculty shows, as well as special exhibitions featuring national and international artists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SAIC Galleries |url=https://www.saic.edu/exhibitions/saic-galleries |website=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SAIC Announces New Home for Its Iconic Galleries in Chicago's Loop |url=https://loopchicago.com/in-the-loop/saic-announces-new-home-for-its-iconic-galleries-in-chicagos-loop/ |website=Loop Chicago |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
*Sullivan Galleries – Located to the 7th floor of the Sullivan Center at 33 S. State Street. With shows and projects often led by faculty or student curators, it is a teaching gallery. In the spring of 2020, SAIC announced it would relocate its galleries and Department of Exhibitions & Exhibition Studies from 33 S. State Street to 33 E. Washington Street after ten years of operation.<ref>{{Cite press release|date=2020-02-27|title=SAIC Announces New Home for Its Iconic Galleries in Chicago's Loop|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2020/02/27/1992028/0/en/SAIC-Announces-New-Home-for-Its-Iconic-Galleries-in-Chicago-s-Loop.html|access-date=2021-07-21|author=School of the Art Institute of Chicago|website=GlobeNewswire News Room|language=en}}</ref>
*SITE Galleries (formerly Student Union Galleries) – Founded in 1994, SITE, once known as the Student Union Galleries (SUGs), is a student-run organization at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) for the exhibition of student work. They have two locations: The SITE Sharp of the 37 South Wabash Avenue building; and SITE Columbus of the 280 South Columbus Drive building. The two locations allow the galleries to cycle two shows simultaneously.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://sites.saic.edu/sitegalleries/about-us/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=SITE Galleries |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Student organizations===

==== ExTV ====
ExTV is a student-run time-arts platform that broadcasts online and on campus. Its broadcasts are available via monitors located throughout the 112 S. Michigan building, the 37 S Wabash building, and the 280 S. Columbus building.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Benefits & Resources |url=https://www.saic.edu/alumni/benefits-resources#accordion=anchor-31696-10 |access-date=2025-02-13 |website= |publisher=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |language=en}}</ref>

====''F Newsmagazine''====
''F Newsmagazine'' is SAIC's student-run newspaper. The magazine is a monthly publication with a run of 12,000 copies. Copies are distributed throughout the city, mainly at locations frequented by students such as popular diners and movie theaters.<ref name=":0" />

====Free Radio SAIC====
Free Radio SAIC is the student-run Internet radio station of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Free Radio uses an open programming format and encourage its DJs to explore and experiment with the medium of live radio. Program content and style vary but generally include music from all genres, sound art, narratives, live performances, current events and interviews.<ref name=":0" />

Featured bands and guests on Free Radio SAIC include [[Nü Sensae]], [[The Black Belles]], Thomas Comerford, [[Kevin Michael Richardson]], [[Jeff Bennett]], [[Carolyn Lawrence]], and much more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://freeradiosaic.org/shows/babewave/ |title=Babe Wave|website=FreeRadioSAIC |access-date=2014-03-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117112519/http://freeradiosaic.org/shows/babewave/ |archive-date=2014-11-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Tarun|url=http://freeradiosaic.org/shows/cartoons-on-the-radio/ |title=Cartoons On The Radio|website=FreeRadioSAIC |date=2011-08-22 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=andy |url=http://freeradiosaic.org/shows/interviews-with-people/ |title=Interview With Thomas Comerford|website=FreeRadioSAIC |date=2011-11-01 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref>

====Student government====
The student government of SAIC, as required by its constitution, has four officers holding equal power and responsibility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Student Activities: Student Government |url=https://www.saic.edu/campus-life#accordion=anchor-30763-1 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |language=en}}</ref> Elections are held every year. There are no campaign requirements. Any group of four students may run for office, but there must always be four students.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The student government is responsible for hosting a school-wide student meeting once a month. At these meetings students discuss school concerns of any nature. The predominant topic is funding for the various student organizations. Organizations which desire funding must present a proposal at the meeting by which the students vote whether they should receive monies or not. The student government cannot participate in the vote: only oversee it.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

== Rankings ==
As of 2025, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranks SAIC as the second best overall graduate program for fine arts in the U.S. tied with the [[Yale School of Art]] and behind the [[UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Fine Arts Schools |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools |website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> In their previous rankings done in 2016, ''U.S. News & World Report''{{'s}} college rankings ranked SAIC the fourth best overall graduate program for fine arts in the U.S. tying with the [[Rhode Island School of Design]] (RISD), and behind Yale, UCLA, and [[Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=2017 Best Graduate Fine Arts Programs |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/fine-arts-rankings |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314175250/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/fine-arts-rankings |archive-date=2017-03-14 |work=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref>

In 2021, the university was ranked the seventh globally according to the [[QS World University Rankings]] by the subject Art and Design.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2021/art-design|title=QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Art & Design|date=13 May 2024 }}</ref>

In January 2013, the [[Global Language Monitor]] ranked SAIC as the #5 college in the U.S., the highest ever for an art or design school in a general college ranking.<ref>{{cite web |title=What's the Buzz? Exclusive TrendTopper MediaBuzz Rankings (January 2013) |url=http://www.universitybusiness.com/trendtopper2013/}}</ref>

In a 2002 survey conducted by the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University, SAIC was named the "most influential art school" by art critics at general interest news publications from across the United States.<ref name="Columbia_2002">{{Cite report |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/najp/publications/researchreports/tvac.pdf |title=The Visual Arts Critic |last=Szántó |first=András |date=2002 |publisher=NAJP/Columbia University |page=50 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.columbia.edu/cu/najp/publications/researchreports/tvac.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of School of the Art Institute of Chicago people}}

Notable professors at SAIC include [[Nick Cave (artist)|Nick Cave]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-02 |title=Nick Cave: 'Art has always been my saviour' |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/05/02/nick-cave-art-has-always-been-my-saviour |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.theartnewspaper.com |language=en}}</ref> [[James Elkins (art historian)|James Elkins]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Elkins |url=http://www.full-stop.net/2015/04/07/interviews/nicolesanson/james-elkins/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |language=en}}</ref> [[Lisa Wainwright]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lisa Wainwright {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/profiles/faculty/lisa-wainwright |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Stephanie Brooks]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stephanie Brooks {{!}} VQR |url=https://www.vqronline.org/people/stephanie-brooks |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=www.vqronline.org}}</ref> [[Mary Jane Jacob]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mary Jane Jacob {{!}} The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage |url=https://www.pewcenterarts.org/panelist/mary-jane-jacob |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.pewcenterarts.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Frank Piatek]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frank Piatek {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/profiles/faculty/frank-piatek |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Edra Soto]], [[Michelle Grabner]], [[Jefferson Pinder]], [[Adrian Wong (artist)|Adrian Wong]], and [[Candida Alvarez]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Notable alumni include [[Ivan Albright]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=1897 |title=Ivan Albright |url=https://www.artic.edu/artists/33376/ivan-albright |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=The Art Institute of Chicago |language=en}}</ref> [[Thomas Hart Benton (painter)|Thomas Hart Benton]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Thomas Hart Benton: Murals in the Missouri State Capitol |url=http://benton.truman.edu/artist.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221190204/http://benton.truman.edu/artist.html |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=1 March 2018 |website=benton.truman.edu}}</ref> [[Sanford Biggers]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bravery of Sanford Biggers {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/news/bravery-sanford-biggers |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Sonya Clark]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alum Sonya Clark Weaves the Fabric of America Together {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/node/15777 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Amanda Crowe]],<ref name="ramsey">{{cite web |date=2009-05-02 |title=Amanda Crowe |url=http://www.heritagewnc.org/WNC_women/crowe_amanda.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502165354/http://www.heritagewnc.org/WNC_women/crowe_amanda.htm |archive-date=2009-05-02 |website=Women in Western North Carolina |publisher=Ramsey Library}}</ref> [[Megan Elizabeth Euker]], [[Richard Hunt (sculptor)|Richard Hunt]],<ref name="askart.com12">{{cite web |title=Richard Howard Hunt – Artist Biography for Richard Howard Hunt |url=http://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Richard_Howard_Hunt/22373/Richard_Howard_Hunt.aspx |access-date=December 12, 2017 |website=Askart.com}}</ref> [[Rashid Johnson]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rashid Johnson - Artists - Acquavella Galleries |url=https://www.acquavellagalleries.com/artists/rashid-johnson |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.acquavellagalleries.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Jeff Koons]],<ref name="askart.com12"/> [[Joan Mitchell]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joan Mitchell {{!}} Smithsonian American Art Museum |url=https://americanart.si.edu/artist/joan-mitchell-3360 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=americanart.si.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Georgia O'Keeffe|Georgia O'Keefe]],<ref name="EB">{{cite web |title=Georgia O'Keeffe {{!}} American painter |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georgia-OKeeffe |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929173110/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georgia-OKeeffe |archive-date=September 29, 2019 |access-date=October 11, 2019 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> [[Trevor Paglen]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trevor Paglen |url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2017/trevor-paglen |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.macfound.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Sterling Ruby]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Grotesque Beauty of Sterling Ruby's Work {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/news/grotesque-beauty-sterling-rubys-work |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Dread Scott]],<ref name="Dubin 1992" /> [[Belle Silveira]],<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 1916 |title=The Art Institute of Chicago Art School |url=https://digitalcollections.saic.edu/_flysystem/fedora/2023-08/19160301-THEARTSTDNT.pdf |journal=The Art Student |pages=4}}</ref> [[Charles W. White]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Celebrating Charles White {{!}} School of the Art Institute of Chicago |url=https://www.saic.edu/news/celebrating-charles-white |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=www.saic.edu |language=en}}</ref> and [[Grant Wood]].<ref>[https://www.saic.edu/profiles/ Profiles] saic.edu</ref>

<gallery class="center">
File:Tom benton.jpg|Painter and muralist [[Thomas Hart Benton (painter)|Thomas Hart Benton]] (1907–1909)
File:A selfie of Sonya Clark.jpg|Fiber artist [[Sonya Clark]] (BFA 1993)
File:Young Richard Hunt in Cleveland Ave Studio - Chicago 1962.jpg|Sculptor [[Richard Hunt (sculptor)|Richard Hunt]] (BAE 1957)
File:20081202 Rashid Johnson at the Rubell Family Collection.jpg|Conceptual artist [[Rashid Johnson]] (MFA 2005)
File:Jeff Koons 01.JPG|Sculptor [[Jeff Koons]] (1975–1976)
File:Georgia O'Keeffe MET DP230868.jpg|Painter [[Georgia O'Keeffe]] (1905–1906)
File:Trevor-paglen12.JPG|Photographer [[Trevor Paglen]] (MFA 2002)
File:SterlingRubyPortrait2012.jpg|Installation artist [[Sterling Ruby]] (BFA 2002)
File:Dread Scott.jpg|Participatory artist [[Dread Scott]] (BFA 1989)
File:Grant Wood.jpg|Painter [[Grant Wood]] (1913–1916)
</gallery>

== Controversy ==

=== ''Mirth & Girth'' ===
{{Main|Mirth & Girth}}
On May 11,&nbsp;1988, a student painting depicting [[Harold Washington]], the first black mayor of Chicago, was taken down by three of the city's African-American [[Chicago City Council|aldermen]] based on its content.<ref name="oconnor"/> The painting by David Nelson, ''Mirth & Girth'', was of Washington clad only in women's underwear.''<ref>{{cite news |title=ACLU jumps into 'Mirth and Girth' art controversy |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/05/13/ACLU-jumps-into-Mirth-and-Girth-art-controversy/8008579499200/ |access-date=February 21, 2022 |work=United Press International |date=May 13, 1988 |location=Chicago |quote=The American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue Chicago police because of the seizure of a painting depicting the late Mayor Harold Washington wearing women's underwear.}}</ref>''

Police Superintendent [[LeRoy Martin]] ordered the removal of the painting,<ref name="oconnor"/> which was returned the following day. The [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the [[Chicago Police Department]] and the aldermen on the grounds that they had violated Nelson's [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First]], [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth]], and [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth Amendment]] rights. In 1992, a federal court affirmed his constitutional rights had been violated.<ref name="Dubin 1992">{{cite book | last = Dubin | first = Steven | title = Arresting Images, Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions | url = https://archive.org/details/arrestingimagesi00dubi | url-access = registration | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 1992 | isbn = 0-415-90893-0 }}</ref> In 1994, the city agreed to a settlement: the money would go toward attorneys' fees for the ACLU. The three aldermen agreed not to appeal the 1992 ruling, and the police department established procedures over seizure of materials protected by the First Amendment.<ref name="oconnor">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-09-21-9409210076-story.html|author=Matt O'Connor|title=Suit Ended on Picture of Washington|work=Chicago Tribune|date=21 September 1994|access-date=19 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221041533/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-09-21-9409210076-story.html|archive-date=December 21, 2018}}</ref>

=== ''What Is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?'' ===

In February&nbsp;1989, as part of a piece entitled ''What Is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?'', student [[Dread Scott|"Dread" Scott Tyler]] spread a [[Flag of the United States]] on the floor of the institute. The piece consisted of a podium, set upon the flag, and containing a notebook for viewers to express how they felt about the exhibit. In order for viewers to write in the notebook, they would have to walk on the flag, which is a violation of customary practice and code.<!-- United States Flag Code --> While the exhibit faced protests from veterans and bomb threats, the school stood by the student's art.<ref name="Dubin 1992"/> That year, the school's state funding was cut from $70,000 to $1, and the piece was publicly condemned by President [[George H. W. Bush]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Adrianna |title=Banner Year: At a Time of Heated Race Relations in America, Dread Scott Wades Into the Fray |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/banner-year-at-a-time-of-heated-race-relations-in-america-dread-scott-wades-into-the-fray-7554/ |website=ARTnews |date=9 January 2017 |access-date=11 June 2020}}</ref> Scott would go on to be one of the defendants in ''[[United States v. Eichman]]'', a [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] case in which it was eventually decided that federal laws banning flag desecration were unconstitutional.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Alina |title=It's Legal to Burn the American Flag. This Artist Helped Make It A Form of Free Speech. |date=July 25, 2018|url=https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-1989-artwork-asked-viewers-step-flag-ignited-firestorm-raging |website=Artsy |access-date=11 June 2020}}</ref>

=== Racial slur and art studies ===
In 2018, then [[Dean (education)|Dean]] of Faculty Martin Berger, an art historian, gave an academic lecture on the civil rights movement in which he read a quote that employed the [[n-word]]. This part of his presentation caused controversy among faculty and staff, some thought it appropriate in the academic setting in which it was used, while others did not.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Leo |date=2020-03-10 |title=When the Dean Said a Slur, And Then Got Promoted |url=https://fnewsmagazine.com/2020/03/when-the-dean-said-a-slur-and-then-got-promoted/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=F Newsmagazine |language=English}}</ref>

===Title IX ===
In 2017, a controversy arose after Michael Bonesteel, an [[Professors in the United States#Adjunct professor|adjunct professor]] specializing in [[outsider art]],  and comics, resigned after actions taken by the institute following two [[Title IX]] complaints by [[transgender]] students being filed against him in which each criticized his comments and class discussion. The institute initiated an investigation and took certain actions. Bonesteel described the SAIC investigation as a "[[Kafkaesque]] trial", in which he was never shown copies of the complaints. He claimed he was assumed to be "guilty until proven innocent" and that SAIC "feels more like a [[police state]] than a place where academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas is valued".<ref name=TensionsintheArtClassroom>{{Cite web |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/24/debate-over-art-teaching-and-prejudice-school-art-institute-chicago |title=Tensions in the Art Classroom |last=Roll |first=Nick |date=July 24, 2017 |website=Inside Higher Ed}}</ref>

[[Laura Kipnis]], author of [[Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus|a book]] on Title IX cases in which she argues that universities follow reckless and capricious approaches, argued that SAIC was displaying "jawdropping cowardice".<ref name="finkel"/> She said, "The idea that students are trying to censor or curb a professor's opinions or thinking is appalling".<ref name="finkel">{{cite news|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/art-school-under-fire-for-bowing-to-transgender-student-complaints|author=Jori Finkel|title=Art school under fire for bowing to transgender student complaints|work=The Art Newspaper|date=18 August 2017|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref><ref>Tom Bartlett, "The Offender", ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'', August 10, 2017. Available online to subscribers only.</ref>  The school said the claims made against it were "problematic" and "misleading", and that it supports [[academic freedom]].<ref name="TensionsintheArtClassroom" />

== Property ==
[[File:School of the Art Institute Chicago Grant Park.JPG|thumb|300px|The school's 280 Columbus Avenue building in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], is attached to the museum and houses a premier gallery showcase.]]
This is a list of property in order of acquisition:
* 280 Building: 280 South Columbus (classrooms, departmental offices, studios, Betty Rymer Gallery)
*Sharp Building/LeRoy Neiman Center: 37 South Wabash (classrooms, main administrative offices, Flaxman Library)
*MacLean Center: 112 South Michigan (classrooms, departmental offices, studios, ballroom)
*Jones Hall: 7 West Madison (student residences)
*162 Residences: 162 North State (student residences)
*[[Gene Siskel Film Center]]: 164 North State Street 
*Lakeview Building: 116 South Michigan

SAIC also owns these properties outside of the immediate vicinity of the Chicago Loop:
*The Roger Brown Study Collection: 1926 North Halsted

SAIC leases:
*Sullivan Center: 36 South Wabash, leasing the 12th floor (administrative offices, Architecture and Interior Architecture Design Center)
*Sullivan Center: 36 South Wabash, leasing the 7th floor (Fashion Design department, Gallery 2)
*Sullivan Center: 36 South Wabash, leasing offices on the 14th floor (administrative offices)
*Sullivan Center: 36 South Wabash, leasing offices on the 15th floor (administrative offices)
*33 Building/ SAIC Galleries: 33 East Washington, leasing the lower four stories (gallery space, administrative offices, and graduate studios)<ref>{{Cite web |author=News Desk |date=2020-03-02 |title=SAIC'S GALLERIES WILL MOVE TO NEW 62,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOME |url=https://www.artforum.com/news/saics-galleries-will-move-to-new-62000-square-foot-home-246739/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Artforum |language=en-US}}</ref>
*The Buckingham: 59 East Van Buren (student residences)

== Academic partnerships ==
* [[Glasgow School of Art]] (Scotland, United Kingdom)

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Art Institute of Chicago}}
{{Colleges and universities in metropolitan Chicago}}
{{Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design}}
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[[Category:Oral history]]
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