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Historical Photo of Pennsylvania School of Art and Design

The original school –
PSA, located in Marietta

Pennsylvania College
of Art & Design
204 N Prince Street
P.O. Box 59
Lancaster, PA
17608-0059
Ph: 717-396-7833

Pennsylvania College of
Art & Design is pleased to announce that it has been granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

History


Pennsylvania College of Art & Design began as a dream of a handful of dedicated artists and their supporters in the spring of 1982. At that time, the York Academy of Arts (located in York, Pennsylvania) closed its doors. Key members of its faculty decided to continue the tradition of art education and to form a new school. In eight short weeks, the non-profit Pennsylvania School of the Arts (PSA) was formed.

Before the PA School of Art & Design

The college property is the result of four separate construction projects by Herr & Co. The first structure, pictured above, served as a wholesale hardware distribution center.

Until 1939, the 202 Lobby area (below) served as a Nash Car showroom.
The new School's founders, supporters and other volunteers spent the summer of '82 readying the facilities for the classes in the fall. PSA offered a three year diploma program which consisted of classes in fine art, interior design, and communication arts.

The School thrived and soon outgrew its facilities in Marietta. In 1987, School officials announced that PSA would move to its current North Prince Street location in Lancaster and would change the School's name to Pennsylvania School of Art & Design.

The move from Marietta to the city of Lancaster also provided students and staff with more space (from 14,000 to 37,000 square feet), better facilities and ample northern light, room to expand, plentiful city housing, and a 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 BFA freshman walked through the new college's doors.

History of PA School of Art & Design
In the summer of 2001, the college marked another milestone when it purchased the property at 202-204 North Prince St, making its home of the past 12 years a permanent one. This purchase provides the college with an opportunity for expansion in the future, and has established Pennsylvania College of Art & Design as another major anchor in downtown Lancaster. In July of 2003 the college changed it's name to Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

 History of PA School of Art & DesignToday, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design 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 degree (BFA) in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and photography, Professional Programs, pre-college courses, and credit & non-credit art classes for adults, high school students and youth.






Archival photos courtesy of Christian R. Herr, Jr. and Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Rudisill.