New Hampshire Institute of Art
Encyclopedia
The New Hampshire Institute of Art is a bachelor's degree
-granting college
that provides an undergraduate education in the fine arts, complemented by majors in the professional art
s. It is the only independent college of art in the state of New Hampshire
. Located in the heart of Manchester, New Hampshire
's Victory Park National Historic District, the institute offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree with concentrations in Ceramics
, Illustration
, Painting
, Photography
, Interdisciplinary Arts, Art Education, and the newly added Graphic Design
program. The institute has a collaborative agreement with the University of New Hampshire at Manchester
that allows students interested in pursuing a degree in Fine Art to transfer into the institute's BFA program. The institute also offers certificate programs in Painting, Ceramics, Interior Design
and Photography through its Continuing Education program. The institute serves as an important cultural center for the city of Manchester and the state of New Hampshire. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and is a candidate for accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
In 1997, the New Hampshire Postsecondary Commission authorized the institute to award the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. At that time the institute became the New Hampshire Institute of Art. In 2001, the New Hampshire Institute of Art received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The institute is a candidate for accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
. The campus consists of five academic buildings and six dormitories.
The most recent addition to the campus is the new 88 Lowell St. Building, a six-story dorm with the top four floors housing 56 students and the bottom floors used as classrooms. In the front of the building is a renovated schoolhouse connected to the main building. 88 Lowell was built as a green building.
In 2005 a series of classrooms were built in a studio building housed in a former paint shop on Amherst Street. The building was originally home to the PSNH meter department. In addition to classroom space, the facility is also home to a public art supply store and gallery on the first floor. The building was purchased by the institute in 2005, renovated by local architect Dennis Mires, P.A., and won an honor award for adaptive reuse
by the New Hampshire chapter of the American Institute of Architects
.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
-granting college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
that provides an undergraduate education in the fine arts, complemented by majors in the professional art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
s. It is the only independent college of art in the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Located in the heart of Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
's Victory Park National Historic District, the institute offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degree with concentrations in Ceramics
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, Illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, Painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, Interdisciplinary Arts, Art Education, and the newly added Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
program. The institute has a collaborative agreement with the University of New Hampshire at Manchester
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
The University of New Hampshire at Manchester was established in 1985 as the sixth college of the University of New Hampshire. Located in Manchester, UNH Manchester provides associate's, bachelor's, and master's, with special emphasis on programs that address urban issues...
that allows students interested in pursuing a degree in Fine Art to transfer into the institute's BFA program. The institute also offers certificate programs in Painting, Ceramics, Interior Design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
and Photography through its Continuing Education program. The institute serves as an important cultural center for the city of Manchester and the state of New Hampshire. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and is a candidate for accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
History
The school was founded in 1898 as the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences. The goal of the founders was to cultivate an appreciation of the arts through progressive educational instruction. In 1924, the State Board of Education certified the institute’s four-year program to prepare high school graduates to teach art. Shortly thereafter, a four-year program in Fine Arts was approved.In 1997, the New Hampshire Postsecondary Commission authorized the institute to award the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. At that time the institute became the New Hampshire Institute of Art. In 2001, the New Hampshire Institute of Art received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The institute is a candidate for accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Campus
The NHIA is located in the Victory Park National Historic District of Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. The campus consists of five academic buildings and six dormitories.
The most recent addition to the campus is the new 88 Lowell St. Building, a six-story dorm with the top four floors housing 56 students and the bottom floors used as classrooms. In the front of the building is a renovated schoolhouse connected to the main building. 88 Lowell was built as a green building.
In 2005 a series of classrooms were built in a studio building housed in a former paint shop on Amherst Street. The building was originally home to the PSNH meter department. In addition to classroom space, the facility is also home to a public art supply store and gallery on the first floor. The building was purchased by the institute in 2005, renovated by local architect Dennis Mires, P.A., and won an honor award for adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
by the New Hampshire chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
.
Notable faculty and alumni
- James Aponovich, Artist Laureate of New Hampshire, 2006
- Kyle MosherKyle MosherKyle Mosher, also known as ' is a Canadian born Boston based artist and designer known for his collage and cut-paper style. His enigmatic artwork combines lyrical epigrams from famous musicians most often in the hip-hop genre...
(2009) Multimedia artist - John William Noga (1903–1997), New Hampshire Wildlife Federation Lifetime Achievement award