MISSION
The mission of the College of Visual Arts is to provide a collaborative environment that focuses on
individual student development, fully integrating the humanities, the sciences, and the visual arts,
and cultivating a worldview that recognizes the value of art and design in promoting pride in place and responsible citizenship.
HISTORY
In 1924, Mills College of Art and Advertising was established in St. Paul. Lowell Bobleter acquired Mills College in 1948 and renamed it the
"School of the Associated Arts." Lowell Bobleter was a prominent St. Paul artist and educator and had directed the School of Fine Arts at
Hamline University. Bobleter had a vision of developing an art school that would offer students a more comprehensive and progressive program
based on the Bauhaus model: an integrated program including both fine and applied arts, with general courses in humanities, natural sciences
and aesthetics.
The School of the Associated Arts initially offered students either a three-year certificate or a four-year diploma in two tracks:
Fine Art or Commercial Art. In 1968, the curriculum was changed to offer a B.F.A. Degree instead of the four year diploma. Major fields were
expanded over the years, and "commercial art" became communication design, illustration, and photography.
In 1969, the college assumed its current non-profit status. After the death of Lowell Bobleter in 1973, the School of the Associated Arts
elected its first independent board of trustees and began enlarging the faculty and administrative staff to meet the needs of growing numbers
of students. During the 1970s, the school achieved national accreditation with the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools
(NATTS) and began to participate in federal financial aid programs. In 1989, the name of the school was changed to the "College of Associated
Arts."
The college then began the process of seeking accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges
and Schools (HLC). The administration adopted the name "College of Visual Arts" (CVA) in 1995 to clarify that the college was a four-year
institution. CVA was granted candidacy status by HLC in August 1994, and was granted initial accreditation for five years in 1998. HLC renewed
CVA's accreditation for a seven-year term in 2003.
During the 1990s, enrollment increased and the college expanded its facilities. In addition to the Summit building, housing the administration,
classrooms, computer labs, and printmaking and sculpture studios, the college added four additional buildings in the Selby-Western area to
accommodate the college library, additional classrooms and studios, a photography lab, and a gallery.
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