Established in 1885, the Kansas City Art Institute was founded with the aim of providing students with baccalaureate degrees in fine arts. It was started as an independent venture aimed to bring out the artistic geniuses from among the student population of Kansas. The total course extends over a 4 year period and along with fine arts the institute also teaches designing and probably the reason for which the institute is best known is for teaching Walt Disney art.
Not a college to be taken casually, the institute has constantly secured a position among the top 10 art institutes of US, and continues to be a most preferred in the Kansas area. The college has been affiliated with the National Association of Schools and Art and Design, it has also equally been accredited by the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design and simultaneously also by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
At present the student community of the college comprises of 600 members who come to the college seeking education from 45 states across the US and the faculty here is also experienced and efficient and also quite huge, in total 75. Courses in which majors can be done are animation, ceramics, fiber, design, sculpture, painting, photo and new media, print making and interdisciplinary arts. The college also provides major degrees in Studio arts, creative writing and art history.
This art institute was opened with a mission to encourage fine arts among the people of the area to which end meetings and discussions were held. In 1987, with the first exhibition of the art school underway it stepped out to form the Kansas City Art Association and School of Design. Some of the well known personalities who have been a part of the alumni of the school are Walt Disney . Ever since 1927 the college has not stopped expanding its campus limits and has grown to include numerous museums within its boundary which includes museums like the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Other important alumni of the college includes names like:-
Martin Arnold
Thomas Hart Benton
Dan Christensen
Richard Corben
Marisol Deluna
Walt Disney
Ellen Fullman
Jon Gnagy
