High School of Art and Design


The High School of Art and Design is a Career and Technical Education high school in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1936 as the School of Industrial Art, the school moved to 1075 Second Avenue in 1960 and more recently, its Midtown Manhattan location on 56th Street, between Second and Third Avenues, in September 2012. High School of Art and Design is operated by the New York City Department of Education.

History

On November 8, 1936, four art teachers began what was to become the High School of Art and Design, the School of Industrial Art, in a former Manhattan elementary school at 257 West 40th Street, which for a time had housed a WPA Federal Theatre Project locale. Initially, they used orange crates and plywood to make storage and desks. One of the co-founders, John B. Kenny, became principal in 1941. The school soon moved to a building on East 79th Street in the Upper East Side, the former annex to the Benjamin Franklin High School. In September 1960, the school changed its name to the High School of Art and Design and moved to 1075 Second Avenue in east Midtown.
The 1936 school was first envisioned as a continuation school, that is, a school where children who had left school and gotten jobs attended for half days to continue their education, normally including vocational classes relevant to their current or possible future jobs. However, it opened as a vocational high school,
On November 8, 2004, a rally was scheduled on the occasion of the school's 68th anniversary. This was to include a press conference at which increased support of the school would be urged. On November 8, 2006 the school celebrated its 70th anniversary. The office of the Mayor of New York City issued a proclamation making November 8 "High School of Art and Design Day".

Academics and events

Applicants must take an entrance exam and present a portfolio to be accepted. Freshmen sample all art and design subjects before selecting a major for their sophomore, junior and senior years. Students at Art and Design receive two periods of art instruction per day, choosing from among eight art majors: cartooning, animation, architecture, graphic design, illustration, fashion, photography, and film/video.
Art and Design's Kenny Gallery, named for the school's founding principal John B. Kenny, hosts monthly art exhibits of student work. The gallery is open to the public. The Black Box Theatre was donated by the Friends of Art and Design.

Notable people

Faculty

Some members of the school's faculty became notable for their creative work outside teaching. These include: