The New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) is a private, non-profit college of creative arts located in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the United States. NHIA is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
NHIA offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Art Education, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interdisciplinary Arts, and Photography, as well as Master of Fine Arts degrees in Creative Writing, Photography, Visual Arts, and Writing for Stage and Screen, and a Master of Arts in Art Education (M.A.A.E.).
History
The institute was founded in 1898 as the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences with the goal of promoting a "cultivation of the arts and sciences, to give a more general impulse and systematic direction to scientific research and encourage and stimulate the study of history, literature, and industrial institutions." In 1916 the institute moved into a new permanent home with the construction of the French Building, named in honor of the institute's patron, Mrs. Emma Blood French. In 1924, the New Hampshire 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 State of New Hampshire authorized the institute to award the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. It was at this time that the institute adopted a new name: the New Hampshire Institute of Art. The college received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in 2001 and from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in 2011.
In the late 1990s, the college was the beneficiary of a $24 million bequest from the estate of Mary Fuller Russell. This allowed the institute to establish an endowment and embark upon a major expansion of its campus. From 2002 to 2012, under the leadership of then president Roger Williams, the college's enrollment and physical plant expanded rapidly to encompass over 500 students.
The 2012 closure of Chester College of New England, a small liberal arts college based in Chester, New Hampshire, resulted in over 80 percent of the student body and several fulltime faculty members transferring to NHIA.
That same year the institute reached agreement with the Sharon Arts Center, a small community-based arts education center with operations in Sharon and Peterborough, New Hampshire, to merge operations. The Sharon Arts Center was incorporated on October 22, 1946, its stated purpose being "To stimulate, encourage and provide education in the theory and practice of the arts and crafts through instruction, exhibitions and marketing assistance."
The merger with the Sharon Arts Center also allowed the institute to introduce a new, low-residency M.F.A. program based in Sharon and Peterborough in 2013.
Campus
The New Hampshire Institute of Art owns or leases a total of fourteen buildings in Manchester, Sharon, and Peterborough, New Hampshire. Notable among these:
- Fuller Hall (156 Hanover Street, Manchester). The former New Hampshire Fire Insurance Co. building was renovated and opened to house the institute's photography department and library in 2000. It was renamed Fuller Hall in recognition of Mary Fuller Russell.
- Roger Williams Studios Building (77 Amherst Street, Manchester). Purchased in March 2005, the former Stan's Masury paint store was renovated and reopened in January 2006 as the home for ceramics, drawing, painting, and illustration studios, a student lounge, faculty offices, the Institute Shop, and a gallery. The building was dedicated in honor of former president Roger Williams in 2014.
- Lowell Street Studios and Residence Hall (88 Lowell Street, Manchester). In 2009, the institute embarked on the challenging task of combining the existing building at 88 Lowell Street with a newly constructed, six-story residence hall, which ultimately achieved Gold LEED Certification. This innovative project entailed moving the historic structure that had been home to Manchester’s first public high school closer to the street and earned the project architect Dennis Mires, P.A. an American Institute of Architects New Hampshire Excellence in Architecture Design Award.
- Sharon Arts Center (457 Route 123, Sharon). Ground was broken for the school and administration building in Sharon in the spring of 2000. The building was completed in November and dedicated in December. New classes were started in January 2001.
Program of study
NHIA offers the following accredited degree programs through its undergraduate and graduate divisions, as well as a combined B.F.A./M.A.A.E. degree.
- Art Education - M.A.A.E.
- Ceramics - B.F.A.
- Creative Writing - B.F.A., M.F.A.
- Fine Arts - B.F.A.
- Graphic Design - B.F.A.
- Illustration - B.F.A.
- Interdisciplinary Arts - B.F.A.
- Photography - B.F.A., M.F.A.
- Visual Arts - M.F.A.
- Writing for Stage and Screen - M.F.A.
Through its Community Education (CE) division, the institute offers the following certificate programs:
- Interior Design
- Painting
- Printmaking
- Photography
Notable faculty
- Monica Bilson
- Jim Burke
- Joel Christian Gill
- Tim Horvath
- Jason Landry
- Buzz McLaughlin
- Maureen Mills
- Patrick McCay
- Eric Pinder
- Gary Samson
- Craig Stockwell
References
External links
- Official website
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