Visual Arts - Training Institutions

Prospective visual arts students have the luxury of choosing from many art institutions in Alberta. Literally every major school in the province has some form of art program to choose from, including select institutions that are devoted solely to the arts. These training institutions, vital to the growth of art in the province, have a long history of perpetuating strong communities in which the arts can thrive.

Post-secondary institutions such as the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge provide specialization in printmaking, painting, sculpture, museum studies and design, as well as being home to galleries that promote the art work of their students. Amidst training institutions that focus specifically on art instruction, is the Banff Centre, its mandate, to teach art and leadership development in a unique mountain setting. Offering a multitude of artistic disciplines, as diverse as music and sound, theatre arts, writing and publishing, Aboriginal arts and media and visual arts, the Banff Centre draws students from around the globe. Another major art training institute, is the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). Located in Calgary, ACAD is one of four degree-granting, publicly funded art and design colleges in Canada. Since its inception in 1926, ACAD has been instrumental in the development of Canada's visual art scene and can boast many graduates who have gained international recognition.

Not all art institutions in Canada are aimed at post-secondary students. Victoria School of Performing & Visual Arts, in Edmonton, is a school where students from kindergarten to grade 12 learn art disciplines, such as painting, pottery, drawing and printmaking. Established in 1992, St. Albert's Pygmalion School of Fine Art offers students the opportunity to learn visual art theory and fundamentals, as well as techniques used for painting, sculpting and drawing.