Information
Landmark: Kendall College of Art and DesignCity: Grand Rapids
Country: USA Michigan
Continent: North America
Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, USA Michigan, North America
Overview
Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) at Ferris State University sits in the lively heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, and stands among the Midwest’s top schools for art and design, with its studios buzzing from morning till night, consequently part of Ferris State University, it combines challenging art courses with practical, career-driven results-like students leaving the studio with portfolios ready for the job market.Helen M, a local furniture designer, opened her workshop in 1928, the smell of fresh-cut oak filling the air, as well as kendall started out serving the region’s booming furniture trade, its workshops smelling of fresh-cut wood, and has grown into a thriving college of art and design.First, do this, while kCAD’s philosophy and mission focus on inspiring artists and designers to use creativity and sharp thinking to shape their communities-whether that’s through a mural on a busy street or innovative design that changes lives.It helps students find their stride, blending sharp technical skills with fresh ideas and the realize‑how to use them in real situations-like refining a design until it works in the hands of a customer, along with they focus on human-centered design, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and blending tradition with new media to spark innovation, under certain circumstances Art serves as a driver for social responsibility and civic engagement, and KCAD stands as more than a school for technical skills-it’s a lively incubator for creative leadership, entrepreneurship, and advocacy, consequently step two’s simple: keep the rhythm shifting between short and longer sentences.KCAD’s downtown campus centers on two main buildings, with 17 Fountain Street NW serving as the heart of it all-a bright, bustling space filled with classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, student services, and sunlit studios for graphic design, illustration, and digital media.• Woodbridge N, likewise woodbridge, N. The Ferris Building, named for the founder of Ferris State University, is fully renovated and proudly carries a LEED Gold certification, its brick walls still warm in the afternoon sun, likewise inside, you’ll find cutting‑edge studios for sculpture, fashion, product design, and fine art, along with galleries showcasing work by students and faculty, and a FlexLab buzzing with 3D printers, CNC routers, and laser cutters.Step outside into downtown, and museums like GRAM and UICA are a short walk away, along with bold murals, local design firms, start‑up hubs, and the city’s annual ArtPrize, where KCAD often takes center stage, moreover kCAD offers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in visual arts and design, from painting studios that smell faintly of turpentine to digital labs humming with quiet machines, moderately Every program centers on hands-on studio work, connects you with the industry, and builds a portfolio you can show with pride, consequently our undergraduate programs range from Graphic Design-covering branding, UX/UI, typography, and design systems-to Illustration in both traditional and digital forms, including narrative, editorial, and concept art.You’ll find Digital Art and Design with motion graphics, animation, video, and interactive media; Interior Design focused on space planning, lighting, sustainability, and human-centered solutions; and Product Design, now unified from several tracks to blend furniture, industrial, and accessory design, simultaneously fashion Studies explore apparel design, textile science, and trend forecasting, while Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Functional Art emphasize studio practice, critique, and art theory.We also offer Art History and Studio Art (BA) for students pairing liberal arts with creative study, not only that graduate options include the M. Arch-the only NAAB-accredited architecture program in West Michigan-an MA in Design that fosters design thinking, innovation, and applied research, and an MFA in Painting centered on studio work, one-on-one mentorship, and lively critical discussions, then certificates are available in Visual and Critical Studies and in Design and Innovation Management at the post-baccalaureate level.At KCAD, the studios, labs, and other spaces match what you’d find at much larger schools, offering everything from classic printmaking presses to cutting-edge 3D printers, also highlights include the FlexLab, an advanced digital fabrication space stocked with 3D printers, CNC machines, and robotics gear; Photography Labs with both darkrooms and sleek digital studios; a Printmaking Studio for etching, screen printing, relief, and lithography; fully equipped Metal and Wood Shops for sculpture or furniture work, where the scent of fresh-cut cedar lingers; a Fashion Studio with sewing labs, dress forms, and textile tools; and Computer Labs loaded with Adobe Creative Cloud, Rhino, Blender, Autodesk, and more.Students get hands-on with everything from rough charcoal on canvas to immersive VR gear and blinking programmable circuits, while number five stood alone, sharp as a chalk mark on a dark board.At KCAD, the student experience feels personal-classes stay small, and just seven or eight students share a professor’s attention, equally important it builds close mentorship, sharp feedback, and a community that feels like pulling up a chair at a lively kitchen table.Students regularly display their creations in campus galleries and at regional shows; join clubs like AIGA KCAD for graphic design, IDSA for industrial design, or student government; take part in Career Days, portfolio reviews, and internships with Grand Rapids businesses; celebrate top work each spring at the KCAD Awards and Exhibition; and travel abroad on short art-focused trips to destinations in Europe and Asia, perhaps sketching in a quiet Paris café, in turn at the heart of Grand Rapids’ cultural scene, Community Integration and ArtPrize KCAD regularly hosts exhibitions, hands-on workshops, and lively public lectures that spill light and color into the city, almost Through its partnership with ArtPrize-the city’s celebrated international art competition-students get to hang their paintings on gallery walls, curate entire shows, and step into the spotlight of the professional art world, furthermore students get involved in public mural and placemaking projects, team up with local non-profits on design thinking challenges, and take on internships at advertising agencies, busy studios, or even manufacturing floors that smell faintly of fresh-cut wood.KCAD counts among its alumni some remarkable creative figures, including Maynard James Keenan, the unmistakable voice of Tool and A Perfect Circle; Børns (Garrett Borns), whose indie-pop hit “Electric Love” drifts from car radios on summer nights; Rebecca Green, an award-winning illustrator of children’s books; Denise Fleming, a Caldecott Honor–winning author and illustrator; and Vladimir Kagan, whose sleek mid-century modern furniture still turns heads decades later, consequently in the past few years, KCAD has reshaped its programs and strategy to match what students want and what the job market demands-think courses that lead straight to hands-on work in growing fields.The updates include merging Furniture Design, Industrial Design, and Metals & Jewelry Design into a single Product Design program for a more flexible, modern curriculum; phasing out the Art Education major because of low enrollment; expanding the MA in Design to embrace more interdisciplinary and digital work; and putting new resources into sustainability education and socially engaged art-think workshops that smell faintly of sawdust and fresh paint, besides at KCAD, admissions hinge on your portfolio-bring your best work, whether it’s a bold sketch or a carefully lit photograph.You’ll need to send in a visual portfolio, your academic transcripts, and a clear statement of purpose, such as why you’re drawn to this field.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-10-04
