Art Academy of Cincinnati Records (AAC)

Biographical/Historical Information

The Art Academy's roots are to be found primarily in the McMicken School of Art and Design, which opened in December 1868. This was the first school to be established - somewhat belatedly - from the bequest of Mr. Charles McMicken, willed to the city of Cincinnati in 1858 expressly to found an educational institution.

However, the McMicken School owes its own existence - at least partially - to an earlier associaton, the Ladies Academy of Fine Arts (not to be confused with the other Cincinnati organizations with similar names that existed in the 19th century). Founded in 1854 by a group of ladies led by Mrs. Sarah Worthington King Peter, this association aimed to establish an Academy of Fine Arts "in view of the improvement of the public taste, and the encouragement of art".

It survived until 1864 when a lack of support saw its assets transferred to the trustees of the McMicken bequest with the intent that these would later be used as the core for a school of art and design. These assets included a collection of copies of old master paintings and casts of sculptures, purchased in part through a donation by Charles McMicken on the understanding that these items would eventually be transferred to the school of design he intended to see established in the city. A temporary home for the collection was found in a hall on the north-east corner of Third and Main Streets. Two years later, in May 1866, the hall finally opened as a fledgling art school, overseen by a group of five artists; it was another two years before the McMicken School of Art and Design was officially founded, with noted American artist Thomas S. Noble as its first Principal.

In 1871, the School was absorbed into the new McMicken University, which had been founded the year before; soon after it would change its name to the University of Cincinnati.

In 1873, now with more than 300 students, the School moved to larger quarters in the Cincinnati College Building at on Walnut Street, between 4th and 5th Streets.

In 1874, Joseph Longworth endowed the art school with $50,000, feeling that it was not receiving sufficient funding. He also became concerned that the University was becoming enmeshed in local politics and desired to see the art school transferred to the newly established Art Museum. He died before he was able to enact this plan, but his son, Nicolas Longworth, executed the transfer from the University to the Cincinnati Museum Association in 1884, when it became the Art School of Cincinnati. This culminated in a move to a new facility adjacent to the Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park in November 1887, at which time the name of the school was changed again, to the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

In July 1973, administration of the Academy became separate from the Art Museum. In order to make this change more distinct, the title of Dean was changed to Director of the Art Academy.

In September 1998, the Art Academy separated from the Cincinnati Museum Association, becoming a fully independent college of art and design. In 2005, it moved from its Eden Park location to a new campus in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine district.

Scope and Contents

Most of the the records in this collection were created during the period when the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Art Museum were both part of the Cincinnati Museum Association (1884-1998). Some earlier records, from predecessor institutions such as the McMicken School of Art and Design, are also included. Additionally, miscellaneous materials produced since 1998 by the AAC, such as publications, have continued to be added to the collection.

The records in this group include:

-photographs and slides of student and faculty artwork, activities, exhibitions, etc. -material relating to the early history of the academy -administrative records, including information on numerous faculty members -scholarship records -student records -Academy publications, including annual circulars, exhibition catalogs, etc. -Alumni Association records

Arrangement

Conditions Governing Access

While the archives aims to provide access to the records in its care to the fullest extent possible, it reserves the right to restrict access for any reason. Please see the archives’ Access Policy for further information: www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/visit/library-archives/the-archives/

Additional materials concerning the Art Academy can be found among the records of the Cincinnati Art Museum, including Director’s Correspondence, Financial Records, Annual Publications, Annual Reports, Photographs, and others.

Custodial History note

The records comprising this collection came from the Art Academy but also from various Cincinnati Art Museum departments, including the library, director’s office, marketing, and finance. Because of this complex relationship, when the Art Academy left its Eden Park location in 2005, the records in the collection were left in the custody of the Cincinnati Art Museum's archives rather than try to disentangle them.

Preferred Citation note

Mary R. Schiff Library & Archives, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH.

Detailed List of Collection