Southwest School of Art to Become First Independent Art College in Texas

Photo Courtesy of Southwest School of Art

Big changes are underway at the Southwest School of Art. The school will enroll a small number of degree-seeking students in fall 2013 for its nascent BFA program, becoming the only independent art college in Texas. The staff at SSA is busy readying the school for its first class of four-year students.

“The program will offer total immersion in the visual arts,” says Cathy Brillson, Director of Public Relations and Marketing at SSA, “and we think this is a great way to achieve our goal of preparing students to be working artists.” 

This immersion in the arts will set the program apart from other local schools that offer BFAs alongside liberal arts and science degrees. The SSA hopes to provide an atmosphere in which a young artist is surrounded with art and artists every day.

Creating such an atmosphere is nothing new to SSA. When one considers the school’s long history of arts education in San Antonio, the move to provide a BFA seems like a natural development. SSA has offered on-campus studio classes for over 45 years in painting, sculpture, book arts and other fields, and free Saturday art-making for children. Additionally, the school exhibits work by dozens of artists each year, including internationally-acclaimed artists such as Fernando Botero, Dale Chihuly, Abelardo Morell and Kurt Weiser, among others. SSA will continue to offer these classes and host exhibitions after the launch of its BFA program in fall 2013.

There is as yet no official tuition quote for the new program, but SSA will keep tuition costs in line with those of other colleges in the area, and is raising funds to be used for scholarships. 

Contributed by: Michael Swellander, public relations intern for Texas Public Radio