NSCAD UNIVERSITY

NSCAD University, also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design or NSCAD, is a renowned public art university situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This co-educational institution offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in various art-related disciplines and provides continuing education services through its School of Extended Studies.

The institution has a rich history dating back to its founding by Anna Leonowens in 1887 as the Victoria School of Art and Design, named in honor of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Initially, it was housed in the Union Bank Building and later moved to the Halifax Academy in 1890. During this time, Henry Mortikar Rosenberg served as the principal from 1898 to 1910.

In 1903, the school relocated to the old National School and, in 1925, was renamed the Nova Scotia College of Art under the leadership of President Dr. Frederick Sexton. Notable artists, including Arthur Lismer of the Group of Seven, were associated with the school during its early years. Elizabeth Styring Nutt succeeded Lismer as president in 1919, serving until 1943.

Donald Cameron MacKay, an artist from New Brunswick, took over as principal after World War II, continuing in the role until his retirement in 1971. Under his leadership, the school moved to the former St. Andrew’s United Church on Coburg Road in 1957, with a modern five-storey addition constructed in 1968. Eventually, this building was replaced to accommodate Dalhousie University’s Mona Campbell Building.

In 1969, the institution adopted the name Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and began offering undergraduate degrees, making it the first degree-granting art school in Canada. It later became NSCAD University in 2003, reflecting its status as a comprehensive art university with a long-standing commitment to arts education and creative innovation. Today, NSCAD University continues to be a prominent institution in the field of art and design in Canada and beyond.