History of CCAD
Milestones that made us who we are today
![](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/CCAD-History-Banner.jpg?w=1440&h=810&q=90&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1710971888&s=6764bb216270fab7120f1dc4bc3b2b66)
Picture this: It’s 1879. Milk is being sold in glass bottles for the first time. Thomas Edison debuts the lightbulb to a crowd of onlookers in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
And, having been prohibited from taking art classes alongside men, a group of women in Columbus, Ohio came together to form what was then known as the Columbus Art School—the place known today as Columbus College of Art & Design.
The first graduating class
YMCA
Joseph V. Canzani
Dean Mary Kinney
Botticelli magazine
President Denny Griffith
The Art Sign
Dr. Melanie Corn
Found Footage
Want a deeper dive into CCAD’s past? Take a trip back in time and experience vintage Fashion Show, Chroma, and student life.
![Art Sign 01](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Art_Sign_01.jpg?w=1440&h=810&q=90&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1709591810&s=1bbc4a8525cc2947fa1ba389fab138c1)
"It was—or seemed to be—a wild and crazy time in my life. I was opening myself up to new things and I surrounded myself with like-minded creative people. It was inspiring. CCAD, to me, in short, was an adventure. Now that I look back, I learned so much, not only about art but about life. I’m thankful for the experiences I had. CCAD was tough, but it taught me to be the artist I am today."
![](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/CCAD_20220320_Facilities_and_Teaching_198.jpg?w=300&h=300&q=90&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1710439216&s=a618043893a36cb90b9117a8fe387e08)
![CCAD 20220320 Facilities and Teaching 198](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/CCAD_20220320_Facilities_and_Teaching_198.jpg?w=740&h=555&q=90&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1710439216&s=44a14603c6d93418a9a14f852e181d9c)
Amazing student work through the years
CCAD is widely known for graduating top-notch artists and designers. Check out a sample of work from the distant—and not-so-distant—past.
![History CCAD Student Work Margaret Moore Landscape 1890](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_MargaretMoore_Landscape_1890.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654122&s=6d830e5fde74b10f2d2e0ef3225a2429)
Margaret Moore, 1890
![History CCAD Student Work Vivian Austin I Want To Go 1931](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_VivianAustin_I-Want-To-Go_1931.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654089&s=bd1235ecdb6dac9abf938e99c62ef485)
Vivian Austin, 1931
![History CCAD Student Work Hermine Esswein Patterns 1935](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_HermineEsswein_Patterns_1935.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654158&s=df2123bd258365f995b2b8ae8994966a)
Hermine Esswein, 1935
![History CCAD Student Work Mary Weaver Untitled 1937](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_MaryWeaver_Untitled_1937.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654101&s=df4d4f227dc6142c47a7020670f541bc)
Mary Weaver, 1937
![History CCAD Student Work Wild Bill Zim Untitled 1946](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_WildBillZim_Untitled_1946.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654076&s=45f86d48e1c421b40c0a1bf61f62746c)
Wild Bill Zim, 1946
![History CCAD Student Work Jim Theodore Untitled 1984](https://ccad-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/History-of-CCAD/HistoryCCAD_Student_Work_JimTheodore_Untitled_1984.jpg?w=1440&q=90&auto=format&fit=clip&dm=1709654144&s=a2da394f3519df9c154a6f40947ce205)
Jim Theodore, 1984
Your Turn
Ready to make history? Learn about our degree programs that can help you write your next chapter.