Kendall College of Art and Design is a college of the visual arts in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan offering a Bachelor's degree in several fields, and a Master's degree in Fine Art.
It was founded in 1928 as David Wolcott Kendall Memorial School, through a bequest by his widow Helen M. Kendall. Mr. Kendall had been a nationally-recognized pioneer in the local furniture industry. The institution became known as Kendall School of Design in 1947, was accredited as Kendall College of Design in 1981, and switched to its current name in 1987. Previously a private college, it merged with Ferris State University in 2000, but retains its own faculty and administration.
A substantial expansion of the college's facilities began around that time, first renovating and adding studio, classroom, gallery, and office space in the adjacent 7-story building. Later, the college committed itself to acquire and adapt the Grand Rapids Art Museum building across the street when the museum finishes relocating to a new building in 2006.
Kendall has major programs in Art Education , Art History, Digital Media, Fine Art, Furniture Design , Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Metals/Jewelry, Painting, and Photography, with a variety of specialized focuses within these programs. Classes in the Humanities and Sciences are also offered.
As of 2005 enrollment is just under 1000 students, with a faculty:student ratio of about 1:14. Most students live in apartments downtown or in nearby neighborhoods such as Heritage Hill and Eastown. The college assists students in finding housing, and began a housing program of its own in the Fall of 2004, offering renovated, furnished apartments a block from the main building.
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