Cornish College of the Arts

Begun in 1914, Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA, offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in the performing and visual arts and a Bachelor of Music degree, multiple public programs, and extension courses.

The College’s founder Nellie Cornish, and the many teaching artists who have followed her, believed in education through exposure to all the arts. This approach continues to inform the College’s curriculum and community involvement today. Our holistic approach to education promotes experimentation, discovery, and innovation, giving artists the creative intelligence they need to thrive in their disciplines and beyond. We have been inspiring artistic and academic excellence for more than 100 years.

Cornish is accredited by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design

The mission of Cornish College of the Arts is to provide students aspiring to become practicing artists with an
educational program of the highest possible quality, in an environment that nurtures creativity and intellectual curiosity, while preparing them to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators.

Cornish realizes this mission by offering baccalaureate studies in the performing and visual arts and by serving as a focal point in the community for public presentation, artistic criticism, participation and discussion of the arts.

Cornish College of the Arts is enriched by a diverse population of students, bringing their unique personalities and voices to their art forms. Placed in the vibrant city of Seattle, artists thrive among the wide variety of people and broad spectrum of creative thought that surrounds us. The college supports and engages the many cultural, personal, and spiritual facets of our community.

Cornish commits to demonstrating respect for individual expression and integrity; to promoting the equality of opportunity and rights of all persons within the community and to actively encouraging and maintaining the representation and inclusion of diverse cultures and backgrounds within the student body, faculty, staff and curriculum.

We believe that diversity refers to a number of human qualities and characteristics. National origin, race, gender, age, socioeconomic background, religion and disabilities are characteristics that combine in unique ways, forming the multiple identities we all hold. Those diverse characteristics contribute positively to the environment of Cornish and to an education that accurately reflects and contributes to the complex interplay of art, culture and society.

We hold ourselves responsible to fulfill the mission of Cornish by preparing students “to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators,” and believe that the mission is best served by actively cultivating a positive environment in which to explore and express the diverse perspectives of a pluralistic society.

When The Cornish School opened its doors in 1914, it was the result of the tenacious and inspired efforts of a singular woman -- Nellie Centennial Cornish. Now, as it moves into its second century, Cornish College of the Arts requires an equally tenacious and inspired team of leaders to guide it. From the president and the provost to the chairs of the academic departments and the board of directors, these dedicated professionals shape Cornish College with their experience, expertise and passion for exceptional contemporary arts education.

It is our pleasure to be one of the first to welcome you into the Cornish College of the Arts community! Cornish is a vibrant place to aspire toward your dreams, learn more about yourself and your art, create your own perspective of the world around you and bring thoughtful innovation to all you do as a student at Cornish and as a member of this community.

New Student Orientation is the first integral step of many that will help provide you with the information and resources you need in order to be successful here at Cornish as a student, artist and individual. We hope to provide you with ample opportunities to experience and explore Cornish campus life and the surrounding Seattle area.

Cornish College of the Arts endeavors to make its programs accessible to qualified students with disabilities (consistent with federal and state laws). Please contact the Disability Resource Specialist to request information, obtain referrals for testing resources or to inquire about arranging for academic accommodations.

You have a right to services and reasonable accommodations which allow you to compete on an equal basis with non-disabled students as long as you meet the basic requirements to perform activities of the program or occupation.Whatever your creative process, the Cornish BFA Art program will help you expand your personal practice and develop marketable skills in the ever-evolving world of contemporary art. Learn how to think through the context and content of your work to choose the materials and mediums that best express your ideas. Experiment, explore, and take risks. Fail? Try again. And shine.

Our BFA EXHIBITION is the culmination of four years of imaginative innovation by graduating art seniors. The work presented ambitiously explores a breadth of media strategies and themes in the pursuit of new art and new ideas, featuring works that explore installation, painting, print, performance, photography, digital media, video, sculpture, writing, and hybrids of every sort.