Moore College of Art & Design: A Legacy of Empowering Artists and Designers

Moore College of Art & Design, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stands as a unique institution with a rich history and a forward-looking mission. Founded in 1848 as the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, it holds the distinction of being the first women's art school in the United States. Today, Moore continues to evolve, providing an inclusive and supportive environment for women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students to pursue their artistic passions and prepare for impactful careers in the creative economy.

Historical Roots and Evolution

The story of Moore College begins with Sarah Worthington Peter, who recognized the need to provide women with opportunities in the burgeoning industries of the Industrial Revolution. Philadelphia, a major industrial center, offered fertile ground for women to contribute their skills and creativity. Peter initially operated the school from her home, funding it herself. Instruction began with a single drawing class, but soon expanded to include wood engraving, lithography, china painting, and other subjects relevant to the era's industries.

As the school grew, Peter sought support from Samuel V. Merrick, president of the Franklin Institute. From 1850 to 1853, the School of Design was part of the Franklin Institute. By 1863, the Philadelphia School of Design for Women had secured enough financial support to purchase a building at the corner of Broad and Filbert Streets. The school became independent in 1853 and moved into a mansion on Broad and Filbert Streets from 1880 to 1959, offering larger spaces for classes, exhibitions, and social events. Dormitories were opened on Race Street to bring students closer to the cultural and artistic attractions near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Key Figures in the Early Years

Several individuals played pivotal roles in shaping the direction and success of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women.

Anne Hill: The first principal of the school, Hill served from 1850 until her death in 1852.
Elizabeth Speakman: Speakman succeeded Hill, but her credentials were questioned, leading to a period of administrative contention.
Thomas Braidwood: Braidwood served as principal from 1856 to 1873.
Elizabeth Croasdale: Croasdale took over as principal in 1873.
John Sartain: An engraver, Sartain was elected to the board of directors in 1868.
Emily Sartain: Daughter of John Sartain, Emily served as principal for 33 years, retiring in 1920.
Harold Rice: Became the school’s first president in 1947, remaining in the position until 1963.

The institution was renamed in 1932 after Joseph Moore Jr.

Read also: Moore's Record-Breaking Career

Academic Programs and Opportunities

Moore College of Art & Design offers a range of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) majors, minor concentrations, and a guaranteed paid internship program. Moore is all about giving women in the arts the technical skill and empowerment to lead and succeed in their professional careers. The college's curriculum is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in art and design principles, as well as the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen fields.

Foundation Program

Moore’s Foundation year prepares students for their major and provides the essential groundwork for a successful career as an artist or designer. This first-year program equips students with the skills and confidence to excel in any of the BFA majors while helping them discover their unique artistic voice. Through hands-on courses in drawing, design, digital tools, and visual thinking, students experiment with new techniques, explore ideas, and build a strong creative foundation. Moore’s Foundation program is designed to inspire, challenge, and prepare students for the exciting journey ahead in their art and design education.

BFA Majors

With 10 BFA majors, Moore offers a wide range of artistic disciplines.

Minor Concentrations

In addition to its BFA majors, Moore offers 15 minor concentrations, allowing students to deepen their knowledge and skills in specific areas of interest. These minors provide opportunities for interdisciplinary study and can enhance students' career prospects.

Art History: The Art History minor allows art and design majors to complement their studio experience with an intensive academic investigation of the rich and diverse history and cultural relevance of art. Moore's Art History classes are intellectually challenging and emphasize research, writing, and conversation about specialized art historical topics and issues related to aesthetics and critical theory.
Art Therapy: The minor is for students who are curious self-learners and problem-solvers, have the desire to be part of a creative team or community, and thrive with the challenge of working within frameworks and prescribed limitations.
Business: The Business minor introduces students to the fundamentals of professional practice through a 12-credit, non-sequential minor comprised of four courses that focus on business experience: Marketing, Principles and Practices, Accounting, and Entrepreneurship.
Comics: In the Comics minor, students learn how to create visual narratives for print and screen through the use of imagery, design, color, and type.
Creative Writing: The minor in Creative Writing is designed for students who are interested in pursuing writing as a creative art form, both in itself and in tandem with other art and design fields.
Fashion Design: The Fashion Design minor focuses on fashion skills relating to drawing, design, pattern making, draping, and clothing construction.
Fashion Merchandising: The Fashion Merchandising minor focuses on building future fashion business leaders with a focus on Fashion Buying & Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Retail Management, Omnichannel Marketing, and Trend Forecasting.
Film & Digital Cinema: A minor in Film & Digital Cinema can complement many disciplines as students learn the value of using sound and moving images to tell stories, sell products, and craft compelling spaces.
Fine Arts: A Fine Arts minor allows students in professional and applied majors to explore multiple approaches to art-making. The Fine Arts minor includes tracks in 3D Media, Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting, as well as a more general track that allows students to explore Fine Arts more broadly.
Graphic Design: Graphic Design is the visual communication of information using a skillful combination of elements including images, typography, color, and layout.
Illustration: Illustration Concepts and Practices I and II are required for all Illustration minors.
Interior Design: A minor in Interior Design gives you the opportunity to increase the breadth of your design and 3D experience.
Photography: Students can select from two minor tracks in Photography.
Textile Design: Textile Design minors may be focused in Surface & Fabric Design, Fabric & Knit Construction, and Material Studies.

Galleries at Moore

The Galleries at Moore play a vital role in the college's artistic and educational mission.

Read also: Continuing Education at Moore

The Goldie Paley Gallery: Established in 1983, the Goldie Paley Gallery serves as an experimental, international exhibition and publications program. It features solo and group exhibitions, in a variety of media, by established and emerging national and international artists. As part of the programming in the Goldie Paley Gallery, the International Discovery Series was established in 1992 as a groundbreaking program that presented major exhibitions, publications, and scholarly symposia focused on artists who were not widely known in the United States.
The Levy Gallery for the Arts in Philadelphia: Created in 1987 in response to a mayoral report revealing a “serious lack of support” for local talent. The Levy Gallery Slide Registry, one of the first of its kind in the country, furthered this mission by providing a resource for visiting curators and scholars to broaden awareness of the wide range of artists living in the nine-county Philadelphia area.

The Galleries at Moore receives generous support from Moore College of Art & Design and the Friends of The Galleries at Moore. The Galleries also receive state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Support also provided in part by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

The Moore Experience

Moore College offers a unique educational experience characterized by its focus on empowering women and its commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive community. The small size of the school and the all-women experience are a big draw, as are great employment opportunities through the very active career center.

Campus Environment

The group of women who make up Moore's student body is so diverse for such a small community that each girl is very unique in personality and creativity. Students tell us there are many different cultures and sexual orientations represented on campus. While some say you can tell the design students from the art students, most art students dress down to go to class and are ready to get dirty and work into their art, while the design students usually dress up to go to class and are a bit more trendy and appearance-conscious-students across the board agree it's an art school, we are all atypical. The quality that binds Moore students is that they are up for the challenge.

Student Life

Don't plan on having much of a life during the school year, Moore students warn. Schoolwork looms large in their lives to the point that one has nightmares about school and unfinished projects. Less-stressed students take a more organic view of their course load. Every day I am opening up my creative self and finding out where it is I want to be in the art world. When students don't have homework, which, they caution, is not often, they do lots of things.

Archives and Resources

The Moore College of Art and Design records, spanning from 1850 to 1990, are preserved at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. The collection includes business records, scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, and a video and related sound recordings.

Read also: The Rise of Skyy Moore

The Archives of American Art holds several reels of microfilm containing materials concerning the early history of the school, including a document of incorporation and the first annual report; constitution, by-laws, announcements, and other printed material; catalogs and course announcements; and a scrapbook of clippings of the school and of classes. Documents from 1850-1853 concerning the founding of the school; committee records; administrative correspondence; reports; lists of students; appeal for endowment; materials regarding independence of the School of Design from the Franklin Institute; and miscellaneous items relating to the school's later history are also available. Business records consisting of annual reports in loose and bound formats, minutes, and student registers; scrapbooks; and photographs are also included.

Notable Alumnae

Moore College of Art & Design has produced a remarkable array of talented and successful alumnae who have made significant contributions to the art world and beyond. These women exemplify the college's mission of empowering artists and designers to lead and succeed in their chosen fields.

Eleanor Abrams: (1885 - 1967) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator.
Theresa Bernstein: (1890 - 2002) was an American realist artist, and long-time activist for gender equality in the art world.
Janet Biggs: is an American artist known for her work in film, video, and performance.
Barbara Blondeau: (1938 - 1974) was an American experimental photographer and educator.
Mona Brody: is an American abstract artist.
Moe Brooker: (1940 - 2022) was an American abstract expressionist painter and educator.
Kathy Butterly: (born 1963) is an American sculptor.
Constance Cochrane: (1888 - 1962) was an American painter, muralist, and educator.
Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton: (1889 - 1971) was an American artist, educator, and museum founder.
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville: (born 1940) is an American graphic designer, artist and educator.
Arrah Lee Gaul: (1888-1980) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator.
Bessie Pease Gutmann: (1876 - 1960) was an American painter and illustrator.
Karen M. Hartley-Nagle: is an American politician.
Robert Henri: (1865 - 1929) was an American painter and teacher.
Edith Lucile Howard: (1885 - 1973) was an American painter and educator.
Amy Ignatow: is an American children's book author and illustrator.
Anna Russell Jones: (1855 - 1932) was an American artist and educator.
Maude Bryany Junkin: (1882 - 1968) was an American painter.
Anne Parrish: (1888 - 1957) was an American novelist and children's book author and illustrator.
Judith Joy Ross: (born 1946) is an American photographer.
Margie Palatini: is an American children's book author.
Lowery Stokes Sims: (born 1949) is an American art historian, curator, and museum director.
Henry Bayley Snell: (1858 - 1943) was an American painter and educator.
Dom Streater: is an American fashion designer.
Sharon J. Wohlmuth: (1946 - 2022) was an American photographer and author.

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