- Swain School of Design
The
Swain School of Design was a non-profit educational institution that is currently part of theUniversity of Massachusetts Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts.History
Swain began as the "Swain Free School" of
New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1881 through the provisions of the will of New Bedford philanthropist William W. Swain. The following year, the school began offering courses in languages, literature, history, education, art, and chemistry free of charge to area residents who could not otherwise afford an education beyond public school. The residents were required to put down a deposit of $10 per semester as a measure of good faith. As the textile industry was increasingly important to the area, the school concentrated on instruction in textile design.In 1902, the trustees redefined the school mission as a School of Design, with the purpose of providing a "more complete and thorough course of instruction in the fundamental principles of design than had ever been given in this city and to provide also instruction in the practical application of these principles in all branches of
decorative art [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorative_art] ."In the 1970s, there were only 100 students enrolled at any time, creating a close knit environment for both students and faculty.
The May 1970 commencement was a milestone for the school when twelve students earned their
Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, the first in Swain's history.In the 1980s catalogues, it is stated that, "Swain’s basic mission is to educate professional artists, craftspeople and designers." The Swain School of Design is a purposefully intimate college where students can develop their creative, technical and artistic abilities, producing works which are thoughtful, vibrant contributions to our culture.”
Swain Merges with
Southeastern Massachusetts University [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Massachusetts_Dartmouth]1988 Swain School in New Bedford merges with Southeastern Massachusetts University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. The 1213 Purchase Street campus is leased from New Bedford by the University until 2001; all other Swain buildings are sold. 1991 A new University of Massachusetts structure combines the Amherst, Boston and Worcester campuses with the Southeastern Massachusetts University and the
University of Lowell [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Lowell] . SMU becomes UMass Dartmouth.References
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