Columbia College Chicago, Private arts college in South Loop, Chicago, US.
Columbia College Chicago is a private arts college located in the South Loop, spread across several buildings in the downtown area. The institution offers degree programs in visual arts, performing arts, media, and communication fields.
The school began in 1890 as Columbia School of Oratory, founded by Mary Blood and Ida Riley to prepare speakers for the 1893 World's Fair. Over the decades, the curriculum expanded from speech training to a wide range of artistic disciplines.
The college brings students together with working artists who teach while actively creating in the city. The Museum of Contemporary Photography presents rotating exhibitions and opens its doors to the public.
The buildings sit within walking distance of each other in the South Loop, making it easy to move between locations. Studios and performance spaces remain available to students during semester periods.
The Center for Black Music Research preserves and studies African American musical traditions with a collection exceeding 80,000 recordings. The faculty union conducted the longest adjunct strike in American university history during late 2023.
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