Location: Manila, Philippines
Beside the bars of España Gate lies the olden “Beato Angelico Building”, known for its famous name, College of Fine Arts and Design or CFAD. It currently sits near the España Boulevard and along the delicious and affordable food that lines the perimeter outside the campus. The college does not only occupy the whole establishment, yet rather, another art (and science) course, College of Architecture, partakes half of the structure. And because of this, both of the art courses has certainly formed a friendly bond among its students for untold ages.
The College was once from the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA) founded in 1946, which in turn descended from the College of Architecture in 1930 and the College of Fine Arts and Design in 2000.
In 1785, the Dominicans made the first attempt to invest in art and painting with academic value and formal presence. They re-established their fine arts school with the primary goal of meeting the ever-present and increasing demand for good Catholic artists in 1935. Thus became one of the Estudios de Adorno that existed in the University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran. From 1935 to 1939, students may choose from the first two areas specialization, Interior Design and Public School Arts.
Timeline of UST College of Fine Arts and Design:
1935. Opening of the Fine Arts Department.
1936. Produced the first three (3) graduates in Fine Arts (BFA).
1946. Opening of the School of Architecture and Fine Arts (two departments combined into a school, separate from the Faculty of Engineering).
1952. Opening of the Department of Painting and Sculpture (under Prof. Francisco Monti).
1954. Interior Design offered for the first time.
1958. Produced first graduates in BFA major in Interior Design and Advertising Arts.
1974. A two-year certificate course in Commercial Arts and in Furniture Design and Construction Supervision were also offered.
1973. College of Architecture and Fine Arts Batch 1973.
1978. Industrial Design was added to these programs.
2000. Separation of the College into two-the College of Architecture (CA) and the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD).
2003. Transfer of the two Colleges to the Beato Angelico Building.
Sources:
HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE
Photos by ustarchitecture and Arthur Castro
Marvin Camara 