College for Creative Studies

Located in Detroit, Michigan, the College for Creative Studies is a fine arts college focusing on artistic endeavors.

Its origins date back to 1906, the year of the formation of Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. Those involved started to teach informal classes and allow students to showcase their work in a purpose-built gallery, and two decades later, it started a substantive four-year art course. CCS began to teach commercial art and industrial design in the mid-1930s. Indeed, three decades on, industrial design was the subject of the first Bachelor of Fine Arts awarded, though the university was granted the ability to award degrees across all of its disciplines eight years later, in 1970.

The product of several relocations, but still a small, specialist institution, CCS has grown in stature over the years. It acquired its current name in 2001 to emphasise its degree-awarding powers. In 2001, it began a $145 million renovation of its Argonaut Building to house design courses in future.

The largest city in the state, Detroit’s art scene is rapidly growing. While its overall population has dropped since the 1950s, the city’s artists and designers are thriving, with many moving in from outside to make the most of the low cost of accommodation and studios, and the wide range of cultural events. Its many art galleries include Detroit Institute of Arts, one of the biggest in the country, a historic building comprising more than 100 galleries and 65,000 pieces of art. CCS is located in the city centre.