History
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Founded in 1876
OCAD University was founded as the Ontario School of Art in 1876 by the Ontario Society of Artists, and had 14 registered students. In 1912, we were incorporated as the Ontario College of Art (OCA), becoming Canada’s first school dedicated to educating artists. Esteemed artists such as G.A. Reid and J.E.H. MacDonald of the Group of Seven have served as presidents, and many celebrated alums have come from here.
In 1945 our curriculum was expanded and we opened our Design School; our main building at 100 McCaul Street opened in 1957. The 1960s-80s saw a period of building and growth, with the acquisition of several nearby properties. Our name changed to the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) in 1996.
The 1990s and 2000s were marked by further expansion, beginning with the opening of two new buildings at 113 and 115 McCaul Street. Through large investments from both Ontario’s SuperBuild Program and IDEAS NEED SPACE, we opened our iconic Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design in 2004. Alum and benefactor Rosalie Sharp was named Chancellor the same year.
In 2002, we were granted university status and began to confer Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) and Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) degrees. In 2008, we accepted our first cohort of graduate students, and began offering continuing education programs in 2009. One year later, to reflect these changes, we became OCAD University (OCAD U).
Thousands of artists and designers have passed through our doors, and as Canada’s most longstanding and respected university for art and design, we strive to be at the forefront of creative education for generations to come.
OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral and traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we stand and create.
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Our name
1876: we open as The Ontario School of Art at 14 King St. West, with 14 registered students
1876-1903: after various locations and name changes, our first logo was created in 1903: "Central Ontario School of Art and Industrial Design"
1912: we're renamed the Ontario College of Art (OCA) - various logo changes over the years
1996: OCA becomes the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) - rebranded logo appears in 2003
2010: Ontario College of Art and Design becomes OCAD University (OCAD U) - our current logo was created in 2011
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Leaders
OCAD U alums have shaped Canada and the world for generations. Most of the Group of Seven either studied, taught at or have been presidents of OCAD U. Filmmakers George Dunning (Yellow Submarine) and Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways, plus over 60 notable music videos) studied here. The creative directors at most of Canada’s top creative agencies are graduates. Visual artists ranging from Michael Snow (Toronto Eaton Centre’s iconic Flight Stop) to Ken Danby (The Goalie) got their start at OCAD U. More recently, Rajni Perera, Shary Boyle, Meryl McMaster and Keita Morimoto all honed their craft on our campus. Designer Don Watt (logos for Home Depot, No Name and President’s Choice) is a grad. Pulitzer Prize-winning Barry Blitt and Order of Canada recipient Anita Kunz are illustrators who have created some of history’s most iconic covers for magazines like The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.
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Timeline
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1870s-1910s: Founding years
1876: We open as The Ontario School of Art at 14 King St. West, with 14 registered students
1882-1912: Various relocations, including locations at Queen and Yonge and King St. W.
1912: Act passes incorporating the Ontario College of Art (OCA); annual grant of $3,000 pledged by the Ontario government
1920s-1950s: Establishing years
1920: Painter G.A Reid named principal; Arthur Lismer of the Group of Seven named vice-principal
1921: We’ve grown to 330 students and 16 instructors and purchase our first building at Grange Park
1929: J.E.H. MacDonald of the Group of Seven is named principal
1933: Painter Fred S. Haines is named principal and serves until 1952
1945: Our Design School is established, broadening our curriculum
1951: OCA Student Council founded
1957: Our main building opens at 100 McCaul St.
1960s-1990s: Expansion years
1963: Opening of the Nora E. Vaughan Auditorium
1967: Two new floors and an atrium are added
1976: We launch our Florence Off-Campus Studies Program in Italy
1976: Alumni Association launched
1996: OCA becomes the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD)
1996: Restructuring into three faculties: Foundation Studies (first-year), Art, and Design
1998: We open two new buildings at 113 and 115 McCaul St.
1998: We open our Integrated Media production studios
21st Century: New ideas
2000: We receive a $24-million investment from Ontario’s SuperBuild Program
2000: The IDEAS NEED SPACE capital campaign raises $14 million for building expansion
2000: Alsop Architects and Robbie, Young + Wright begin work on a new centre for design
2001: We receive a $5-million donation from alum Rosalie Sharp and her husband, Isadore Sharp
2002: OCAD U begins conferring Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) and Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) degrees
2002: Groundbreaking for the Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design
2003: Record first-year student admissions: 1,165 offers accepted
2004: Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design opens; ribbon-cutting celebration closes McCaul St.
2004: Rosalie Sharp is named OCAD U’s first chancellor
2005: We receive a $2.5-million grant from Nancy Young
2006: Membership in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
2007: Development of the new Digital Futures Initiative
2007: We acquire the historic New Textile Building at 205 Richmond St. W.
2008: We receive $1.8 million in funding from the Ontario government
2008: Our graduate studies programs welcome first cohorts
2009: Indigenous Visual Culture studies launched
2009: School of Continuing Studies programs launched
2010: We purchase two new buildings at 230 and 240 Richmond St. W.
2010: Ontario College of Art and Design becomes OCAD University (OCAD U)
2011: Digital Futures Initiative Program welcomes first student cohort
2011: Masters in Inclusive Design launched
2012: Digital Painting and Expanded Animation programs launched
2012: Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) opens
2013: New Honours BA in Visual and Critical Studies launched
2014: The Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design celebrates its 10th anniversary
2014: Rosalie and Isadore Sharpe pledge $3 million and the Delaney Family Foundation pledges $2-million
2014: We receive a $3-million donation from Ada Slaight
2015: GradEx 100 draws over 40,000 visitors celebrating OCAD U’s 100th graduate exhibition
2017: We receive $4.5 million from the Ontario government to fund digital research and innovation
2017: We begin a new partnership with University of the Arts London (UAL)
2018: We open our new Waterfront Campus, home of OCAD U CO
2019: We receive $1.7 million from the Ontario government’s Accessible Technology Program toward OCAD U's Inclusive Research Design Centre (IRDC)
2019: The IDRC receives a $1.2-million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in open education
2019: IDRC receives a $2.9-million grant from the Government of Canada through the Accessible Technology Program for Project We Count
2019: We open our refurbished Fabrication Centre, OCAD U’s wood, metal, plastics and rapid prototyping studios
2020: We launch OCAD U LiVE, our 24/7 on-demand digital streaming channel
2021: We co-lead iCity 2.0, a four-year project funded by the Ontario Research Fund to enhance urban transportation systems and mobility services
2021: We announce adoption of facility accessibility design standards (FADS) for all construction and renovation projects
2022: Our Ignite Gallery reopens in a renovated space
2023: Launch of our Global Centre for Climate Action
2023: We receive at $2.5-million gift from the Delaney Family Foundation
2023: Launch of our Cultural Policy Hub for national arts and culture policy dialogue
2023: We launch fineline.art, OCAD U’s co-op marketplace for art and design