In one of the most significant changes in its history, School of Visual Arts (SVA) this month transitioned ownership from the Rhodes family to the SVA Alumni Society, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that has provided scholarships to SVA students since 1972. The SVA Alumni Society’s mission and longstanding relationship with SVA make it ideally suited to provide a seamless continuation of the College’s culture, values, mission, and goals.

Nearly a decade in the making, this transition comes on the heels of the College’s milestone 75th anniversary and signals a future-focused plan that ensures its legacy as a global leader in art and design education will continue to flourish for generations to come. As of the official transfer date of September 1, SVA is owned and governed by the SVA Alumni Society and is considered tax exempt by the Internal Revenue Service. The announcement by longtime president David Rhodes to the SVA community was made earlier this summer with the promise that day-to-day life for students, administration, faculty, and staff would not change.

“For almost eight decades, my family has proudly shepherded SVA through countless changes in the landscape of higher education amid New York City’s ever-evolving arts community,” said David Rhodes. “It feels like the natural next step for such a beloved institution to be guided into its future by the Alumni Society, an organization comprising leadership that cares for SVA as much as I do.”

“My own relationship with SVA spans more than half of its entire history, so the opportunity to help lead the College into this new era is both exciting and deeply meaningful,” said Todd Radom (BFA 1986 Media Arts), chairman of the board of the SVA Alumni Society, designer and author. “Our entire Board is bound together by our love for SVA, and we look forward to building upon the Rhodes family’s great legacy as we work with the SVA community to support its mission—to educate future generations of global creative citizens.”

Founded by Silas Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in 1947, the College was officially renamed School of Visual Arts in 1956. David Rhodes has served as president since 1978, just months after the College received accreditation by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2023, SVA celebrated its 75th anniversary with a mayoral proclamation and, in 2024, an official renaming of East 23rd Street between Second and Third avenues—home to the College’s headquarters—”SVA Way.” The distinction marked the end of this chapter for SVA, one shaped immeasurably by the Rhodes family.

Since its inception, SVA has been known for its faculty of New York City-based professionals working in the arts. In addition to its seven academic buildings and four residence halls that stretch from Chelsea to Gramercy, the College also has three public galleries on its campus, including the SVA Chelsea Gallery in the landmark Starrett-Lehigh Building, which hosts exhibitions of work by students, alumni, and renowned guest artists. The SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street in Chelsea serves the arts and entertainment industries and the community at large as a stage for the presentation of noteworthy films, talks, and other presentations.

The College is also home to the Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives, a unique resource to study the work of the great designers, illustrators, and art directors who have taught and studied at SVA. The collections allow visitors to examine the design process from conception to completion, through original sketches, artwork, and photographs, as well as the final posters and publications, from more than 20 designers and artists, including Milton Glaser—SVA’s longtime acting chair, creator of the “I Heart NY” logo and faculty for nearly 50 years—Chermayeff & Geismar, George Tscherny, James McMullan, and Seymour Chwast.

With over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students at its NYC campus—including an estimated 2,400 continuing education students—and over 42,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world.

Some of SVA’s notable alumni include fine artists Keith Haring and KAWS; Steven Universe creator and animator Rebecca Sugar; Marvel Entertainment’s former creative director Joe Quesada; author Pete Hamill; film directors Craig Gillespie and Michael Cuesta; photographers Lorna Simpson and Collier Schorr; and designers Gail Anderson and Todd Radom. Exhibitions, guest lectures, symposiums, and panels have welcomed such prestigious visitors as Muhammed Ali, Salvador Dali, Meryl Streep, and David LaChapelle.