DESIGNING
FOR THE FUTURE
Montserrat College of Art photos
Montserrat College of Art in Beverly still teaches the classic arts, such as painting, right, but also digital animation, video and graphic design.
MONTSERRAT COLLEGE OF ART DRAWS FROM ITS PAST AS IT CELEBRATES GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
By Jo Broderick Montserrat College of Art 40
Montserrat College of Art reached a major milestone in 2020 as it marked its 50th anniversary educating the next generation of visual artists, designers and artist educators. Today, there are 2,500 Montserrat alumni across the country leading inspired lives and contributing to the growing creative economy. Dr. Kurt T. Steinberg, who has led the Beverly college since 2019, now sees Montserrat in a unique and strong position for future growth. “Montserrat has successfully weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with the strongest retention in the college’s history and record fundraising growth,” he says. “We are poised for the next 50 years as we continue to prepare Montserrat students for the entrepreneurial, technologically based world they will lead after they graduate.” That’s not simply good news for Montserrat. It’s promising for the North Shore, too.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the value of arts and cultural production in America in 2019 was $919.7 billion, amounting to 4.3 percent of the gross domestic product. The arts contribute more to the national economy than do the construction, transportation and warehousing, travel and tourism, mining, utilities and agriculture industries. In New England, workers in the creative economy earn more than $17 billion per year. Creative problem-solving is now considered a vital skill sought by employers in nearly every industry. Today’s changing workplace supports the innovative work that has been happening at art colleges for decades. Since 1970, Montserrat has embraced this role. It has grown from a small, fine arts school to a four-year, independent college of art and design offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and provisional art education certification. Montserrat is now a residential college with a student body that is 76 IMPACT MAGAZINE
