Montserrat College of Art has become a creative force on the North Shore. Page

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

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

A freshman participates in the annual Paint Wars on the Beverly campus.

percent female. Seventy percent of the curriculum is focused on the media arts and design.

What has remained consistent is the emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving, which has enabled students over the school’s 50 years to be successful in any profession — inside or outside of the arts proper.

The founders planted these seeds when they formed Montserrat and manifested their vision in 1970. Today’s faculty continue their early objective to provide an educational environment where individuals are valued for their unique creative aspirations.

The college was started by the North Shore Community Arts Foundation, the parent company of the former North Shore Music Theatre. It was organized by several community leaders, including Steven Slane, C. Henry Glovsky and Caleb Loring. Its original building at Dunham Road is now part of the current Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre.

In the mid-1990s, the two organizations split. Montserrat formed its own governance to become an accredited institution with access to federal financial aid and a foundation that allows graduates to go on to pursue further education at graduate schools across the nation.

Montserrat is now fully accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, under whose standards the

Dr. Kurt T. Steinberg, who has been leading Montserrat since 2019, says the college has been experiencing its strongest student retention rate and financial growth in its 50-year history.

 1970: Montserrat School of Visual Art is chartered.  1970: First classes are held at Crane Estate Barn. (The campus building was not completed in time for the first semester.)  1971: Montserrat campus building on Dunham Road is completed. Classes are held there in January.  1976: Montserrat achieves New England Association of Schools and Colleges candidacy status.  1984: New curriculum adds 30 liberal arts credits and accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.  1985: College is officially named Montserrat College of Art and receives authorization from the Massachusetts Board of Regents to offer a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and fouryear diploma.  1986: First scholarship benefit auction is held, paving the way for the annual Artrageous! fundraiser.  1987: First Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are awarded  1989: Autonomous Board of Trustees is created.  1991: Sister-school relationship is formed with Niigata College of Art & Design in Japan.  1992: Montserrat begins its move downtown and starts to build its campus.  1994: Acquisition of the Hardie Building, 23 Essex St., is completed.  1994: College becomes residential with the addition of rented apartments.  1995: Montserrat is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.  1996: Study-abroad program in Italy begins.  2005: Montserrat adds an internship requirement for graduation.  2009: Student Village, Montserrat’s new student residence hall, opens.  2017: Montserrat launches STEAM summer program for grades three to eight and Art Educator’s Summer Program.  2021: Center at Montserrat opens at newly purchased 9 Dane St. to include student life, admissions and wellness offices. Montserrat leases a large, newly renovated residence hall at 275 Cabot St.

The founders of Montserrat College of Art are seen as the school is launched in 1970.

Source: Montserrat College of Art

college operates.

When the two organizations separated, Montserrat began the quest to move to its current headquarters in the Hardie Building at 23 Essex St. in downtown Beverly Since then, the campus has grown to a walkable assemblage of 20 leased and owned spaces in and around the center of Beverly.

Today, Montserrat has an economic impact of $28.75 million on the greater Beverly area. Future plans will include

greening the campus with the addition of solar power.

Beyond bachelor’s degree studies, Montserrat offers continuing education classes and workshops, weeklong summer master classes with a residential option, a weeklong Art Educators Institute for art teachers of any grade level, a residential Pre-College Program in which high school students can earn three college credits, and study abroad programs.

Additionally, the college leads a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Institute for four weeks each summer for students in grades three through eight.

The college also hosts free public lectures and art receptions in its many galleries, which showcase national, regional and local artists. Dr. Lynne Cooney, formerly of Boston University, was recently hired to lead its ambitious galleries programs.

A new strategic plan will continue to strengthen Montserrat into the future, says Dr. Steinberg, who sits on the North Shore Chamber’s Board of Directors.

The priorities outlined in the plan include providing new opportunities for students in art and design education; emphasizing diversity and

Montserrat moved its headquarters into the Hardie Building at 23 Essex St. in downtown Beverly in 1994 and has since expanded its campus to encompass more than 20 properties.

inclusion while growing the student body, faculty and staff; strengthening the college’s community involvement; enhancing and expanding its campus facilities; and pursuing a proactive approach to planning, “which puts people first.” Many 50th anniversary celebrations at the college were put on hold due to the pandemic. But Montserrat’s commitment to furthering the arts through its students’ success marches on.

“We thank the many individual contributors — be they faculty, students, staff, trustees, alumni or supporters — for the part they played in keeping this noble experiment alive and thriving, during lean times to now,” Dr. Steinberg says, “and hope to celebrate throughout the year as we spend the next academic year ‘drawing from our past and designing for the future.’” I

Jo Broderick is the chief of staff and dean of college relations for Montserrat College of Art in Beverly.

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