Life at CIA

Surrounded by creative-minded friends and mentors, you’ll find inspiration inside and outside the studio. On-campus or off-campus you’ll find a community full of cultural energy, ethnic neighborhoods, and an accessible downtown core on our nations’ “north coast.”

Explore the Neighborhood + the City

Our campus sits in the heart of University Circle, recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of the most beautiful communities in the country. Our neighborhood is home to world-renowned cultural, educational, and healthcare institutions and more than 8,000 students. 

Downtown Cleveland is less than five miles from campus, where you can sample the city’s hottest restaurants, take in a music or comedy show or tour dozens of independent galleries, art walks, and community festivals. If you’re a sports fan, plan on cheering on the Cleveland Indians, Cavaliers, or Browns at their downtown venues. 

Show Your Work

It’s important to show your work in both formal and informal settings. Through faculty partnerships and long-held CIA exhibitions, you’ll have many opportunities to exhibit and sell your work.  

Student Independent Exhibition

For nearly 70 years this juried-exhibition has been a signature show for CIA students. SIE is an extraordinary chance for students to create exhibition-quality work and run an actual full-scale exhibition where they do it all –from choosing national jurors to curating the work and publicizing the show.  

Spring Design Show 

Each spring students in CIA’s Industrial, Interior, and Graphic Design majors participate in a unique ‘trade show’ event where they present their work to prospective employers. Students develop a kiosk, produce work for the show, and present that work to industry professionals throughout this three-day event. Many of our junior and senior design students walk away from this event with internship and job opportunities. 

EMIT

This competitive annual film festival features video, film, and animation from CIA students in one night of back-to-back video shorts. 

Student Summer Show

Drawn from the best senior work done through the BFA Exhibitions and the best of sophomore and junior work, this show takes place in Reinberger Galleries and is open to the public throughout the summer. 

Community Partnerships

Faculty connect with local retail shops, restaurants, and businesses to feature CIA student work on their walls. A recent partnership with a local wine retailer has resulted in two annual shows of exclusively CIA student work. 

Get Involved

CIA students spend a lot of time in the studio, that’s why our Office of Student Life organizes activities to make sure you take a break sometimes. Through student activities and annual events you’ll be able to recharge your creative batteries. 

Meet Professional Artists and Designers

Learn from nationally-renowned visiting artists who work directly in the studio with CIA students, or attend the weekly forum to discuss art and design during the Lunch on Friday (LOF) series held at CIA’s Gund Building.