Telling our stories for nearly 120 years: A history of illustration at CCA

The Illustration program at California College of the Arts (CCA) was formally accredited in 1985, making it 40 years old this year. But the founding date of the program leaves out an important part of the real story of illustration at CCA — that it has been an integral part of the college for nearly 120 years. When art teacher Frederick Meyer founded the school in the East Bay in 1907 in the wake of the great San Francisco earthquake, illustration was a key part of instruction, according to the first school bulletins. Courses included freehand and instrument drawing, life drawing, oil painting, watercolor, applied design, ornament, nature studies, and bookbinding, which are foundational courses in the illustration curriculum.

The evolution of the illustration curriculum has advanced along with the profession moving towards an expanded approach to media, subject, and context. Illustrators still create original artwork for book covers, advertising, and editorial campaigns, just as they have since the early 20th century, but our students now create work in every media and scale for a wide range of applications and intentions including objects and products, comics and graphic novels, digitally animated characters and settings, and multi-component installations.

The following illustrated timeline highlights moments in the story of illustration at CCA from 1907 to the present day, including images of student life to provide context for each decade. It ultimately demonstrates that illustrators have been continuously telling the story of our school and the story of our times since the very first years.

— Mara Holt Skov, associate professor of Industrial Design with research support from Annemarie Haar and Teri Dowling/CCA Libraries
February 7, 2025