VanArts

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Vancouver Institute of Media Arts

Type	Private
Established	1995 (1995)
President	Alan Phillips
Location	Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada
Campus	400 - 333 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6A 4C1
Nickname	VanArts
Affiliations	PTIB, EQA, StudentAid BC, EduCanada, NACC
Website	vanarts.com

Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts) is a private post-secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada founded in 1995. VanArts offers one-year diploma programs for the visual, media and performing arts plus degree pathways with university partners.

VanArts is designated through the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB).^[1]

History[]

VanArts was founded in 1995 with Lee Mishkin as its founding program director.^[2]

The first campus for VanArts was on West Broadway in Vancouver, and by January 1997 it had moved downtown to 837 Beatty Street. Originally offering programs for Classical Animation, then computer animation in 1998, the school expanded to offer Game Art & Design in 2003 and Visual Effects in 2004. Upon adding the first Digital Photography program in North America in 2006,^[3] VanArts needed to expand and moved to a new campus at 626 West Pender Street. In 2008, the William Davis Centre for Actors Study joined up with VanArts and became its Acting department. Another move happened in July 2010 to its current location at 570 Dunsmuir Street. 2011 brought new departments for Web Development & Interactive Design, and the addition of Broadcasting and Online Media. In 2021 the school moved to a custom made floor at 333 Terminal Avenue.

The William Davis Centre for Actors Study[]

The William Davis Centre for Actors Study was opened in 1989 by William B. Davis. In 2008 the William Davis Centre for Actors Study became the acting department of VanArts.^[4]

Notable faculty[]

• Chilton Crane, Head of Acting department – credits include Supernatural, The X-Files, Once Upon a Time.^[5]
• Wayne Gilbert, Head of Animation – former artistic lead of EA Black Box (Skate), animator on E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial, and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.
• Wade Howie, Head of Visual Effects & Head of Game Art & Design – digital effects artist Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic Park, Tron Legacy and Watchmen (2009 film).

Notable alumni[]

• Jordan Armstrong (News Anchor/Reporter, Global BC)^[6]
• Chris Cameron (Broadcasting, Mornings Host, 106.3 FM EZ Rock Golden)
• Braeden Clarke (Actor, Outlander)^[7]
• Georgie Daburas (Actor, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)^[8]
• Aaron Douglas (Actor, Battlestar Galactica)
• Galen Fott (Director/Animator, I Want My Hat Back)^[9]
• Matthew Grobe (Broadcasting, Morning Show Producer/Board Operator) Cumulus Media
• Andrew Herr (Actor, Letterkenny)
• Ryan Hicks (Game Art & Design, Animation Director on Star Wars Battlefront 2)
• Michael Jahnke (Senior Animator, Halo Infinite)
• Stephen Keppler (Broadcasting, On-Air Host, "Afternoon Drive" Bell Media)
• Lucy Lawless (Actor, Xena: Warrior Princess, Ash vs. Evil Dead)
• Nathan Litz (Animation Director, 2x Winner 2020 & 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, Rick & Morty)
• Jennifer Llewellyn (Art Director, ICON Creative Studio)
• Mirelle Moktar (Cairo Radio Host, Singer, Instagram Influencer)
• Steven Cree Molison (Actor, Blackstone)
• Eden Muñoz (VFX Supervisor/Studio Owner, Pixel Perfect)^[10]
• Cody Schroder (Art Director, Rogue Harbour Game Studio)
• Chatrasal Singh (Senior Animator, WETA Digital)
• Porus Vimadal (Elle India Graduates 2016 - Photography of the Year)^[11]
• Paul Zeke (Visual Effects, Winner VES Award 2019 for Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project, Lost in Space)^[12]

Programs[]

VanArts offers 7 full-time 12 month programs:^[13]

• ACTING FOR FILM & TELEVISION
• ANIMATION (2D & 3D tracks)
• GAME ART & DESIGN
• PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
• VISUAL EFFECTS FOR FILM & TV
• WEB DEVELOPMENT & INTERACTIVE DESIGN

Partnerships[]

2011 marked VanArts’ first degree pathway agreement with Woodbury University^[14] in Burbank, CA, soon to be followed by further pathways with Deakin University^[15] in Melbourne, Australia, Bond University^[16] and Griffith University^[17] in Queensland, Australia, Media Design School^[18] in Auckland, New Zealand, University of Gloucestershire^[19] in the United Kingdom. In 2013, VanArts signed an agreement for its first local degree pathway with the Vancouver campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University.^[20]

Local Partners[]

• British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)^[21]
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design^[22]
• Fairleigh Dickinson University^[23]
• University of the Fraser Valley^[24]

References[]

External links[]

• Vancouver Institute of Media Arts