Maine May Get Nation’s First Art Doctors

The Maine Legislature has passed a new law, sponsored by Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings, to grant authority to the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts to be the first institution in America to confer a doctorate in the visual arts.

Cummings sponsored the legislation because he hopes that the first in the nation status of IDSVA will contribute to Maine’s reputation as a destination for artists and help to grow Maine’s creative economy.

Headquartered in Portland, the IDSVA will offer the first PhD designed especially for holders of the MFA in studio art, conferring a doctorate in philosophy, aesthetics, and theory. Study includes intensive residencies in Tuscany, Venice, and NYC, plus online instruction and interrogative travel to art sites worldwide.