Academic Metals Directory · program

Memphis College Of Art

art & design college · Closed

last checked 2026-05-29

As archived

Degrees
B.F.A, M.F.A

Now (checked 2026)

Status
Closed

What happened
The metals/jewelry program closed when the entire institution shut down. Memphis College of Art (founded 1936) announced in October 2017 that it would stop recruiting new students due to mounting real estate debt, a small endowment, and declining enrollment (down ~35% that year). It operated on a teach-out plan and closed permanently at the end of the 2019-20 academic year, holding its final commencement on May 9, 2020 (conducted virtually due to COVID-19). Metalworking/jewelry was one of MCA's 16 fine-arts programs (11 undergraduate BFA + 5 graduate degrees). There is no successor academic metals program. Note: in May 2022 the unrelated Metal Museum signed a lease for MCA's former campus (Rust Hall in Overton Park) — this is a museum/exhibition institution, NOT a continuation of the degree-granting academic program.

Link
web.archive.org/web/2014/http://www.temple.edu/crafts/metalsdirectorypage/s101.html

Trained here

Adam Hawk

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_College_of_Art https://hyperallergic.com/411640/memphis-college-art-closing/https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/the-end-of-an-era-memphis-college-of-art-prepares-to-say-goodbye-during-coronavirus-pandemic/522-04086167-c621-42f8-bd00-597312eefafb https://dailymemphian.com/article/7309/The-art-of-closing-MCA-takes-high-road-to-the-end

From the original Tyler “Academic Metals Directory” (≈2014), brought current in 2026.

A program in the Academic Metals Directory. People shown are linked where they have an entry. See it on the map →