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Academic Metals Directory · program

The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago

art & design college · Merged / renamed
last checked 2026-05-29

As archived

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

Now (checked 2026)

Status
Merged / renamed

Now known as
Designed Objects (within Architecture, Interior Architecture, & Designed Objects / AIADO)

What happened
The archived faculty member Lisa Norton was at SAIC as "Professor in Designed Objects, Metalsmithing and Sculpture" and later Director of Designed Objects — she was the bridge figure as the program's metalsmithing identity evolved into Designed Objects under the AIADO umbrella. Since ~2014, the program continued under the Designed Objects name (not a closure). Leadership changed: Norton departed SAIC (now at Parsons / The New School, School of Design Strategies), and Designed Objects is now chaired by Jim TerMeer under AIADO director Jonathan Solomon. The dedicated metalsmithing/jewelry studio offering as a degree no longer exists; it persists only as continuing-education coursework.

Link
www.saic.edu/aiado

People

Faculty
Lisa Norton · 1992 to present

Trained here

Robert Von Neumann

Sources

https://www.saic.edu/aiadohttps://www.saic.edu/aiado/graduate/master-design-designed-objectshttps://www.saic.edu/aiado/people-partnerships/facultyhttps://www.saic.edu/news/aiados-lisa-norton-talks-core77-about-design-educationhttps://www.newschool.edu/parsons/faculty/lisa-norton/https://www.saic.edu/news/chicago-architect-magazine-interviews-aiado-directorhttps://continuingstudies.saic.edu/all-courses

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

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