Stella Elkins Tyler donated her estate to
Temple University in the early 1930s. With
an interest in progressive education and
a deep appreciation of her mentor, the sculptor
Boris Blai, Mrs. Tyler offered her estate
with the expressed wish that, through Boris
Blai, it would become an environment for
the advancement of the fine arts, scholarly
study in the arts, and individual creativity.
As founding Dean of Tyler School
of Art, Blai instilled Tyler School
of Art with a commitment to progressive
education emphasizing the student's
mastery of technique within the
framework of a liberal arts curriculum.
Dean Blai insisted upon individual
attention to each student's needs
as the basis of successful teaching.
During his 25-year tenure Dean Blai
shaped the school into one of the
finest visual arts centers in the
country, and his founding ideals
still remain paramount to Tyler's
educational philosophy.
In 1960 Dean Charles Le Clair succeeded
Boris Blai. During this period the
Tyler campus was improved with construction
of a residence hall and two studio/classroom
buildings. In 1966 Dean Le Clair
founded the Tyler Study Abroad program
in Rome, Italy. Tyler's Rome campus
thrives today as one of the most
respected fine arts study abroad
programs in Europe. The program
has expanded to include a full range
of liberal arts, architecture, business,
and law courses with an emphasis
on those relating to Rome, Italy,
and the European Common Market.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s,
Tyler's curriculum continued to
grow in response to new definitions
of art-making and the role of art
in society. New programs and modern
facilities in design, ceramics,
glass, metals, and photography were
added. During this time, Tyler developed
the Art and Art Education Department
and the Art History Department on
Temple's Main Campus. These departments
serve majors seeking the BA degree
with a major in art or art history,
the BS degree in art education,
and non-majors throughout the University.
Today the curriculum at Tyler continues
to address contemporary needs by
incorporating digital technology,
video, installation, and performance.
From its modest enrollment of 12 students in
the first freshman class in 1935, Tyler now
boasts a student body of over 1,200 and serves
another two to three thousand students each
year in elective and core curriculum courses.
Today, Tyler is a dynamic organization,
serving students at its Elkins Park campus, as
well as
Temple's Main Campus, the
Ambler campus, the
Center City campus, and the Temple
University
Rome and
Tokyo campuses. For over 65 years, the
foundation of Tyler's program has been a
faculty of practicing artists and scholars
teaching highly talented and motivated
students.
