The 2025 Cleveland Auto Show at the IX Center was full of cars, trucks and other vehicles. But we found a very interesting area hosted by the Cleveland Institute of Art, a college of art and design.
We asked James Malley, Director of Admissions for the school, what the connection was and he said Cars are the Ultimate Design. It all starts with designs. He told us about the 140+ year history of the school (founded in 1882) and how it was the first industrial design program in the US.
There is a lot more information at www.cia.edu such as “Artists and designers who have made meaningful contributions to their fields have studied at CIA since its founding in 1882. Every year, CIA builds on to an internationally recognized heritage of excellence and innovation dating back to 1882. In 1882, the school was chartered as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. The school’s first name reflects the forward-thinking views of founder Sarah Kimball, who opened her home for the first class meetings, attended by just one teacher and one student. Open to male and female students alike, the Cleveland School of Art, as the school soon became known, blossomed under the influence of a dedicated and talented faculty, whose prize-winning art and award-winning commercial designs are known collectively, even today, as “the Cleveland School.”
Watch the short video interview with James Malley at the Cleveland Auto Show.
