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 On November 8, 1936, the dream of four young art teachers -- Henry Cordes, Mildred Harston, John B. Kenny (for whom the Kenny Gallery is named), and Jerod Magon -- was realized. The School of Industrial Art opened its doors at 257 West 40th Street.000It was not an impressive opening. There were no floodlights and no cheering crowds. A little band of 128 students -- all boys -- and a group of eight teachers, headed by George K. Gombarts, moved in to take possession of part of the building near Eighth Avenue. 000At that time, the other part of the building was being used for a WPA theatre project, and its consequent renovation included ripped-out walls and no school furniture. Then, as now, public funding was minimal, but the intrepid group pressed on. Some of the furniture was returned to the school, but there still wasn't enough. The students procured orange crates to use as desks and cupboards, and for their art supplies went to various art industries, begging for working materials. Sheets of plywood were cut down into drawing boards. Teachers licensed in art taught everything: health, math, science. 000Adding to the strife was the resentment of the WPA teachers and their adult students, some of whom, fearful that their own program would be cancelled, staged sit-down strikes in classrooms where SIA teachers were trying to teach. 000In spite of all the obstacles, The School of Industrial Art began to grow. Six months later, fifty-nine girls joined the student ranks. By December of 1939, the number of SIA teachers had grown from eight to twenty-nine, and there were five hundred students. 000However, the building by then was in such poor condition that it was officially declared unsafe, and its immediate evacuation was ordered. Unfortunately, no other school building was available, and it seemed certain that SIA would be closed. Once again, though, the efforts of dedicated individuals carried the day. Together, Advisory Board member Mrs. Betty Hawley Donnelly and SIA's newly-appointed principal, John B. Kenny, pleaded for another chance. They argued that there was a real need for the school and that with a little more time and a little more help it was bound to thrive. The chance was given; the little school remained in existence, and the East 79th Street Annex of recently-relocated Benjamin Franklin High School became the new home of The School of Industrial Art. 000The new site was only part of the equation. What followed were years of relentless hard work. Skilled artists were recruited to serve as teachers. An advisory commission, comprised of art industry leaders, was formed; these individuals not only helped develop curricula and place graudates, but also provided entree for SIA into the "real world." Over time, the school earned the respect of the industry it was born to serve. 000SIA began producing not only working artists, but college-bound students as well. More and more graduates continued their educations to become architects, industrial designers, and teachers. Accordingly, the school broadened its focus to include college preparatory courses. SIA continued to grow. The 79th Street building was not big enough; half the applicants for admission each year were turned away just because of a lack of space. Another old elementary school on East 51st Street was added as an annex. 000Both the original school and the annex were of the same vintage. Legend has it that the 79th Street building had been used as a hospital for wounded Civil War soldiers, and this may well be true, as the building had been completed in 1860. Faculty members used to refer to the annex as their "modern building" because it was built in 1864! 000Even with the annex, there still was not enough room. There were neither a gym nor a lunchroom, which led to the (in)famous and beloved "lunchtime dancing." Many of the facilities considered essential to a modern high school were missing. 000It soon became apparent that a new building was needed. 000The search for a site began. A number of locations in Brooklyn were proposed, but the school faculty and the advisory board both insisted that the new building must be in the center of Manhattan, near the industry it served and easy to reach by students who came from all boroughs. The City Planning Commission agreed and gave their support, as did then-borough president Robert F. Wagner. 000Three existing buildings on the lower east side, long discontinued as schools, were suggested. A merger between SIA and the faltering High School of Commerce was proposed. Combining SIA with the High School of Printing or having it share Benjamin Franklin High School were also offered as possibilities. To all these, the reply of SIA's supporters was a resounding NO! 000More than thirty proposed sites were examined and rejected, found and lost, before the current Second Avenue and 57th Street site was chosen. Old PS 59 was on the same spot, so putting a new building there for SIA would involve also building a new elementary school on the same plot. This revolutionary idea was adopted. 000Once again, our alma mater was forced into battle mode. Strong and vocal opposition came from nearby real estate owners, who made fierce protests before the Board of Estimate and initiated two separate lawsuits to block construction of the current school building. Once again, groups of dedicated individuals rose up against the bad guys, and once again, the mouse prevailed. The school had friends who fought hard in its behalf: The Advisoy Commission, comprised of employers who knew the quality of SIA's graduates; the City Planning Commission; the school's alumni association, which by then included many leaders in the art field; the parents; and, most importantly, some neighborhood real estate owners who believed that the new building would help, not hurt, the area. 000The School of Industrial Art closed its East 79th Street doors in June of 1960.
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The High School of Art & Design opened its East 57th Street doors in September of 1960. Housing a school with a faculty of more than one hundred and a student body in excess of two thousand, the new building stands seven stories tall and cost eight million dollars to build. It also stands as a landmark in that it was the first ever to be planned and built specifically to offer students not only a high-school education but also prepare them for careers as professional artists and designers.