BackGround of the School

The Addis Ababa University Alle Schoolof Fine Arts and Design was founded in 1958 under the former Ministry of Education and Fine Arts.  This institution, which was first called Addis Ababa Fine Arts School, was the only school of its kind in Ethiopia where talented students were trained to become professional artists and art teachers.  The subjects taught were limited to the basics of drawing, painting, sculpture, commercial art and art education.

In 1975, major changes to its program were made, especially in the curriculum, in order to include specialization in graphic art.  At the same time, the School upgraded its entrance requirements by admitting only students who finished 10th grade and above, and also passed the art aptitude test of the school.

The most significant change, however, occurred in 1998 when the School was upgraded and subsequently affiliated to the Addis Ababa University.  A new curriculum for BFA program was prepared. The degree program started in 2000, and consisted of five departments, namely; Painting Department, Sculpture Department, Printmaking Department, Industrial Design Department and Art Education Department.

One of the earlier programs of the School, the Painting Department has undergone many changes through the years, both in philosophical approaches as well as its practical results.  New experimental methods have been promoted along with the time tested solid techniques of painting which has added to the lure of the department at present.

Instruction in sculpture has been given also since the art school was founded in the country, and has continued with steady progress in scope and variety of techniques until today..  The Sculpture Department, like other departments of the School, offers a BFA degree program, and is now revising its program in light of the new facilities and equipment it is having which would enables it to offer new courses.

Printmaking Department is now revised to include Printmaking and Graphic Design.  The BFA program is focused on Printmaking in all printmaking methods and the designing of graphic related material using both handmade and computer aided techniques.

The year 1993 marks the beginning of the industrial design programs in the School. Even though this department was slowly developing, it now enjoys the full support and determination to transform it to the level envisage in the new curriculum.

The other department which has been started as teacher training course since the foundation of the School, but has been interrupted for a certain time, is now undergoing a fundamental change is the Art Education Department.  In accordance with the new curriculum, a especially well trained art education department graduate will not only be a qualified art educator at higher institutions, but also is a competent artist on his own right.  Many relevant course are given in collaboration with other departments of the. A. A. University including the college of Education, college of Social Science, and institute of language studies.

Currently, Addis Ababa University is undertaking an all-round transformation process which also sees the amalgamation of the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Yared Music School, and Theatrical Art Department; under one college named Skunder Boghossian College of Performing and Visual Arts.  Besides changing the name of the school into Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, the school has made relevant discussions and reasonable research on the critical needs of stakeholders in various related industrial sectors and educational institutions; such as Universities and Colleges across the country and other sectors; such as Lather and Textile industries, Tourist Trading enterprises, Printing presses and different service-offering companies. Consequently, in consultation with the above mentioned major stakeholders and further step of analyses on the recent understandings in visual art teaching processes, the school has revised its curriculum to train more qualified and better equipped professional artists, designers and art educators, in a way that they could balance and satisfy the urgent need of professionals.

This revised curriculum is meant to be another milestone in the steady development history of the school to a higher learning institution that can make a very significant contribution to the overall artistic and cultural development of the country.