5 inspiring art school Tumblrs to spur your creativity

Ashley Hefnewy is an associate editor for Shutterstock’s blog. This post was originally published on the Shutterstock blog and has been reprinted with permission.

No matter how hard we try, we can never seem to scour every corner of the internet for inspiration and innovation. Thankfully, the social media game is one that everybody learns more and more from every day, and when used appropriately, it can be an excellent resource for creativity.

We weren’t at all surprised when we stumbled across an impressively curated tumblr for the Parsons admissions page, but it inspired us to delve further into the world of art-school tumblrs that showcase more than just student work. Below, you’ll find a selection of some of our favorites, with an assortment of different disciplines — from photography and illustration to chalkboard art.

1. Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD)

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This isn’t the official tumblr for CCAD, but it might just encourage you to paint that wall in your home with chalkboard paint and start creating flamboyant murals of your own. Every week, a duo of chalkboard artists roam the boards of this educational establishment and create these incredible murals.

2. School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

SAIC is already known as a highly influential institute of arts education, so it comes as no surprise that the student work featured on its tumblr is brilliant. The site showcases the eclectic quality of the work of the student body, and provides a small lens into what life is like at the Institute.

3. Parsons The New School for Design 

The Parsons tumblr functions as a blog that runs newsworthy features on sustainable design, creative minds and their artworks, and events. It reminds us a lot of other websites we view for inspiration and design education — so much so that we almost forgot it was a tumblr for an established design institution.

4. School of Visual Arts (SVA)

Another New York-based school, SVA displays a fantastic collection of student work on its tumblr. Follow it if you have a love for design, an appreciation for the balance between modern and classic artwork, and a desire to keep up with the amazing work being churned out by today’s students.

5. Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD)

We could spend an entire day analyzing MCAD’s tumblr dedicated solely to Illustration. The college also has two other tumblr pages dedicated to graphic design and comic art, respectively. We chose this one because each featured image, although not related, felt like it had its own pictorial story to tell. Like poetry, but with visuals, the artworks of these students display impressive ability and creativity, which we truly admire.

We only picked five tumblrs to display, so we’re just scratching the surface. What are some of your favorite art school tumblrs? Let us know in the comments!