Illinois is home to a variety of major gaming conventions such as Wizard World Comic Con, Chicago Comic and Entertainment EXPO (C2E2), and Winter War, to name a few. The state, particularly Chicago, is also home to a number of gaming studios such as the Iron Galaxy Studios, WB Games/NetherRealm Studios, Zynga Games and more.
Today’s graphic designer must be multi-faceted, wildly creative, tech savvy, and a fierce competitor. To help meet the industry’s demand for a sort of “super” graphic designer, schools across the U.S. have added comprehensive graphic design programs or reworked existing programs. The result? It is safe to say that the U.S. now has some of the best graphic design programs in the world. While some of the best programs can be found across the map, some states have a higher concentration than others. Illinois is one of those states.
What’s the anatomy of a top animation school? Some students say convenience and affordability are important when considering which schools should be at the top of the list, while others think the type of facilities, social groups, and class size are the most important things. These and many other factors are taken into consideration by bloggers, students, alumni, and others when creating their own “top” lists.
Illinois is home to the nation’s third largest city—Chicago. While artists may live in just about any city or town in Illinois, the largest population of artists lives and works in the Chicago metropolitan area where you’ll find most of the state’s art museums, theaters, performance venues, television and film studios, animation studios, advertising agencies, technology companies, PR firms and other creative agencies.
Aspiring artists in the state, nation and abroad also come to Chicago to attend some of the world’s top art and design schools. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), American Academy of Art, and Columbia College are just a few.
The Chicago Art Scene
Chicago is as famous for art as it is for architecture. While this cultural mecca is home to many of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, it is also home to the world famous Art Institute of Chicago, plus hundreds of art galleries—big and small. On any given day, the Art Institute and the city’s collection of up and coming galleries showcase everything from modern abstract paintings to moving digital art installations to live art demonstrations.
