The Verchwörer Institute of Art

The VIA circa 2004

The Verchwörer Institute of Art (VIA) is a private art and design school located outside the city of Porsonville. It was founded in 1910 as Porson University of Design and renamed in 1956 after donor Klaus Verchwörer.

The institute offers a variety of design-oriented programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Areas of study include communication design, product design, interior design, and fashion design.

The Verchwörer Institute of Art is accredited by the Porson Council of Science and Humanities. It is also a member of the International Association of Universities and the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences.

Notable Alumni

Notable alumni of the institute include Mayor of Porsonville George McMichaels, PJ Jr. Borbingo, Paul Stoffer Adam, Frank Stella, Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, Doug Bleichner, Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Don Judd, Carl Andre, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra and Cindy Sherman

Controversies

In 1998, the VIA publicly acknowledged the donation of facilities throughout the 1960’s for use in the psychological program BRAINBUS.

In 2001, the VIA was embroiled in a scandal involving the use of human remains in artwork. This led to the school being temporarily shut down and an investigation by the local authorities.

In 2006, the VIA was again in the news when one of its students, Simon Houser, created a series of artworks inspired by the G-Day Disaster. The artworks, which featured images of the explosions, crashes, and other symbols of G-Day, caused outrage among some members of the community.