Waterford School of Art

Waterford School of Art, located in Waterford City, Ireland, was established in the mid-19th century as part of a national movement to integrate art and design with industrial training. The first Waterford School of Art, originally known as the School of Practical Art and Design, was established on October 1, 1852. It was founded through the efforts of the Mechanics' Institute and politician John Aloysius Blake (1826–1887), with J.D. Croome (1811-1895) serving as its first master.

For a period, the school was housed in the classical bank building at 31 O'Connell Street, which was completed around 1845. This building now serves as the Waterford Art Gallery. After a period of inactivity, the school was re-established in 1881. It later became part of the Waterford Central Technical Institute under the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. In 1936, Robert Burke became the headmaster, introducing a strong focus on arts, crafts, and design that lasted for decades. Today, formal art education in the city continues through the South East Technological University, formerly the Waterford Institute of Technology, which offers undergraduate degrees in Visual Art.