The UP College of Fine Arts (CFA) is the oldest arts and design educational institution in the country.
One of the founding units of the University of the Philippines with a history dating back to the early 19th century, the College of Fine Arts traces its beginnings to the Academia de Dibujo in 1823, which then became the Escuela Superior de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado in 1891. Upon the enactment of Act No. 1870 by the Philippine Assembly founding the University of the Philippines in 1908, the Escuela, which became known as the School of Fine Arts, was chartered as a unit of the University of the Philippines.
As it stands today, the CFA is a product of the collective vision of art luminaries who steered and moulded the life of the institution until eventually it was recognized as an autonomous College of Fine Arts. It has thus far produced nine national artists, and has passed through its portals a host of gifted artists who comprise a veritable who’s who in Philippine art.
The College of Fine Arts remains steadfast in its vision to be the eminent learning institution for the arts and design, imbued with a deep sense of humanity that inspires the Filipino to strive for excellence. UPCFA commits itself to the task of nurturing career artists dedicated to the perfection of their craft and the enrichment of the Philippine society.
