The Gerrit Rietveld Academie, also known as Rietveld School of Art & Design and Rietveld Academy, is an art academy in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The academy was founded in 1924 and offers programs in fine arts and design. History In 1924, the Instituut voor Kunstnijverheidsonderwijs (Institute for Arts and Crafts Education) was founded by merging three art schools. From 1939 to 1960, education was strongly influenced by the functionalist and socially critical ideas of De Stijl and the Bauhaus, partly due to the role of the socialist architect Mart Stam as director of education. In 1966, the Rietveld Building designed by Gerrit Rietveld was completed. That year, the school was renamed to Gerrit Rietveld Academie, as a tribute to Gerrit Rietveld, who had died in 1964. Since the 1960s and especially the 1970s, the role and influence of autonomous visual art and individual expression have grown in importance. These influences, combined with a practical focus and a critical mindset, still determine a significant part of the academy's image. In 2003, the Benthem Crouwel Building designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects was completed. In 2019, the Fedlev Building designed Paulien Bremmer of the Fedlev collective and Hootsmans Architects was completed. Education The Gerrit Rietveld Academy offers two bachelor's and five permanent master's programmes. Foundation year: the initial year of the Bachelor's education programme. In this first, formative year, a comprehensive art-theoretical framework is offered in combination with an intensive practical programme to introduce students into a broad range of media and techniques. During the foundation year, students also orient themselves in terms of the academy's various specializations, for which they enrol during the following year. Bachelor’s: Within the bachelor's program, it is possible to follow a Bachelor of Fine Arts or a Bachelor of Design. There are various specializations within these two programmes. After a general first year – the foundation year – students choose one of these graduation tracks. This is followed by three years of specialization. The Rietveld Academy also offers a part-time education, in which case the foundation year actually takes two years, followed by three years of specialization. Master’s: The master's programmes at the Rietveld Academy are housed within the Sandberg Institute. The five permanent departments at the Sandberg Institute are: Critical Studies, Design, Dirty Art Department, Fine Arts and Studio for Immediate Spaces. Preparatory Training & Orientation Year: The Rietveld Academy offers several preparatory training courses for those