Released on: August 4, 2008, 6:52 am

Press Release Author: Arlene Wites / Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale

Industry: Education

Press Release Summary: Since 1968, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale\'s reputation
as a leader in creative education has grown.

Press Release Body: On Tuesday, September 16, beginning at 4pm, The Art Institute of
Fort Lauderdale celebrates its 40th anniversary with a nostalgic, but peaceful,
\"sit-in\" reception commemorating opening its doors on the famous Fort Lauderdale
Beach during the fall of 1968.

The year was 1968, and Spring Break defined Fort Lauderdale as the place to be for
thousands of college students to converge on the beach for fun, sun, and partying.
The intersection of Las Olas Boulevard and A1A was the center of the action, made
famous in the movie Where the Boys Are. Across the street from the popular Elbow
Room and The Button was a Holiday Inn.

This was no ordinary motel, the first floor belonged to The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale, which opened on September 16, 1968, to welcome its first 55 students -
girls were required to wear skirts or dresses, and guys had to wear dress shirts.
Back then the diplomas were three: Commercial Art, Interior Design, and Fashion
Illustration.

Fast forward 40 years to 2008, and The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, on 17th
Street since 1985, has approximately 3,000 students (now wearing all sorts of
clothing) pursuing 17 areas of applied arts education programs culminating with
Bachelor of Science degrees, Associate of Science degrees, or diplomas. The staff
and faculty combined which was 35 has now swelled to approximately 378.

"We're all about providing creative arts education to launch careers," says The Art
Institute of Fort Lauderdale President Chuck Nagele. "That has never changed since
we first began 40 years ago. Our mission and commitment to our students remains
constant to offer an education taught by professionals to help students graduate
with the skills and training to begin their creative careers."

It was a mixed "bag" in 1968.

. average cost of a new house was $14,975
. average new car was $2,822
. one gallon of gas was 34 cents
. a movie ticket was $1.50
. a postage stamp was 6 cents
. Oliver! won the Oscar® for the Best Picture
. Richard Nixon was elected to replace Lyndon Johnson as president
. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated
. the Vietnam war raged on
. Laugh In was the hottest show on TV
. McDonalds sold the first Big Mac
. Intel and Ralph Lauren were founded
. Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy
. the Beatles' Hey Jude reigned at the top of the music charts
. the Tigers beat the Cardinals in the World Series
. the Celtics won over the Lakers
. the Green Bay Packers took Super Bowl II title over the Oakland Raiders
. Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe were at the top of their tennis game


In '68, the counter-culture influenced clothes with psychedelic images,
photographers used film and a darkroom to process their pictures, interior design
was space-age and modular, women wore long gowns and evening gloves in ads for
household appliances, mechanical artists used amberlith to silhouette a photo,
secretaries used typewriters, people smoked on airplanes, Saturday morning cartoons
were a must-see, and coffee drinkers switched to Sanka.

Fort Lauderdale has reinvented itself since1968. Spring break is no longer a
"happening" but college students still seek out the warmth of South Florida and many
of them are enrolled at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

"We have students from all over the world following their passions," says Nagele.
"They're from as far away as Turkey, Japan, Peru, and Iceland. Of course, the
majority of our students are from Florida. Since 1968, we have graduated over 13,000
students and many of them are extremely successful such as Venus Williams, world
famous tennis star, who has her own line of clothing; Carol Guzy, photojournalist at
The Washington Post, who has garnered three Pulitzer Prizes; and Perla Lichi,
award-winning and internationally prominent interior designer, to name a few."

The times have changed, but many things remain the same in Fort Lauderdale. The sun
still shines bright on the 22 miles of amazing beaches lined with outdoor cafes,
restaurants, and shops; South Beach, the Keys, and the Everglades are just a few
miles away; and national sporting events, major shopping stores, and international
entertainment satisfies every interest. Fort Lauderdale is still a stimulating
atmosphere that inspires and motivates artists and designers, and after 40 years,
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale continues offering creative education taught by
industry experts so students graduate with the skills and ability to pursue their
goals in professional creative careers. That hasn't changed!

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About The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, established in 1968, awards Bachelor of
Science and Associate of Science degrees, as well as diplomas. Programs currently
offered are: Advertising, Animation Art & Design, Art of Cooking, Baking & Pastry,
Broadcasting, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Graphic & Desktop Design, Digital
Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Game Art &
Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts
& Animation, Photography, Residential Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics,
Video Production, and Web Design & Interactive Media. The Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale is approved for the training of veterans and eligible veterans'
dependents and is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien
students. For more information, log on to www.aifl.edu

Web Site: http://www.aifl.edu

Contact Details: 1799 SE 17 Street
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
1.800.275.7605