Kanye West has just announced via Twitter — his favoured mode of communication — that he will teach a course at The Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art.
Based in his hometown of Chicago — where the artist has also announced a new Yeezy office — The American Academy of Art offers seven different bachelor of fine arts degrees, in topics ranging from photography to 3D modelling and illustration. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which is linked to the museum at which Kanye says he’ll teach, is the the college that granted West an honorary PhD in 2015.
At the time, the school stated that Kanye “often provokes cultural discourse”, a statement he’s continued to make true in the years since. The school is considered one of the most influential fine arts schools in the US, and has given honorary doctorates to the likes of Jeff Koons, Marina Abramović and Patti Smith. Kanye himself, is, of course, a subject much studied, with entire theses written about his creative output. Just last year the Washington University in St. Louis offered a course titled ‘The Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics’.
Professor West has many, many thoughts on many, many topics, so just what he’ll be lecturing on is really anyone’s guess, with no further info provided as yet. No confirmation on his announcement has been given by the Art Institute of Chicago or the American Academy of Art at the time of publishing. We’ve reached out to both institutions for comment.
Update: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago replied with the following comment — “We’re flattered that Mr. West would have an interest in teaching emerging artists and designers at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; however, Mr. West is not currently teaching at SAIC, and at this time, there are no plans for him to do so.”