Aka California Institute of the Arts. A prominent and nationally recognized art conservatory located in the upper-class suburban town of Valencia, California, in the 661 region of northern Los Angeles County. The first art school in the U.S, it was founded by Walt Disney in the 60's to breed future animators and filmmakers. Yearly tuition is more than $30,000+ with little assistance of financial aid, thus the majority of students come from a background of wealth and privilege. The irony behind this fact is that many students purport a bohemian lifestyle, often living in their studios and neglecting basic hygiene to demonstrate how "edgy" they are. Once a school with an impressive list of art all-stars, the morale at the school has fallen in recent years with the average age of the student population dropping to a younger, straight-out-of-high-school vibe. Notable Alumni include Paul Rubbins (Pee-Wee Herman), Tim Burton, Don Cheadle, and David Hasslehoff. CalArts is also notorious for its large-scale parties and gallery openings, such as their Halloween party and a fashion show in the spring semester, previously known as "The Erotic Ball". The nature of these parties are often scandalous, with extravagant tales such as a herpes outbreak occurring on campus after a party involving hired strippers sticking twizzlers in their orifices and then giving them to unsuspecting students to eat.
I freaked out when I saw someone who wasn't white in Valencia, but then I realized it was a CalArts kid.
by Ransom82 November 29, 2007
by Artye March 17, 2019