Life at Moore
CAMPUS (AND A LITTLE BIT OF OFF-CAMPUS) LIFE
But don't just take it from us—take it from Animation & Game Arts major Gabriela Hevia '26, who says: "I chose Moore not only because of its amazing and recognized Animation & Game Arts program, but because of the community they have built. I couldn't feel more welcome in this new family."
Whether you live on campus or commute to class, and whether you're here for a full four years or get an opportunity to travel or study abroad, you will always be proud to call Moore your home.
Pictured: Classroom photo by Steve Weinik.
Some of Our Favorite Campus Spots
Whether you're browsing the latest exhibition in the Galleries at Moore, grabbing a coffee with a friend at Jane's Corner, or hanging out in the Connelly Library, there's a favorite spot on Moore's campus with your name on it.
New exhibitions are presented year-round in the seven free public Galleries at Moore, providing direct exposure to the work of established and emerging artists and designers from around the world. Pictured: Installation shot of Tristin Lowe's Black Holes & Rabbit Holes, March 2022. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Each spring, you'll have the opportunity to display your work in the Galleries and work directly with Galleries staff. It's a great way to learn professional installation and exhibition practices, and it all culminates in your last year with a thesis exhibition at the Senior Show. Pictured: 2023 Senior Show opening exhibition. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Right here on campus (and online!), the Art Shop at Moore sells original artwork, jewelry, stationery and gifts created by—you guessed it—Moore students and alumni! How's that for showing your parents an instant return on investment? It's also the place to grab all of your Moore gear. Get a sneak preview at The Art Shop's website. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Fox Commons is an airy, open and colorful space on our ground floor where students can gather to hang out, eat together and catch up on work. It's also the venue for events like the Galleries at Moore's popular Art at Lunch series, featuring talks and presentations by Moore faculty and visiting artists. Photo: Erin Blewett.
Meet up with friends every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Dining Hall, and enjoy delicious food from Sage Dining. (Vegetarian options always available!) It's also a great place to read and study during off hours! Photo: Erin Blewett.
Decompress after a long day of classes with friends in the Gaming Lounge, located in the VAULT. A little bit of late-night Minecraft is good for the soul, we hear. Photo: Steve Weinik.
During the day, grab a coffee at the Moore Café (proudly serving Starbucks!) and find a cozy spot in Jane's Corner, which has a picturesque fireplace during the winter months. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Another great spot in the VAULT? Our new and spacious ceramics studio, where you can learn to wheel throw and create stunning works of clay. There's also a dedicated glaze room and plenty of display cases to show off your finished pieces. Photo: Kat Kendon.
Our professional shooting studio provides ready access to professional cameras, colored backdrops, green screen, strobes, hot lights and more. Photo: Steve Weinik.
The Connelly Library is a peaceful place to research, study and work without interruption, with wall-to-wall windows that show off gorgeous green and sunny views of the neighboring Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Library staff host programming throughout the year, and you can get writing support through the Margaret Minik Writers Studio. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Get your hands dirty in the print studio with two etching presses, a darkroom with light exposure units and a spray sink for screenprinting, and a brand-new risograph. Photo: Steve Weinik.
Let the sparks fly in our metal shop, equipped with a sheet metal roller, drill press, anvils and forging equipment. Photo: Steve Weinik.
The Fab Lab is filled with the coolest equipment: a laser cutter/engraver, a 3D scanner, several 3D printers, CNC Router, ceramics decal printer and two digital embroidery machines.
Whether or not you're a Fashion Design major, you'll love the vibe of our fashion studios, complete with all the sewing and fabrication equipment you could ever need, plus gorgeous views of Center City, Philadelphia. Photo: Steve Weinik.
You'll find yourself in our 300-seat Graham Auditorium for lots of events throughout your time at Moore. It's also the location of our state-of-the-art Film Studio, fully equipped with various types of lighting, a cyclorama curtain, green screen, sound board, flat-screen TV, cameras and everything you need to showcase your work. Photo: Steve Weinik.
RESIDENCE LIFE & COMMUTER LIFE
We're steps away from cultural heavy-hitters like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, Franklin Institute, Rodin Museum, Free Library of Philadelphia, and Academy of Natural Sciences. We also have friendly, accessible and helpful security who are on call 24/7.
For those who choose to live on our campus, we offer a convenient and collaborative living environment where students can get to know each other and mingle, regardless of major. Your neighbors might even become your lifelong friends! We offer housing in Stahl Hall and Sartain Hall, located a block away from the main buildings. Several residence hall lounges are available for use by all students, even commuters, and all residence halls have 24-hour security coverage.
Starting in 2023, Moore is proud to offer off-campus apartments for seniors, located less than a mile away, with shuttle bus service to and from campus! Even as a senior, you can still live in community with your friends and peers, surrounded by amenities and access to all the city has to offer!
Tons of students from the greater Philadelphia area choose to commute to campus and are essential members of our community! Moore is accessible via all kinds of public transit, and students can request assistance for transit costs in the form of free passes!
Pictured: Student working in a Stahl Hall room. Photo: Steve Weinik.
TAKE ON THE WORLD
Thanks to our annual two-week study abroad trip, you can join a group of students across majors for an unforgettable, once-in-a-life experience in another country. Experience the culture of Morocco, tour the Acropolis in Athens, or experience the majesty of Thailand, all while earning course credits and making memories for a lifetime.
PLUS: Want to take your travels even further? Become a travel fellow! Thanks to the competitive summer fellowships we offer each year, students have journeyed to places like Colombia, Turkey, Japan, Ghana, France and beyond. They come back with a zillion new ideas, bursting with inspiration and a fresh perspective on their work. No need to be jealous—that could be you one day very soon!
Pictured: Study abroad students eating lunch in Nerja, Spain. Photo: Makaela Faisca-Ramirez '21.
I grew up in a town of about 500 people, so moving to the city was daunting and exciting. Being able to go to a small college like Moore, where I could know everyone and really develop a sense of community, has eased that big change.
I love it here. It's a breath of fresh air to be somewhere that I feel safe and respected. Being here has given me a fantastic place to learn and grow as an artist.
INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, WELLNESS…AND FUN!
We strongly value excellence and leadership in art and design, and we believe that diversity makes us stronger. We strive to provide the necessary resources to our students that foster a welcoming and respectful culture, where you can focus on your studies and your wellbeing at the same time, and find your own voice while learning from others.
Also, we can't stress this enough: You are going to have a BLAST. You'll make flower crowns with friends on our founder's day, attend can't-miss student events like Late Night Breakfast (because college means waffles for dinner), enjoy the occasional pop-up make-your-own sundae bar, and so much more.
We also hope you love Halloween. It's kind of a thing here. You'll see. 👻
Pictured: Students posing in the photobooth at Late Night Breakfast, December 2022.
The Time of Your Life
College is about studying for your future career, but it's also about finding your people and having fun. The friends you make along the way will be your support system way beyond graduation.
Winning student designs from the 2022 Halloween costume contest. Photo: Jordan Cameron.
Students create flower crowns on Sarah Peter Day, Moore's annual founder's day. Photo: Victoria Gallagher '21.
Students lounge in the grass in Aviator Park, located right across the street from Moore's campus. Photo: Moore staff.
Seniors (and Moore President Cathy Young) celebrate their upcoming graduation at the annual 100 Days Party in spring 2023. Photo: Claudia Rubio '24.
Students dance the night away at the 2023 Pride Prom, an annual Moore event. Photo: Claudia Rubio '24.
Students sell their work at the Spring 2023 Student Art Sale event. Photo: Claudia Rubio '24.
Students enjoy a pop-up make-your-own sundae bar in the Dining Hall. Photo: Liz Heath '24.
Graduating students lift celebratory roses in the air at Moore's 2023 Commencement ceremony in the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall. Photo: Steve Weinik.
MAKE THE MOST OUT OF MOORE
From leadership opportunities to fun clubs to making $$$, there are so many ways to enrich your experience at Moore.
JOIN A CLUB
Find your people! Our student clubs are fun ways to make friends who share the same background as you or who love the same things you do—and that includes everything from knitting to Minecraft. Here's a sampling of our active clubs:
BECOME A LEADER
Lift up the voices of your peers and have a say in groups like Student Government and the Student Engagement Committee. Or, apply to be a resident assistant and bring your leadership skills to the residence hall where you live!
GET INVOLVED & GET PAID
Become a work study and get on-the-job experience in spaces like the Connelly Library or Dining Hall. You can even create TikToks! If you love meeting new people, apply to be a Student Ambassador and share your experience with future Moore students!
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & ACCESS
We're proud to have one of the most racially diverse art and design school student populations in the country. Our gender-diverse population of women, nonbinary, trans and gender-nonconforming students means that our students find a safe and creative environment here, where they can fully express themselves. 💗
We also offer various resources for students in need, especially those who are BIPOC or from underrepresented communities, including the new Anna Russell Jones Award and Aftermath Emergency Fund. For students facing financial or food insecurity, our Resource Pantry is generously stocked by members of the Moore community with personal care items, art supplies, clothes, nonperishable food items, and much more.
Pictured: Students outside of Moore on Senior Day 2021. Photo: Mellany Armstrong.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
If it's your first time living on your own, it's totally understandable if you're feeling stressed or in need of resources. We've got you covered, because we totally get that mental and physical wellness is a big part of succeeding as a college student.
We're pleased to offer Moore students a variety of in-person and virtual services for health and wellness needs. In addition to on-campus health services and individual and group counseling, we've partnered with telehealth apps Healthiest You and MindLyte to provide virtual sessions with doctors, psychiatrists and therapists. Get the support you need, whenever you need it!
Pictured: Student working in the grass near Swann Memorial Fountain, across the street from Moore. Photo: Steve Weinik.
“My professors and classmates have been the best part of my experience here at Moore. They encourage me to be the best possible version of myself that I can be.”
When I was looking at colleges, I wanted to go somewhere located in a city with a large museum culture. Moore was perfect, being right into the museum district. I can walk a couple blocks and look at paintings I've learned about in my art history classes.
HOME SWEET HOME
It's a uniquely vibrant city where you can easily find something new and exciting to do every night—concerts, art exhibitions, literary events and restaurant hopping, just to name a few—OR, you can simply relax in a beautiful public park or by the Schuylkill River and read a book in the grass.
Conveniently located between New York and Washington, DC (both of which are super accessible), Philly boasts a fun and vibrant creative economy, with lots of opportunities for young artists and designers.
It's a place where you can instantly find community and make a big splash! It's also a city of neighborhoods, each different from the next. (Check out our little cheat sheet below.) TL;DR: We're a lot more than Rocky and hoagies. Though we wouldn't say no to a hoagie. Yum.
Photo: Visit Philadelphia.
YOUR PHILLY CHEAT SHEET
(According to our students)
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Best Farmer's Market: Rittenhouse Square Farmer's Market
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Best Coffee: Peddler's Coffee, right around the corner (or the Moore Cafe—we serve Starbucks! Get your Pink Drink fix!)
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Best Place to Get Spooky: The Mütter Museum
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Best Chinese Food: Sang Kee Peking Duck House (or anywhere in Chinatown, tbh)
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Best Views: The top of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps
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Best Art Supply Store: Blick Art Supplies
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Best Place to Think: Swann Memorial Fountain (right across the street)
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Best Gym: Planet Fitness—all Moore students get a FREE membership!
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Best Sports Mascot: We love them all but we might be partial to Gritty
