In 1953, Palm Beach Junior College’s first art classes were offered at the Lake Worth campus. These first credit art courses were held at the Norton Gallery of Art, due to a lack of studio space. From this meager beginning until the present the Art Department witnessed a growth. In 1971, the Boca Raton location started offering Art Appreciation courses at Florida Atlantic University and soon began offering a full compliment of courses to include photography, drawing, painting and ceramics. The interest in the arts spread to the Palm Beach Gardens Campus through the general elective offering of Art Appreciation and later the full compliment of art and photography classes.

Over the course of the department’s growth partners such as the J. Patrick Lannan Foundation provided gifts of the art works to the college. The large white marble sculptures in front of the Lake Worth LLRC represent one such gift. Palm Beach State College also has fostered the growth and development of the now internationally known Palm Beach Photographic Workshops. College supporters like Jan and Gary Dario have endowed The Jan and Gary Dario Gallery on the Lake Worth Campus. Others have helped to endow art scholarships. Today, the community and students can appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of professional, faculty and student artists by visiting the Eissey Campus Gallery and the Jan and Gary Dario Gallery or the Student Permanent Collection galleries on the college’s website.