Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, IDSVA offers a PhD in philosophy and art theory that is designed for artists, curators, and creative thinkers. The pioneering curriculum fuses distance learning with intensive residencies in Rome, Spannocchia Castle (Tuscany), Siena, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Barcelona, Marrakech, Mexico City, NYC, and Colby College.