Watkins College of Art  Watkins College of Art is a private art and design college in Nashville, Tennessee. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in film, graphic design, illustration, interior design, fine arts, and photography as well as post-graduate degrees in film and visual arts. As of 2019, approximately 200 students were enrolled, mostly full-time. The college resides in a facility in the MetroCenter area of north Nashville and offers on-campus housing. The college plans to merge with Belmont University and move to the university's campus in 2020. Watkins was founded as the Watkins Institute in 1885 by Samuel Watkins, a self-educated Nashville businessman. The school became nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in 1996. Watkins is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). First located on Church Street in downtown Nashville, the school moved to temporary facilities in the 100 Oaks area in 1999, and then to its current location in 2002. Watkins opened its first residence hall in 2005 and the second in Fall 2008. The college plans to merge with Belmont University and move to the university's campus in 2020. The merger plans are not welcomed by all Watkins students and faculty with some particularly concerned about Belmont University's practices of firing non-Christian faculty and staff and restrictions of practices deemed incompatible with the university's Christian beliefs e.g., not allowing drawings of nude models, demanding a director remove swearing from a play's script. Watkins offers a number of programs for the community including Adult Community Education, a Young Artist Program for students ages 4–18, and a free Artist Lecture Series.