Georgia O'Keeffe studied in Chicago at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She attended the school in 1905 and received traditional academic art training there.
After studying in Chicago, O'Keeffe moved to New York and attended the Art Students League. Her education included instruction in drawing and painting, but she later questioned the academic approach that emphasized reproducing visible reality.
A major turning point came when she encountered the teaching ideas of Arthur Wesley Dow. Dow encouraged design, personal expression, and the use of line and color, principles that helped O'Keeffe move toward abstraction. Chicago was therefore an early educational stage, not the city most associated with her mature career.