The institution is considered a legal successor of the traditions of art education initiated in Lviv, which began when the city was the capital of the province of Galicia and Lodomeria under the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the mid 19th century.

Prominent artists as Ivan Trush, O. Kulchytska, Osyp Kurylas, A. Manastyrskyi, H. Smolskyi, S. Hordynskyi, and many others studied and then taught at these art institutions.

During the next ten years, the Lviv Academy essentially extended its educational propositions, it was enriched with a lot of new forms and trends of artists training admittedly meets the European standards.

Among the educational innovations introduced by the Lviv Academy, there are numerous specializations that correspond to the modern requirements of entrants.

Such well-known Ukrainian pedagogues, artists and art critics as I. Bokshai, I. Severa, V. Manastyrskyi, R. Smolskyi, K. Zvirynskyi, M. Fediuk, M. Vendzylovych, P. Zholtovskyi, E. Mysko, E. Lysyk, Ia.

Among them, there are studios of the Academician, the rector of the Lviv National Academy of Arts, the T. Shevchenko prize-winner Bokotey (blown glass), People's artist L. Medvid (monumental painting), the professor, Honoured artist of Ukraine Oleg Minko (art textile), the Academician, the Franko prize-winner Ya.

[citation needed] Modern development of the Academy is impossible without active collaboration with home and foreign higher educational institutions.