<p>GraphicArchitect, you have a number of very good questions. I also understand that these isssues are controversial in the art departments at universities, but I am not a part of that and also not interested in controversy. I just wanted to share part of what I’ve learned from my daughter’s experience.</p>
<p>Art ateliers do not confer university degrees. This was something I was initially concerned with when my daughter, at age 15, told me she’d found several ateliers in Italy online. I agreed to send her for one year if she applied to some universities, kept up her high GPA, and “practiced” moving around large cities by herself. She got all A’s in AP classes, went to New York every Sunday on her own for two years, and graduated one year early. Her first year went well in the atelier, and she asked to stay for the full program, explaining that she’d only learned to draw in one year and she wanted to paint. We could see the enormous progress she’d made in that year, so we agreed. We also could compare her progress with a friend of hers who had gone to MICA (both of them had won all the gold scholastic awards in our area the year the before). My daughter’s friend had made nowhere near the progress in drawing my daughter had made. This friend’s mother explained to me that her daughter only received 6 hours of drawing instruction a week at MICA, which in no way could compare to my daughter’s 12 hours a day of instruction. The difference was striking, because the year before the two had very similar drawing abilities. Anyway, when I compared my daughter’s drawings with her friend’s, I was reassured that we had done the right thing. </p>
<p>“Obviously, the elephant in the room is that ateliers don’t confer degrees. Isnt that a serious problem for someone trying to enter a graduate school - or if they can’t support themselves with their artwork and they need to find a job?”</p>
<p>I’m not aware of a problem like this. When a student completes the atelier program, he/she does not need graduate school. They are ready to paint, produce and sell. I believe all of my daughter’s former colleagues are doing this, although some are better at it–art and marketing–than others. But you are correct–my daughter could not attend a graduate school in a university–not that she would want to anyway.</p>
<p>“In your experience do galleries descriminate against artists educated this way? Conversely do atelier trained artists perform better sales wise?”</p>
<p>Many galleries prefer modern art, and therefore do not seek out artists trained in ateliers. However, this is not a problem, because there are many galleries that DO want artists such as my daughter. I don’t know, statistically, which galleries perform better. I do know that my daughter and her colleagues have no problem with sales. Many of them do not use galleries, since today it is not difficult to market oneself and take commissions directly from clients. My daughter has been supporting herself since she was 20.</p>
<p>“How do people manage to pay for these kinds of programs? I cant imagine that a pell grant would be an option.”</p>
<p>When my daughter started at the atelier, it was cheaper than attending a state university, and far cheaper than attending any private art school in the U.S. You are correct that funding administered by the U.S. Department of Education is limited to U.S. schools. Perhaps one exception is the Florence Academy of Art, which is classified as a U.S. art school. We’re middle class and don’t qualify for anything. We paid for her first year, and then she started applying for scholarships that are specifically designated for classical art students. Also, she began selling her work after the first year and taking commissions.</p>
<p>“Do these schools prepare their students conceptually? A lot of “modern” art making seems to be concerned less with technical ability and more with finding an artist’s personal 'voice.”</p>
<p>The two ateliers I’m familiar with (Angel and Florence Academy of Art) train students technically, under the belief that one cannnot be free conceptually to paint until one has the technical ability to do so.</p>
<p>“On a similar note, do these ateliers allow room for experimentation in various mediums? In mixing mediums? Or are you allowed as much creativity as an accounting major?”</p>
<p>I liken these ateliers more to music conservatories than accounting. At a conservatory one is required to learn and master the basics: scales, Bach, Mozart, Romantic contemporary and modern eras. As long as a music student learns these basics, they are allowed to also perform some “creative” works in recitals and elsewhere. But they are not allowed to skip these basic steps, no, and for the most part students develop their personal style after they leave school. The art ateliers also focus on the basics. By the time students get to still life works, they can select their own objects for their paintings. The 3-year certificate program takes them through these basics, and really 3 years is not that long. My daughter went beyond this and studied composition and larger-scale works as graduate work. I’m not an artist, but my daughter believes creativity cannot be taught; it comes from within. When students graduate from ateliers, they begin to experiment with expressing themselves in their artwork, and they have all the tools they need to paint whatever they want, including abstract art if they so choose.</p>
<p>“I noticed that the list you provided didn’t include the Pennsylvania Academy of fine arts, from what I understand (which I already admitted wasnt much) the school has a similar structure. It is suppossedly the oldest art school in the nation. Was the omission of PAFA due to that school not meeting some kind of criteria of the art renewal center? Does the art renewal center rank these programs? Is there a published list?”</p>
<p>I recall that the Pennsylvania Academy, as well at the Rhode Island School of Design, used to be on this list (of ARC approved schools). I don’t know why they are no longer there. Perhaps the drawing programs at these schools changed or the professor retired. I don’t believe ARC ranks the ateliers and schools–I think they just provide the list as a service for people looking for information. I think my daughter’s advice is good here–look at the artwork produced by the instructors when choosing a place to study. You will not be taught more than they know.</p>
<p>“Aside from that, do you think that artists educated this way are overall more or less well rounded than artists studying as an undergrad at an art school?”</p>
<p>If you want to be “well-rounded”, meaning, you will learn a little pottery, a little drawing, a little commercial art, a little sculpture, a little modern art, a little still life–that may be what a U.S. accredited art program teaches–I don’t know. No one in my family has attended one of those. But if you want to be an expert in drawing and painting in a classical (or my daughter’s term “neo-Baroque”) manner, go to an atelier.</p>
<p>"I noticed you commented that artists at atelier study their craft 12 hours a day.
You then make it seem as if college art students dont study art for a similar amount of time; however I know that’s untrue for the most part from my own experience. "</p>
<p>Sorry I wasn’t clear. I have no idea how many hours students in the U.S. study at art schools. My comment was geared towards students on study abroad programs, that they frequently view it as a vacation and do not get as much out of the programs. In an earlier post someone asked about studying in Florence for a year. I think a student would get far more out of staying for the entire program.</p>
<p>As a final note (in a very long post), my daughter’s friend that went to MICA is happy with what she learned. She ended up going into commercial art and likes it. My daughter would not have been happy with it. Everyone is different.</p>