Fine Art Graduate Schools

By Lucy Bushman

Upon completing a Bachelors degree in either the arts or the fine arts, many students opt to continue their education by applying to graduate school. Fine Art Graduate Schools offer students the opportunity to continue to refine their creative skills, become proficient in their area of expertise, and learn the professional skills needed in the art and business world. With many concentrations available, students should be able to find a graduate program that will meet their abilities and desires. Many schools encourage students to experiment with their own personal artistic expression in order to tap into the creative potential possessed by the individual student. Cultivating talent and providing students the opportunity for unlimited creative growth are just a couple of the goals of graduate schools. Graduate schools offer Masters Programs in the arts and fine arts, and many schools also offer PhD Programs as well.

Many Fine Art Graduate Schools offer both traditional classes and online classes. Since most graduate student bodies includes working adults, online classes are available to those who may not be able to attend traditional classes. However, many traditional classes are held in the evening in an effort to accommodate those in the workforce. Earning a graduate degree can take anywhere from 1 year to 5 years, and the time it takes to earn the degree is dependent on the type of degree sought.

Both online and traditional fine art graduate degrees include:

• Graphic Design
• Art Education
• Museum Studies
• Advertising and Public Relations
• Film Studies
• Non-profit and Arts Administration
• Multimedia/Visual Communications
• Industrial Design
• Theater and Drama
• Construction Science
• Ceramic Art

These are just a few of the degrees offered by Fine Art Graduate Schools, and there are many other concentrations from which to choose. The Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia offers both traditional and online art classes as well as the Academy of Art University in San Francisco California and the University of Massachusetts in Shrewsbury. The New York Film Academy and East Tennessee State University College of Arts and Science offer art and fine art graduate degrees.

Generally, graduate schools require a student desirous of an art or fine arts graduate degree to have earned a Bachelor degree in the arts or fine arts. Many schools require students to submit a portfolio containing the student's artwork. CDs and videos are also accepted but usually not in lieu of a portfolio. The student should be prepared to submit to the graduate school a statement or letter of intent along with the subject of their work. Graduate schools also ask students to provide them with information concerning the concepts and issues the student wishes to explore during their graduate studies.

Lucy Bushman is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about fine art graduate schools, please visit Today's Fine Art for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Bushman

Learn to Draw & Paint - How & Where to Study to Be an Artist

By Barry Waldman

The answers can be complex and confusing. Search the web for the phrase "art school" for millions of choices. If you go to the web and Google (search) "learn to draw" you get to choose from 4,880,000 web sites (at least that's what I found while writing this article). By the time you try it, there will likely be more.


If you do a web search using Google for the term "learn to paint" Google showed 854,000 web sites in the light blue bar at the top of the page under the "Google" logo.


There are degree granting and non-degree granting art schools, art schools with classrooms and online art courses. Some non-degree art courses give "Certificates of Completion."
Finding an art school course to learn to draw and paint that suits your personal needs, budget and available time is a challenge.


Here is a list of some of the options:


Option 1: A way to learn drawing and painting is to go to an art school, college or university like Pratt Institute (campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City, USA where I graduated and later taught). Two issues for many people are the time and money needed. The Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree I took at Pratt now costs over $100,000.00 USD for the four year degree program. Of course, this web article is viewed by a worldwide audience. To see the great art schools around the world, there is a very good listing of them on the Saatchi Gallery web site page titled: "Art Colleges around the World: Universities, Visual Arts, Fashion and Design Institutions." The Saatchi Gallery Art Colleges page web site address is listed on the links page in the resource box at the bottom of this article.


The Saatchi Gallery list includes the college I graduated from (Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York City, USA) and art schools in many countries all across the world. The Saatchi Gallery art school listings had 57 pages with thousands of art schools listed when this article was written.


Option 2: Take a local art course either at a private art school, a local high school, secondary school or college. Of course, some localities don't offer that option and the skills of the teachers are important, so you need to get recommendations and check these teachers out before you enroll. You can Google these choices, ask neighbors, friends and teachers in schools near you. You might also get recommendations from art clubs if you have them in your locality. Some artists give private art classes to individuals or groups. I used to give private group lessons in the basement of my home.


Option 3: Just pick up a pencil or oil paints and start drawing and painting. This works for some people like Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson) who taught herself how to paint starting at age 81. See the article about her on Wikipedia (address of Grandma Moses article on Wikipedia is listed on the links page in the box at the bottom of this article). Grandma Moses had no art training and her paintings, originally priced at $5.00 to $10.00 USD, now sell in the $10,000.00 to $60,000.00 USD range and her annual income was said to be $500,000.00 USD in the late 1950s. Grandma Moses died in 1961 at the age of 101.


Option 4: Buy some art books and/or video tapes on how to draw and how to paint at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble online or at your local book store and learn to be an artist. I once had a teacher who said take a few weeks in art school learning the basics (which end of the brush to use, etc.) and paint 200 pictures and you'll be an artist. This works for some people.


Option 5: Online distance learning art courses are for students unable to attend on-campus classes. Online art courses provide flexibility as to when students study and practice and when they complete lessons. Some offer degrees and some hobby courses issue certificates of completion. Some consist of totally online step-by-step how-to lessons the student follows to teach themselves. Others send the students art textbooks, art supplies and lesson plans. The student reads the art textbooks and follows the recommended drawing and painting practice sessions. Next, the distance student completes and mails their assigned drawing or painting to their school. An instructor at the school draws or paints a critique with comments of each of the student's assigned picture and mails the student's work and critique to the student.


Option 6: There is a new kind of art school using the web to interactively teach drawing and painting.

A digital camera is included in each student's sign up kit along with art textbooks and art supplies. Students who have their own digital camera deduct the cost of the digital camera, usually supplied with the course, from the tuition cost. The kit is mailed to the newly enrolled student. The student works at home, reading the art textbooks, practicing, and then doing the assigned lesson artwork from the assignments they get in their personal web folder on the school web site.


The student takes digital photos of their completed lesson artwork for each lesson and then sends those photos as email attachments to the school.


The art teacher at the online art school draws or paints a critique of the emailed student's lesson artwork with comments on how the student might have better understood the lessons taught in the art textbooks and supplemental on line mini-lessons. That painted or drawn critique of each student's submitted artwork is posted to the school website, a personalized how-to-do-It-better critique for the student to see 24/7/365. The student's submitted drawings or paintings and the teacher's critiques are shown on in the student's personal web folder at the school's web site.
Subjects covered are drawing, form, composition, color theory, perspective, still life, landscape drawing and painting as well as drawing and painting the figure.


This school offers a "Certificate of Completion" and a CD with all of the student's submitted work, all of the critiques by the teacher and suggestions for continued growth as an artist on completion of the full art course.


The author has painted and taught for 50 years and has had over 30 art exhibits of his paintings. My USA based online art school has students in 19 countries. I have taught art classes at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Manhattan, USA, Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, Famous Artists Schools in Westport, Connecticut, USA. I have also lectured on various art subjects all over the USA and in Holland, Belgium, France, South Africa and Australia.


Links to web sites mentioned in the article above can be found at: http://www.interactiveartschool.com/linksEzine.html
My online interactive art school is at: http://www.interactiveartschool.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Waldman

The Detroit Institute of Art - A Michigan Masterpiece

By Mark Traston

The Detroit Institute of Art is an art museum in Michigan which houses one of the most extensive collections in the U.S. Located in Detroit's Cultural Center Historic District, it boasts over 65,000 pieces of artwork. Housed within its walls are exhibits ranging from ancient Egyptian art to contemporary art. Works by artists such as Mary Cassatt, Andy Warhol, John James Audubon, and Andrew Wyeth are represented at the Institute. It was the first public U.S. museum to add a van Gogh painting to its collection.

Established in 1885, the Detroit Institute of Art is comprised of 600,000 square feet. Visitors have the opportunity to stroll through 100 art galleries. In addition to galleries, the museum boasts a conservation services laboratory, an auditorium that seats 1,150, a lecture hall that accommodates 380 people, and an art reference library. The museum is often referred to as the temple of art.

When you visit the Detroit Institute of Art, you can enjoy a variety of activities. The museum provides guided tours, lectures, and Art Talks to groups. Visitors can dine at the CaféDIA or Kresge Court Coffee Stop. If you'd like to create your own art, you can attend an Art-Making Workshop. Special Exhibits, films, and behind-the-scenes tours are other options. Families have access to special family audio or guided tours. More family fun includes drop-in art workshops, storytelling, live music, and various other family-friendly activities. Many of these family events take place on Fridays and Sundays. According to its official website, the Detroit Institute of Art upholds the idea that "art is for everyone, learning is a lifelong process, knowledge is based on experience as well as formal study, [and] best practice is based on understanding our visitors and employing effective teaching strategies."

If you enjoy world class museums which provide a variety of educational programs and activities, your family should check out the Detroit Institute of Art. With programs ranging from drop-in art workshops to live music and storytelling, the Institute is the ideal place to visit. The museum's hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 pm. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. They're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Adults pay $8 admission while kids ages 6 to 17 are charged $4. Senior citizens get in the door for only $6. Museum members enjoy free admission. The museum is accessible to people in wheelchairs and strollers through the Farnsworth entrance.

Mark Traston is an associate with Portrait Painting. A portrait artist will turn your photo into an oil painting. Our artists specializes in a specific area including wedding paintings, pet portraits, and CEO portraits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Traston

Famous Painting: The Very Popular Impressionist Works Of Art

Visiting an art gallery would certainly serve up a sumptuous fare of a famous painting and one could spend hours, and even days studying the masterpieces of many famous artists. One could find more than inspiration from a famous painting of noted artists such as Vincent van Gogh, impressionist Claude Monet, as well as famous post-impressionist artists such as Paul Gauguin as well as silhouettist, John Miers.

The French Impressionist School of Art

There are also many types of a famous painting of the French impressionist school of art that are presently very popular in Europe and the romantic aspect of impressionism emanates from the stories of great struggle against famous Academic painters.

Famous paintings of the impressionist school appealed to the bourgeois tastes and this was ascribed to the fact that the techniques used were easy to digest as well as the subjects being rather inoffensive. A famous painting of the impressionist art form was often made by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir and John Constable while a famous painting of the post-impressionist era can be found in the works of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne.

To begin with, the impressionist artist had to struggle to find markets and many were forced to live from hand-to-mouth. Some impressionist artists whose famous paintings later were critically received even resorted to a more Academic style in the hope that it would attract more buyers. Cezanne left impressionism hugely disappointed that his works of impressionism had failed to make a dent and were not durable like the art of museums.

However, a Paris art dealer named Paul Durand-Ruel did, as early as 1870, recognizes greatness in impressionism and bought as well as sold and promoted impressionist paintings during that period. In the 1880s as well as 90s, the world recognized the impressionist art to be worthy and these later became famous paintings that were avidly collected by American collectors that helped to keep several artists in business.

Such is the worth of a famous painting that the very same painting that one paid a meager fifty francs for, twenty-five years later, were fetching the owner as much as fifty thousand francs. The very same renegade impressionist works of art had now found favor with even art connoisseurs and the speculative skills of bourgeois collectors later fetched them handsome profits, thanks to the later popularity of these famous paintings of impressionist artists.

Also, the appealing colors, spontaneity of expression as well as freshness of the impressionist art gave the world some very noteworthy as well as a famous painting that has opened the window to these joyous pieces of art that have been hugely appreciated in the years that have passed since they were first created.

Choosing an Art Institute That's Right For You

By Kathy Hildebrand

If you're an aspiring art major, there's little doubt that you're considering attending one of the many art institutes that are out there. But there are so very many, how can you be sure you choose the right art institute to suit your needs, and meet your goals? There is probably at least one well known art institute in every one of the continental United States, and that's a lot of art schools to choose from!

Pick a State, Any State!

Just for starters, here is a short list of well known and highly desired art institutes:

Art Institute Of Atlanta
Art Institute Of Boston
Art Institute Of California Los Angeles
Art Institute Of California Orange County
Art Institute Of California San Diego
Art Institute Of California San Francisco
Art Institute Of Charlotte
Art Institute Of Chicago
Art Institute Of Cincinnati
Art Institute Of Colorado
Art Institute Of Dallas
Art Institute Of Denver
Art Institute Of Fort Lauderdale
Art Institute Of Houston
Art Institute Of Las Vegas
Art Institute Of Los Angeles
Art Institute Of Miami
Art Institute Of New York
Art Institute Of Philadelphia

And the list hardly stops there. With so many art institutes and universities to choose from, how does the aspiring art student choose? Well here are a few things to keep in mind that you may not consider, because they are not usually discussed when talking about what art school to attend:

Homesick Sweet Homesick

If you're going to be selecting an art school that is far from your familiar home surroundings, consider if that is something that will sit well with you or not. You won't be able to function at peak productivity if you're constantly pining for familiarity. Attending any university out of town (whether or not it's an art school) is going to require the student to be willing to explore, make new friends, and otherwise potentially stray outside their comfort zone. Simply running home any time you miss your favorite meal may not be an option if you're 2000 miles away, for example.

Never Underestimate The Power Of Activism.

Art schools in particular seem to attract more than their fair share of "bleeders", and by that I mean "bleeding liberals" or "bleeding hearts" or "bleeding radicals" and other such "activists." These people can get very draining, and have a tendency to stifle the creativity that you expect from an art university. After paying so much money to attend an acclaimed art institute, why would you want someone like that to waste your time? Beware of these people and the reputation you can inherit by association.

Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can't, Teach.

The above is perhaps an overly harsh statement in many cases, but when it comes to teachers in an art school environment, I've found it to be very true. So many University professors are bitter, washed-up has-beens (or more likely, "never-weres). If they were any good, they'd have been successful artists rather than teachers barely making a living. They can be very bitter if they have a budding protege on their hands in their art classes, and often attempt to crush the creative spirit of the new students. Much like with the bleeders, you must not allow these curmudgeons to get you down. You paid a lot of money (or worked hard for that scholarship) to attend an art institute, and you deserve to get all you can out of it and express your truest, deepest creative spirit!

Bottom Line - It's Your Art School. Make The Most Of It!

This is your time. Your art. Your school. Your expression. Your future! Make sure your years at art school are not wasted. Paint, draw, sculpt, model, program. Whatever your particular form of artistic expression is, the art school is there to nurture and further it. Make sure you get out what you deserve, and light up the world with the art only you can bring to it!

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.
More of her research and articles can be found at www.lasertargeted.com/artinstitute and other sites around the internet.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Hildebrand

Choosing an Art Institute That's Right For You

By Kathy Hildebrand

If you're an aspiring art major, there's little doubt that you're considering attending one of the many art institutes that are out there. But there are so very many, how can you be sure you choose the right art institute to suit your needs, and meet your goals? There is probably at least one well known art institute in every one of the continental United States, and that's a lot of art schools to choose from!

Pick a State, Any State!

Just for starters, here is a short list of well known and highly desired art institutes:
Art Institute Of AtlantaArt Institute Of BostonArt Institute Of California Los AngelesArt Institute Of California Orange CountyArt Institute Of California San DiegoArt Institute Of California San FranciscoArt Institute Of CharlotteArt Institute Of ChicagoArt Institute Of CincinnatiArt Institute Of ColoradoArt Institute Of DallasArt Institute Of DenverArt Institute Of Fort LauderdaleArt Institute Of HoustonArt Institute Of Las VegasArt Institute Of Los AngelesArt Institute Of MiamiArt Institute Of New YorkArt Institute Of Philadelphia
And the list hardly stops there. With so many art institutes and universities to choose from, how does the aspiring art student choose? Well here are a few things to keep in mind that you may not consider, because they are not usually discussed when talking about what art school to attend:

Homesick Sweet Homesick

If you're going to be selecting an art school that is far from your familiar home surroundings, consider if that is something that will sit well with you or not. You won't be able to function at peak productivity if you're constantly pining for familiarity. Attending any university out of town (whether or not it's an art school) is going to require the student to be willing to explore, make new friends, and otherwise potentially stray outside their comfort zone. Simply running home any time you miss your favorite meal may not be an option if you're 2000 miles away, for example.

Never Underestimate The Power Of Activism.

Art schools in particular seem to attract more than their fair share of "bleeders", and by that I mean "bleeding liberals" or "bleeding hearts" or "bleeding radicals" and other such "activists." These people can get very draining, and have a tendency to stifle the creativity that you expect from an art university. After paying so much money to attend an acclaimed art institute, why would you want someone like that to waste your time? Beware of these people and the reputation you can inherit by association.

Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can't, Teach.

The above is perhaps an overly harsh statement in many cases, but when it comes to teachers in an art school environment, I've found it to be very true. So many University professors are bitter, washed-up has-beens (or more likely, "never-weres). If they were any good, they'd have been successful artists rather than teachers barely making a living. They can be very bitter if they have a budding protege on their hands in their art classes, and often attempt to crush the creative spirit of the new students. Much like with the bleeders, you must not allow these curmudgeons to get you down. You paid a lot of money (or worked hard for that scholarship) to attend an art institute, and you deserve to get all you can out of it and express your truest, deepest creative spirit!

Bottom Line - It's Your Art School. Make The Most Of It!

This is your time. Your art. Your school. Your expression. Your future! Make sure your years at art school are not wasted. Paint, draw, sculpt, model, program. Whatever your particular form of artistic expression is, the art school is there to nurture and further it. Make sure you get out what you deserve, and light up the world with the art only you can bring to it!

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.
More of her research and articles can be found at www.lasertargeted.com/artinstitute and other sites around the internet.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Hildebrand