Art careers are not only inspirational and exciting fields of work, but they can be extremely satisfying, as well.
With New York’s many famous art galleries and museums, it makes for the perfect place for aspiring artists to study.
There are many excellent schools in New York that offer fantastic art programs, and following are some of the best.
Colleges and Universities
Below are some of the biggest and best Art Schools and Colleges in New York.
Adelphi University
Adelphi University in Garden City offers several art programs, approved by the Middle States Association on Colleges and Schools, for those people who want to work in the field of art. Some of the terrific programs they offer include studio art, graphic design, art education and art history. Those individuals, who would like to learn additional information pertaining to any of these programs, can read about them online at-http://academics.adelphi.edu. They can also request a catalog by phoning the university at-800-233-5744 or writing to them at-Post Office Box 701, Garden City, New York, 11530.
Students, who choose to earn their bachelor’s degree in fine arts within the graphic design program, will need to complete the following general education requirements-First Year Orientation Experience, English Composition, First Year Seminar, two Humanities electives, two Social Science courses, Natural Science, Formal Science, Global Awareness, Civic Engagement, Communications (written or oral), two Quantitative Reasoning courses, and Information Literacy. These requirements may vary depending upon when students enroll.
They will also need to complete the following program-related requirements-Fundamentals of 2D Design, Drawing I through III, 3D Design, Introductory Art Seminar, Art and the World I and II, Figure Drawing and Anatomy, Color/Theory and Practice, Computer Graphic Applications I and II, Graphic Design I and II, History of Graphic Design, Senior Project in Graphic Design, Senior Promotional Materials, Advertising Design I and II, Internship, and Capstone. Students can satisfy the Capstone requirement in various ways including research projects, art projects, presentations, exhibitions or portfolios.
Bard College
Bard College, located in Annandale-on-Hudson, also offers several art programs, accredited by the Commission on Higher Education. Some of the fantastic programs they offer include art history, dance, film and electronic arts, music, photography, studio arts, and theater. Those students, who would like to study within any of these areas, can learn complete details of these programs by contacting Bard College at-845-758-6822, or they may write to the campus at-Post Office Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, 12504. They can also find out anything they may want to know at the college’s website-http://www.bard.edu/.
Students, who choose to enroll in the bachelor’s degree program in studio arts, will need to complete the following general education classes to earn their degrees-Physical or Life Science and lab, Mathematics or Computing, History, Social Science, Humanities, Foreign Language/Literature or Culture, Literature in English, and Rethinking Difference.
They will also need to complete the following program-specific courses-Practicing Arts, Analysis of Arts, Sophmore Seminar, Junior Seminar, Senior Seminar, Contemporary Art History, Art History, Painterly Print, After the Monument, The Practice of Sculpture, Art Talk, Fine Art Photography/Photographic Fine Art, Junior Events, and three of the following courses-Drawing I/II and III, Printmaking I/II and III, Sculpture I/II and III, Painting I/II and III, and Cypergraphics I/II and III. Students will also need to present a piece of artwork at the end of their fourth semester in the form of presentations, exhibitions, or projects.
Canisius College
Canisius College in Buffalo is another school in New York, accredited by the Middles States Association of Colleges and Schools, that offers a variety of programs for those interested in art. Some of the many programs they offer include art history, digital media arts, theater arts, dance, music and studio art. If people would like to learn how to enroll to Canisius, they can call the college at-716-883-7000 or write to them at-2001 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14208. They can also visit Canisius online at-www.canisius.edu.
For students to earn their bachelor’s degrees in fine arts within the art history program, they will need to fulfill the following core curriculum requirements-Excursions in Academic Writing, Diversity elective, Ethics elective, Global Awareness Course, Justice elective, Advanced Writing course, Oral Communication course, Religious Studies and Theology, Philosophy, History, Social Science, Natural Science, Mathematics, and Core Capstone.
Students must also complete the following program-oriented requirements-Introduction to Art History I and II, Ancient and Medieval Art, Renaissance and Baroque Art, Art Since 1800, Non-Western and Non-Period-Based Topics, Senior Seminar, and five additional Art History courses. Students may also need to take a variety of free electives to meet the 120 credits required for graduation.
Columbia-Greene Community College
Columbia-Greene Community College, located in Hudson, offers a superb associate’s degree program in fine arts, accredited by the Commission on Higher Education. Those individuals, who would like to find out the enrollment process of Columbia-Greene, can phone the college at-518-828-4181 or write to them at-4400 Route 23, Hudson, New York, 12534. They can also find helpful information online at-http://www.sunycgcc.edu.
For students to earn their associate’s degrees in fine arts from Columbia-Greene, they must complete the following basic education classes-English Composition, Mathematics, Physical Education, Health, Composition and Literature, Lab Science, two Social Science courses, and two additional basic education electives. They must also complete the following program-specific courses-Visual Arts 2D, Basic Drawing, Visual Arts 3D, Figure Drawing, and at least three additional art electives.
Fulton-Montgomery Community College
Fulton-Montgomery Community College in Johnstown offers splendid programs in both fine arts and theater arts, accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Those people, who would like to schedule a visit to the college, can do so by calling the main office at-518-736-3622 or by writing to the campus at-2805 State Highway 67, Johnstown, New York, 12095. They can also read about Fulton_Montgomery and its programs online at-http://www.fmcc.edu.
Students, who choose to earn their associate’s degrees in fine art from Fulton-Montgomery, must complete the following basic education courses-English I and II, Science, two Physical Education electives, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Science, one additional Mathematics course or one additional Science course, and one additional basic education elective.
They will also need to complete the following fine arts courses to earn their degrees-Art History I and II, Drawing I and II, Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, Painting, Digital Design, Art Seminar, and at least two additional fine arts electives.
Schools of Art
Below are some of the actual Art Schools in New York.
New York Academy of Art
The New York Academy of Art, located in New York City, offers an amazing two-year, full time art program, accredited by the Commissioner of Education, which leads to a master of fine arts degree. Students, who would like to find out additional information pertaining to the academy, can call them at-212-966-0300 or write to them at-111 Franklin Street, New York, New York, 10013. They can also visit the academy online at-http://www.nyaa.edu.
Before the academy will accept students into the program, they must first attend an open house and submit a portfolio. Students must include at least 20 pictures in their portfolios that represent the best work they have done. Their portfolio should also display student’s major interests and what direction they want to take. All of the pictures within the portfolio should be of work that the students accomplished in the past three years, and at least half of them should include work accomplished within the past one year. They should also include at least five figure drawings in their portfolios, and they should submit them on a CD that both PC and MAC systems can read.
The art curriculum at the New York Academy of Art focuses on many aspects of fine arts as follows-Multi-Figure Composition Drawing, Life-Scale Drawing, Synthetic Drawing, Linear Perspective, Cast Drawing, Direct Painting, Indirect Painting, Individual Criticism, Group Critiques, Self-Directed Projects, Perceptual Modeling/Sculpture, Life-Scale Sculpting, Contextualizing Sculpture, Artistic Anatomy, Structural Anatomy, Anatomical Drawing, Ecorche I and II, Comparative Anatomy, Lithography, Narrative Printmaking, History of Technique, Composition and Design I and II, and Self-Directed Thesis.
School of Visual Arts
Located in New York City, the School of Visual Arts, accredited with the Commission on Higher Education, offers several art programs for aspiring artists. Some of the many programs that the school offers include animation, cartooning, computer art/animation and visual effects, photography, art history, art criticism, film and video, graphic design, illustration and interior design. Those students, who would like to learn additional information about any of these programs, can call the school at-212-592-2000 or write to them at-209 East 23rd Street, New York City, New York, 10010. They may also choose to visit the school online at-http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu.
As part of the application process, students will need to submit a portfolio that demonstrates their best works of art. Ideally, portfolios should contain at least 15 to 20 pieces and be recent works. Students, who choose to study within the film or video programs need to submit a two-section essay instead of a portfolio.
Those students, who choose to earn their bachelor’s degrees in cartooning, will need to complete the following courses during their first year of study-Survey of World Art I and II, Foundations of Visual Computing, Painting I and II, Drawing I and II, Sculpture, and Literature and Writing I and II.
Students will need to complete the following courses during their second year of study-Principles of Cartooning I and II, Storytelling I and II, Painting and Illustration I and II, History of Cartooning, Drawing I and II, Western Civilization I and II, Hand Lettering, Drawing with Ink for Cartoonists, Watercolor Techniques, The Gouache Experience, Pastel Techniques, Figurative Sculpture, Etching and Monoprint as Illustration, Collage Illustration, Digital Coloring for Cartoonists, and Acrylic Painting.
The following courses are the classes that students will need to complete during their third year of study-Pictorial Problems I and II, and Culture Survey I and II. Finally, they will need to complete the following courses during their fourth year of study-Cartooning Portfolio I and II, Basic Digital Portfolio, and Senior Series I and II.
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, offers many different programs for aspiring artists. Some of the programs offered by the institute include accessories design, art history, computer animation, computer graphics, fashion design, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design and photography. Those students, who would like to learn about any of these programs, can so so by visiting the institute online at-http://www.fitnyc.edu or by calling-212-217-7999. They may also request information by writing to-Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, New York City, New York, 10001.
Before the institute will accept students, they must submit a portfolio comprised of both original artwork and written essays. Students should include the following within their portfolios-seven to ten paintings and/or drawings from real life, seven to ten paintings and/or drawings from imagination, one scenic illustration, and four short essays that answer four questions asked by the institute.
Those students, who choose to earn their bachelor’s degrees in fine arts/illustration, will need to complete the following general education classes-American History, Writing elective, Other World Civilizations, Basic Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Western Civilization, Humanities, and two additional General Education electives.
They will also need to complete the following program-related courses-Adobe Illustrator for the Illustrator, The Illustrator’s Heritage I and II, Book Illustration I and II, Visual Self Expression, Materials and Techniques I and II, Creating Illustration Portfolio for Web, Digital Painting for the Illustrator, Advanced Drawing and Composition, 2D Computer Animation, Illustration Workshop, Documentary Artist I and II, Color Rendering/Media I and II, Mentor/Specialization Projects I and II, Digital Special Effects/Retouching, and the Business of Illustration.
Educational Opportunities are Terrific in New York
The above schools are just a small sampling of the many educational opportunities for art students in New York. Following are some additional institutions in the state that offer exemplary art programs, as well.
- Alfred University in Alfred
- Wells College in Aurora
- Barnard College in New York City
- Wagner College in Staten Island
- Manhattan College in the Bronx
- Stony Brook University in Stony Brook
- Pratt Institute in Brooklyn
- Niagara County Community College in Sanborn
- New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred
- Studio Jewelers in New York City
Requirements for Obtaining Degrees in Art Programs
While the materials that students will need to acquire for art programs will vary depending upon the field they choose to study within, following are some common materials they may need to have.
- Sketchbooks and Tracing Pads
- Pencils, Sharpeners, Pens and Conte Crayons
- Kneaded Eraser and Staedler Mars Plastic Eraser
- Masking Tape
- Glue Sticks
- X-Acto Knife and Blades
- Scissors
- Measuring Tapes, Steel Rulers and a 36 inch T-Square
- Staple Gun and Staples
- Brushes, Palette Knives, Palette and Water Containers
- Digital Camera
Senior Projects
Many art programs also require students to complete an Art Capstone, Senior Project or Thesis near the end of the program. Students can accomplish this in a variety of ways depending upon the professor and/or the student. The ways in which they may accomplish this are as follows.
- Research Projects
- Art Projects
- Exhibitions
- Essays
- Presentations
- Art Portfolios
