Programs & Courses
The New York Studio School's curriculum is based on the atelier-system and a group teaching model for both the full-time and part-time programs. For students enrolled in the full-time programs, the School offers the opportunity to combine historical practice with independent, creative thought, and benefit from the studio-based method while having the time and space to explore their own individual creative efforts. Part-time students, who can enroll in the Drawing Marathons (offered three times a year - in the Summer Session or in the fall and spring) or Evening & Saturday classes, get to experience the intensity and rigor offered by the School in a more condensed manner. These courses are open to beginning and advanced artists regardless of their affiliation.
As part of the School's structure, students work from life, from compositional drawings and from their imaginations.
Academic Calendar »
Summer 2013 Application Deadline May 15 Registration (for continuing students) 1st week of April 2013 Orientation May 31 Marathons June 3 - 14 Full-time Session June 3 - July 19 Arbor Vitae June 17 - June 28 Independence Day (observed) July 4 Fall 2013 Application Deadline February 15, 2013 Financial ...
Course Catalog »
Please click for downloadable pdf of the 2012-13 New York Studio School Course catalog.
Course Descriptions »
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS PAINTING I (5 cr.) This course introduces concepts and techniques in painting, immersing students in abstract values in the language of painting. Students will investigate image and metaphor, figuration and abstraction, iconography and narrative, color and drawing, pictorial space and its compression. Various projects and specific activities ...
Curriculum Overview »
Full-time study, whether in the MFA or Certificate program, includes one Marathon at the start of each semester, and the invitation to attend Evening and Saturday classes during the fall and spring. Below is a brief description of the general course offerings available to enrolled students in the full-time programs(s). ...
Evening & Saturday »
Several courses in drawing, painting and sculpture are offered in the evenings and on Saturdays during both the regular semesters and during the Summer Session. These classes can count as part of the semester for full-time enrolled students, but are also open to members of the public who do ...
Faculty »
Graham Nickson - Painter; Dean of the New York Studio School Has been a faculty member and Dean of the School since 1988, and is the originator of the renowned Drawing Marathon. Received his BA from the Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts and MA from the Royal College of ...
MFA Program Overview »
The MFA programs, offered with concentrations in Painting or in Sculpture, continue the ethos of the teaching methods defined by the School's history within a recognized degree program. The MFA is based on maintaining a full-time, rigorous studio practice. Students are engaged in their work a minimum of 40 hours ...
Certificate Program »
The School also offers a three year, full-time Certificate program, which mirrors the MFA in its concentration on intensive studio work but does not require the attendance at and completion of the Critical Studies courses, nor the completion of a thesis project. Students enrolled in the Certificate program are, however, ...
Marathons »
The School's internationally-recognized Marathon programs were developed in 1988 by Dean Graham Nickson, initially as a measure for the rest of the semester at the start of the program year. The program has since expanded to become a core component of the School's curriculum. Meanwhile, intense outside interest led to ...
Summer Session 2013 »
The Summer Session offers a unique opportunity for interested artists who are not enrolled in any of the full-time programs to experience the intensity and rigor of the School's perspective in a condensed manner.
Pre-College Courses for High School Students »
Discover a personal path through the challenges of the seen world. This Summer, join Jill Nathanson and guest teachers Lee Tribe and Josef Zutelgte at the New York Studio School for pre-college courses for high school students in drawing and painting. Hear what our 2012 participants had to say: "It ...