In Session: Perspectives on Art School in the 21st Century

Meet artists, art educators and thought leaders across the United States at 19 September, 9am-7pmfor this free symposium exploring art education systems and their future. Art Students League of New York With its nearly 150-year history as an alternative arts school, this full-day program with two panels and a keynote speaker explores both traditional and non-traditional approaches and includes residencies and other professional development opportunities.

Moderated by art critic Ben DavisAuthor of Artnet Article “Is an MFA worth the price?”, the first panel of the day To graduate or not to graduate: that is the question Representatives from full-time, part-time and non-degree programs from across the country. The League’s program director Robert Telenick is accompanied by Doug AshfordProfessor of Art and Academic Advisor, The Cooper Union; Patricia CroninDistinguished Professor of Art, Brooklyn College, City University of New York; Adama Delphine FawunduAssistant Professor of Fine Arts and Director of Graduate Studies, Fine Arts Program, Columbia University School of the Arts; and Dushko Petrovich CordovaAssociate Professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Speakers will discuss their program’s curriculum and pedagogical approach, addressing cost and logistical realities in light of recent restructuring and closure of art schools across the country.

The second panel of the day Residencies, Fellowships and Other Resources: A Holistic Approach to Artist Development recognizes that fine arts education takes place both outside and inside the classroom. Kalia BrooksDirector of Programs and Exhibitions, NXTHVN; Chiwoniso KaitanoManaging Director, MacDowell; Katie SonnenbornCo-Director, Skowhegan; and Kate GavrielDirector of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, will highlight his programs that provide artists with opportunities to develop their practice, network with curators and collections, and expand their standards as professionals – many of the practical skills not learned in the fine arts curriculum.

Registration required. For more information and the full schedule, visit the Art Students League of New York website.

About the Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York has been providing high-quality, studio-based art education for all for nearly 150 years. Founded in 1875 by a group of art students, the League dreamed of a place where anyone with a passion for art would have the space to pursue it. Today, the League offers more than 265 courses taught in the studio and online. Hundreds of history-making artists studied or taught at the League, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, Hans Hoffman, Charles White, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Al Hirschfeld, Barnett Newman, Norman Lewis, David Smith, Mavis Pusey, Roy Lichtenstein, Romare Bearden, James Rosenquist, Adrian Piper, Louise Nevelson, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Rauschenberg, Pacita Abad, Lee Bontecou, ​​Ai Weiwei, and many more.