New York Academy of Art

Representational painting, drawing and sculpture centering on the human figure have returned to assert their prominence in the mainstream of visual art, and figurative art is once again at the forefront of contemporary cultural discourse. From ancient to recent times, artists have used the human form as a means to express their innermost thoughts and highest ideals. Historically, artists devoted years of training to master the nuances and complexities of the body's representation in art. Today, the New York Academy of Art advances this enduring tradition as the basis for the development of vital contemporary art. The study of the human body and its conceptual and metaphorical aspects are central to the Academy's intensive curriculum, leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree.

Artists, scholars and patrons of the arts, including Andy Warhol, who were interested in fostering the resurgence of figurative and representational art, founded the New York Academy of Art in 1982. The current facility at 111 Franklin Street, in the heart of TriBeCa, was purchased in 1993. In January 2002, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales conferred his Patronage on the New York Academy of Art. This Royal Patronage is the first of its kind bestowed on a visual arts institution in the United States.




MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE PROGRAM

Degree Requirements
The Academy offers a two-year, four-semester program leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree. The program requires full-time enrollment. Candidates for the MFA degree must complete a total of 60 credits. A "C" grade in all subjects is required for graduation. Students must earn at least 12 credits per semester to maintain matriculation status and no more than 18 credits in any semester. In addition, each student is required to complete a Diploma Project - a painting, sculpture or drawing - supported by a written description of goals and methods. Though trained to work in drawing, painting and sculpture, students select one of these media for concentration.




Enrollment Guidelines
Students in the MFA degree program must adhere to the guidelines regarding required courses and distribution of credits. The number of credits, instructed sessions and studio sessions varies by course. Courses must be taken in the sequence indicated on the curriculum chart. Students must complete all prerequisites before enrollment in courses that require their completion.




Transfer Credit
A select number of transfer students from other studio-based fine art graduate programs will be allowed credit for successfully completed credit-bearing work pending a portfolio and transcript review by the Faculty Committee. However, all degree candidates must earn a minimum of 43 credits while in residence at the Academy. Students will be required to submit an official college transcript showing a grade of "B" or better in the particular course and a separate portfolio of work for each course for which they are seeking either transfer credit or a waiver.




Length of Study
The highly integrated and sequential character of the MFA program requires that students maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree. Students are required to complete the program in two years. Those who do not complete the degree within two years must reapply for admission to the program. Students on leave with substantial health problems supported by medical evidence may extend the time taken to complete the course in the full-time mode for up to five years from the date leave is first granted. The Academy makes no provision for students to maintain matriculation status and be awarded an MFA degree after completing four full-time semesters.




Facilities & Special Collections

The Academy occupies a renovated five-story, forty-thousand square foot landmark building. During their course of study, all students are provided with either communal or semi-private studio space as dictated by their program track and progress in the course.




Cast Collection
The cast collection consists of nineteenth-century plaster casts of Classical, Renaissance and later European sculpture, most on extended loan from the Royal Academy Collections, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard University, Cornell University and Amherst College. Beginning in the summer of 2002, the Academy began an extensive restoration program of its collection.




Library
The New York Academy of Art library exists to meet student and faculty needs for textual and visual materials in support of the Academy’s programs and curriculum. For more information on library facilities, click here.




Drawing Resource Room and Exhibition Spaces
On view in the Drawing Resource Room are a number of casts as well as anatomical models. These are available for coursework and independent student study. There are several areas of wall space available for small faculty-curated shows of student work. Public exhibitions and lectures are held in the Lawrence and Josephine C. Wilkinson Hall, in which a large portion of the cast collection is on permanent display.




Location
The Academy is located at 111 Franklin Street, between Church Street and West Broadway in the lower Manhattan historic district of TriBeCa, which hosts its own annual film festival. Once a commercial area and the city's primary distribution center for textiles and dry goods, TriBeCa's warehouses and lofts were renovated beginning in the 1970s and proved especially appealing to artists and small businesses. The neighborhood's industrial and residential structures, many designed by famous architects. TriBeCa and its neighboring districts, SoHo and Chelsea, are noted for their restaurants, boutiques, galleries, museums and large population of artists. Also nearby are New York's Chinatown and the cluster of municipal buildings that includes Federal Plaza and City Hall.

New York City's numerous world-class museums, essential resources for artists, are easily accesssible by public transportation from the Academy. They include the Asia Society, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Chelsea Art Museum, Dahesh Museum, Museo del Barrio, Frick Collection, Hispanic Society of America, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Morgan Library, Museum of Arts & Design, Museum of Modern Art, Neue Galerie New York, New Museum of Contemporary Art, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Whitney Museum of American Art.




Transportation
The New York Academy of Art can be reached via the Broadway-Seventh Avenue Local subway (Number 1/9), which stops at the Franklin Street station, half a block from the Academy. Other subway lines have stops that leave passengers at Canal Street, a short distance from the building (Eighth Avenue A/C/E, Lexington Avenue Local Number 6, Broadway Local N/R and Q/W, and Local J/M/Z). New Jersey commuters can use the nearby World Trade Center station of the PATH train. Buses to all city locales can be boarded only minutes from the school door.

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New York Academy of Art Art School Location

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