Frederick Maxfield Parrish, Saint Valentine, 1904, Tempera on gesso panel, 20x16

Nestled in the heart of New York's Museum Mile is a truly inspiring organization. The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts is an honorary association of artists, a school of fine arts, and a museum. As one of the oldest arts institutions in the country, the Academy's Museum boasts one of the foremost collections of American Art in the world, and the School of Fine Arts offers a full range of instruction for professional artists and talented amateurs.

An artist-run organization since its inception, the National Academy has numbered among its members many of America's most prominent painters, sculptors, architects, and printmakers. Founding members include Thomas Cole, Rembrandt Peals and Samuel F.B. Morse, the Academy's first president. Today, more than 425 contemporary artists are members of the Academy. Elected by their peers, all National Academicians contribute examples of their work upon acceptance of the honor. This practice built the National Academy's Museum, creating one of New York's foremost cultural resources.

Dr. David Dearinger, current curator of the National Academy Museum, is responsible for the permanent collection of works of art. According to Dearinger, "The museum owns about 2,200 paintings, 500 works on paper, 300 sculptures and 95 percent of these works are by American artists." Dearinger is also resident art historian and unofficial historian of the Academy, making him a priceless resource for this prestigious organization. According to Dearinger, the Museum's premier collection is particularly rich with American sculpture. "While the sculpture collection is not stronger than the painting per se, the nature in which the collection has been formed is unique. You have to give a representative example of your work to the museum to qualify for Academy membership. Paintings are unique objects. When a painter gives a painting, it's the only version. But sculptors often replicate their work, especially if it's bronze. They may have a collection of two or five or ten replicas. A sculptor can often give a higher quality piece of work, because they have replications. As a result, the museum is especially strong in small bronzes from around the turn of the century."

Eugene Francis Savage, Self Portrait, 1924, oil on canvas, 30x25

As if Dearinger didn't have enough to keep him busy, he is "also in charge of all the archival material, and a library of about 500 to 1,000 historical books that were originally assembled by the Academicians in the 19th century. . .gathered in 1826 to establish a library for the school. . .The school is not a training ground for future Academicians, but it is the hope that at least some of the students will advance." When the Academy was created, part of its original mission was "to sustain an association of artists for the purpose of instruction and exhibition." In 1825, there were few public art galleries and no art schools in New York, but the Academy began realizing their mission by creating a school modeled after the great academies of Europe. The first classes were located in the Old Alms House in City Hall Park, where students would meet with established professionals for lectures on topics such as anatomy, perspective, ancient history, architecture, and mythology. From its inception, the school sought to train students to become professional artists. Recognizing the need for instruction in the arts other than painting and drawing, the school introduced sculpture in 1886, followed by a class in design and modeling of coins, sketching, illustration, and then mural painting. Throughout the years, the school has melded to current cultural needs and aesthetics, while remaining true to the standards of excellence established by the founders.

Robert Blum, Japanese Beggars, 1891, oil on canvas, 37x24

At today's Academy School, National Academicians are no longer the sole instructors. According to Nancy Little, School Administrator, the School of Fine Arts faculty "is comprised of the finest, most dedicated artists working in New York City. Many faculty members are themselves former students of the Academy, and several have been elected to the Academy's honorary association of artists." The only requirement to enroll in the school is an earnest desire to study and practice fine art. All serious students are eligible to take classes, and because most instruction is offered on an individual basis, previous training is not a prerequisite. As a result, the school does not offer a degree, but work done in the Academy is often accepted as transfer credit at accredited universities. The School of Fine Arts also offers a certificate of completion. For this unique program, students design a curriculum based on individual needs and previous experience. With supervision from the school administration, an Academician or faculty member advises the student.

The school offers a program rich in traditional instruction, "We offer courses of instruction in five media: painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor and print making," says Little, "and at the heart of the school is the studio experience where students work directly from a model or antique cast or still life. They work directly from nature, and don't necessarily have to conjure abstract images. . .the watercolor classes, for example, frequently use still life as their object of attention, some people work from photographs and buildings. Likewise, the sculptors work in clay from a figure. Our print department, on the other hand, doesn't use a model, rather they experiment with different techniques. They tend to be a bit more adventuresome and abstract." Just as the original Academicians' instruction evolved with the changing needs of the arts world, the Academy is also recognizing a need to open its program to include more abstract techniques. Little says that, "we are exploring the possibility of hiring someone who is more along the line of an abstract focus. For people who want to come here and study and are beginners, we very strongly feel that an academic approach to understanding art, involving line, tone, shading, color, color relationship, etc., is essential. Understanding all those concepts first is key if you are going to then abstract something. . .But people who have done a lot of academic study are often trying to find a new way to look for a subject within themselves. Hopefully some of the Master Class instructors will be able to assist the abstract artist." Master Classes are taught solely by National Academicians for the purpose of introducing varying techniques and philosophies to the students.

These Master Classes are just one of the ways that the Academy School and Museum maintain an essential relationship, integral to student training. In addition to a work-study program where students can work at the museum in exchange for tuition, the school also takes advantage of the museum's resources by offering a dynamic series of Lunchtime Lectures presented by National Academicians, the museum's staff of art historians, conservators, and curators, including Dr. David Dearinger. The Academicians also lead students on special museum and gallery tours, and open their studios for student visits. "Our visit with Tony Rosenthal was a great success. It was fascinating for students to see him welding at age eighty-something." But perhaps most important is the museum's support of the students' major exhibition. At the end of the spring semester, all Academy students are eligible to submit work to the Year-End Juried Exhibition. A jury of Academicians, School Committee members, and instructors chooses approximately sixty works in a variety of categories. The exhibition is on view in the museum's galleries and prizes are awarded.
So what's new this year for the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts? In addition to a new exhibition entitled Men Without Women with Paul Cadmus, a previous Academy student, as Curator, the museum is also assisting the school with a recently instituted course titled Intensive Critiques. In an attempt to complement the existing mentoring system, National Academy members will critique students' work on a weekly basis with a different artist leading the session each week. Little finds that, "It's important to take advantage of other people's philosophies and opinions to help inform yourself and give yourself more enrichment." However, the most exciting new development this year is the introduction of a summer program for young people. According to Little, the school has had a program for ages 9 to 16, but this year the school is introducing a 6- to9-year-old program. The students will be "working with mixed media and modeling for each other and critiquing each other-" hopefully another step toward creating future National Academicians.

The fall issue of The Portrait Signature will feature an indepth article on the Art Students League.


Return to publications index
__________________________________________________________________________
Jennifer Hebblethwaite is the literary manager for the Horizon Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and a freelance writer and dramaturg.