Word from the Bridgeview Founder
Programs
Faculty
Student Gallery
Location and Contact Information
Tel. (718) 937-1300
Program Overview
"There are no shortcuts to excellence", - Eduard Lanteri, French sculptor and a student of August Rodin.
Unfortunately, that is true, even though many people promise us quick results based on studying a "how to" instructional book, taking a workshop or other similar nonsense. The only way to achieve real progress in art is to observe nature, interpret it and practice every day. All geniuses followed this rule, from Leonardo to Van Gogh to Picasso.
That is why we have designed this program and are offering it to you at a very low cost. Our teachers have a great deal of knowledge, a structured approach and a lot of enthusuasm. They can guide you through the process and help you discover those universal laws of nature that will liberate you as an artist. So, even if you study at Bridgeview for just one year, but work hard every day, you will get enough knowledge to allow you to grow on your own, without teachers looking over your shoulder all the time.
Curriculum
This program will be taught by one or several Bridgeview instructors to serious students looking to devote themselves full-time to Figurative Painting in the classical tradition. Advanced students may work from the model, whereas others will start from still life setups and plaster casts of antique sculptures. Students will also be expected to complete homework assignments such as quick portrait and figure sketches and compositional drawings based on their creative ideas.
Evaluation Process
At the end of each month instructors will evaluate each student’s work and give out grades. One student with the best artwork completed during that month will be given the next month of studies for free. Those who miss more than 10% of class without legitimate reasons or whose work is found unsatisfactory by the instructors will not be allowed to continue the program and their place will be offered to a new student.
Schedule
The program will begin when the sufficient body of students is enrolled (no more than 15) and continue until the month of July. Students will meet in class five evenings a week with models. Instructors will be present 3 evenings per week. Students will be given a summer break during the months of July and August, but those wishing to continue through the summer, will have a choice of joining Bridgeview programs in Russia or in New York at a regular fee. The program will resume in the fall.
Admission Considerations
This program is not for everyone since it is rigorous and requires tremendous patience and dedication. It is designed primarily for younger students, but older students with exceptional talent can also apply.
If you can't commit yourself to five evenings of class, you do not need to apply. Aside from instructed class students will spend a considerable amount of time in the studio on their own, and homework assignments will be given out on a regular basis. To become professional painters, students should expect to remain in the program for at least 3 years, but even one year of intensive studies will provide them with a solid foundation.
Application Process
Since this program is offered at a very low cost to students, it is considered a merit scholarship program and is designed for young artists with natural talent and great artistic energy. Students will have to pass an audition where they will be asked to draw a portrait, figure or still life. There is no special bias towards technically advanced students. Students with natural talent, open mind and great artistic energy will have the best chance of being admitted into the program. Students may present their portfolios for faculty review, but it won't be a decisive factor.
We are looking for 15 applicants who love the great tradition of art and want to be part of it. If you are interested in applying, email us images of your work and a short biography to info@academicart.com. We will then contact you to schedule an audition. If you have questions, feel free to call (718)937-1300.
Current Bridgeview students do not need to pass an audition, but may be accepted by invitation only.
Costs
$180 per month, payable each month before classes begin. There are no other fees or costs.
International Students
We are not authorized by the INS to give out I-20 forms. You may attend our classes if you procure your own visa.
What distinguishes this program from those offered by other schools
The strength of this program lies in the Bridgeview faculty. Each of our faculty member can trace his lineage directly to a great 19th century painter or sculptor from France, Italy or Germany. In the 19th century, Russia was very much integrated into Europe, and many Russian artists studied with the best artists of the time including Rodin, Bonnard, Bourdelle, Gerome and others. The importance of tradition has never been questioned in Russia, and therefore it has always been part of art education. Russia gave the world some of the greatest avant garde painters including Chagal, Malevich and Kandinski, all with solid figurative training.
At the age of 9, each member of the Bridgeview faculty was picked as a child to attend a specialized art school, based solely on their natural talent. After graduating, they would compete with hundreds of other talented kids to be admitted to the Academy or an Institute. The exams to the Academy usually take up a whole month, where applicants spend 5 or more hours a day for several weeks producing four pieces of artwork, including a portrait drawing, figure drawing, portrait painting and figure painting. Also they produce a multi-figure composition based on a theme, which is given to them during the exam.
In all of the Soviet Union, there were only a handful of such academies, because art was not considered a hobby, education was paid by the state, and future aritsts were guaranteed income from public commissions such as monuments, portraits or book illustrations. While in the Academy, our teachers spent their time working on portraits, figure, landscape, still life and figurative compositions (work from imagination). They extensively copied from the collections of world-class masterpieces at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and Pushkin Museum in Moscow. The last year at the Academy was spent on producing one painting or sculpture, usually a multi-figure composition based on a special theme. Nobody was able to graduate unless his diploma piece was found satisfactory by a committee of 6 or more art professors. No such training in the classical tradition has been available anywhere but in Russia in the 20th century.
