Founded in 1875 by artists and for artists, the Art Students League of New York has been instrumental in shaping America's legacy in the fine arts. Many renowned artists have honed their skills at the League, which is dedicated to sustaining the great tradition of training artists. Today, more than 2,500 students of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels, study at the League each month. Click here to see a short film about the League by Dale Schierholt.
Currently, the League offers more than 130 courses taught by a faculty of approximately 80 artists at its flagship Manhattan location and the Vytlacil campus in Rockland County, where the facilities include a bronze foundry, metal forge, walk-in kiln and welding shop. Throughout the year, students also participate in lectures, seminars and workshops presented by noted figures in the art world. Click here to learn more about the history of the Art Students League.
Just Some of the Prominent Artists Who Have Studied or Taught at the League
Click on the artists' names to learn more about them. Click the following link for information about current League instructors.
Founded by Artists, For Artists
Established by artists for artists, and continuing to hold to its founding principles, the League is an atelier school in which the language of art is taught and developed through immersion in the practices of drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and assemblage. With an emphasis on mastering skills and visual thinking, students engage in the process of making art. The format of ongoing classes allows students to learn at their own pace and from prominent artists who have a range of artistic philosophies and approaches. They also learn from their fellow students, many of whom have years of experience and add to the rich atelier learning environment.
The League offers the finest quality of art education for students at all levels. There are no prerequisites for enrollment or membership. By dedicating its tuition fees and a significant portion of its endowment to underwriting the cost of instruction, the League ensures that all who wish to attend can do so at affordable cost. Continuous courses, workshops, residencies, apprenticeships and exhibition programs are available to help guide each student through their own self-directed course of study.
The main campus in Manhattan, in the center of the world's most culturally vibrant city, is situated in a landmark building that has been the League's home since it was built in 1892. The 15-acre Vytlacil Campus, on a sprawling Rockland County estate just a half hour drive from New York City, offers a landscape that lends itself to the study and advancement of the visual arts inspired by the artist's connection with nature and a range of courses from painting to large-scale sculpture in a variety of mediums. The Vytlacil Campus has also become a retreat for creative thinking in an Artist-In-Residence Program, offering the opportunity for artistic exchange and open dialogue between fellow participants, which can include artists, architects, authors and philosophers.