One of the primary intentions of the founders of the National Academy was that it would serve as an art school for the training of aspiring professional artists. There were few public art galleries and no art schools in New York at the time.
The first session of the National Academy School commenced on November 15, 1826, in the Old Alms House at City Hall Park in lower Manhattan, with two Academicians and twenty students sketching by candlelight. During its early years of operation, groups of young artists met with established professionals to draw from plaster casts of antique sculpture, a centuries-old academic tradition. In addition to practical training, a portion of the original educational program was devoted to lectures given by such distinguished men as William Cullen Bryant, Gulian C. Verplanck, and Alexander Jackson Davis, on topics that included anatomy, perspective, ancient history, architecture, and mythology.
In 1837, the Academy added life classes—drawing from live models—to its curriculum for advanced male students. A life class for women, however, was not instituted until 1857, even though women had always been allowed membership in the Academy and were relatively frequent contributors to its annual exhibitions. In fact, in 1831 the Academy Council had opened antique classes for women. Subsequent classes for women were held sporadically from that time on until, in the 1870s, women constituted about one-third of the student body, a proportion that increased throughout the 20th century.
The school quickly grew in stature and reputation, and at the turn of the century adapted the European atelier system—a critical turning point. The atelier system gives students the option of concentrating instruction under the same master. Combining the best of the atelier tradition with the Academy School’s current studio-based style allows students to discover their artistic voice under the mentorship of working faculty artists, while taking full advantage of the school’s broad and deep curricular offerings.
Small classes and individual attention differentiate the Academy School from other contemporary art schools. Its collegial and creative learning environment is open to all individuals who wish to practice fine art, accommodating students of all skill levels, from beginner to highly experienced. The school supports its students with experiential learning and a variety of classes, workshops, lectures, critiques, and portfolio development.
