The Top 5 Important Factors to Consider when Choosing an Art School

Starting art classes can be the beginning of a wonderfully fulfilling experience and it all starts with choosing the right art school. Your first art lessons are where you will begin expressing yourself artistically. It is very important that you are taught a solid foundation of artistic knowledge and technique. This provides a good base from which your style can develop.

The top five factors to consider when choosing an art school are outlined below:

1. Class sizes. The ratio of students to teacher is a major consideration when choosing an art school. It is very important that artists receive individual attention throughout their studies and this is only possible where class sizes are kept small. At Art One Academy classes are on average six students per teacher or less. This ensures that each student’s progress and development is carefully monitored and that they each receive personal attention and feedback.
2. Credentials of teachers. It is important to consider your purpose for attending an art school. If you are just looking for a fun way to spend some time then perhaps the quality of the teaching advice is not that important to you. However, if you are looking to develop a solid foundation of artistic knowledge and skills, then it is very important that your teachers are professional artists or educators. This means that they are qualified to pass on their knowledge to you.Also, look for a school in which the teachers are passionate about the subject matter. If they participate in exhibitions or art shows then it is usually a good sign that they have a deep interest in the art world and that this is something that they will share with their students
3. Atmosphere and attitude of the school. The whole idea of art is inherently based on freedom of expression. Therefore, it is very important that the environment of an art school supports this and that students are never ashamed, pressured or in any other way inhibited in their creative process.
4. Art Program. Take a look at the program offered by the art school and make sure that it includes topics and mediums that are of interest to you. It is also important that they offer the opportunity to exhibit your work so that you receive feedback from the public and other professionals.
5. Location and facilities. The location must be convenient for you to attend otherwise classes will become a difficult chore. Also, with art specifically, the studio space and ambiance is a very important consideration. Look for a place with big, naturally lit studio space as these spaces encourage the greatest creativity.

Choosing the right art school is a very important decision that will affect your experience of the art world. This decision may determine whether you continue art throughout your life and even make it a career option. Consider the five factors listed above when making your decision to make sure that you have a positive experience.

<<< Featured painting is done by student of Art One Academy 9 year old Iris.