Program Structure
The Classical Atelier is structured around working from life, drawing or painting the figure every morning, Monday through Friday. In the afternoons, students work on curriculum projects under the guidance of instructors in their own dedicated studio spaces at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, WA.
Throughout the week students receive one-on-one critiques and mentorship. In addition to this core training, students participate in exhibitions throughout the year, reading and discussion groups, anatomy and art history lectures, sculpture courses, additional portrait sessions in the evenings, and career-building tools.
The first year in the Classical Atelier is dedicated to drawing. Second year students learn to paint in grisaille, and then a limited warm-cool palette. Third Year students learn to master high-chroma color and the use of a full palette, and in their Fourth Year, students synthesize what they've learned and work with Directors Paul Rosiak and Larine Chung to build a body of work.
Program Philosophy
The program is centered around working from life, and through individualized mentorship, demos, lectures, a strong sense of community and a structured curriculum, students work towards mastery and gain the tools and confidence to find their voice through the language of visual art.
In the atelier we cultivate a calm, supportive, yet highly focused environment, a unique space where students are given permission to fail while also being pushed to achieve their highest artistic capabilities. In addition to pursuing technical mastery, through slowing down, observing carefully, and working with tactile materials, students learn to become highly present, deepen their attention, and become open to enriched ways of seeing the world filled with greater meaning.
