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Art schools in North America
Zombiemambo
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Registered User regular
I'm looking into going to an art school in North America and I've been told that it's extremely important to pick a good one or it's not even worth going. Right now I'm trying to keep the choices within the states but I could negotiate for something in Canada. I'm not really sure what to look for, does anyone have any suggestions of places to look into? Also, what will be necessary to get into art school?
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ringling, -> animation, illustration
risd -> fine art
art center -> industrial design, illustration
art institute chicago -> fine art
I went to ringling. It was very nice, just very expensive.
They are all very expensive. These schools aren't worth it if you just plan on attending the classes. You really really need to push yourself hard. Enough to make med and law students cry.
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Scrutinize the current student work, alumni and faculty of prospective schools, visit if at all possible. There is a lot of really, really bad art education in the US.
Knowing what you want to study will help you narrow down school choices.
What's necessary to get in, beyond the basic stuff, is a portfolio of your work that demonstrates your current ability level and potential for growth. The bar is frankly pretty low for just getting in, even at most of the "best" schools, but be aware that the portfolios are also a major factor for scholarship money.
Also be prepared that many private art colleges in the United States are unbelievably expensive (especially the ones you're likely to have heard about, like every single one wakka just listed), many of which approach Ivy League tuition costs.
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Per year or per semester? :P that might sound really silly, but honestly I haven't a clue what art schools cost.
Per year. Dear God, I don't think I'd go to a school that was 30K a semester.
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There's a school in California that's about $15-$16k per semester, my jaw dropped
Um. Do you know how many semesters are in a school year?
What sort of illustration? Traditional/fantasy stuff? Or more modern abstract/cartoon/designy sort of illustration?
If it's the former, you might want to check out some atelier schools like Watts Atelier or LAAFA.
On the downside you don't get a degree (though for most art jobs this really doesn't matter that much- but you might find it hard to convince your parents on this issue if you're relying on them for financial support), or the "college experience", and you can't get student loans or student housing. On the plus side, the tuition is much cheaper and you pay as you go per class, so you're not locked in to anything if you find it's not to your liking or if you need to take a while off for financial reasons or whatever.
Since you're currently in college, you might consider trying out a few classes over the summer and see what you think. That, or go someplace like the Illustration Academy sessions, though I suspect that you'd get more out of something like that if you were already really solid on drawing fundamentals.
Full-disclosure: I went to Watts, so I'm admittedly pretty biased. So did(does) Ikage, Loomdun, Cakemikz, and Asamof the Horrible from the AC. Shizumaru and Kendeathwalker went to LAAFA. Kendeath and Beavotron also went to Illustration Academy, I believe.
Also, I went to a university art school for 4 years (University of Michigan, to be specific), and although not all of the teachers were knobs, it sure as shit wasn't worth what it cost, which as I understand is not an uncommon thing in university art programs.
Don't spend your cash without comparison shopping and finding out who your teachers are, what they can do, and what sort of student work they pump out at the end (seconding Scosglen here, is what I'm getting at.) Don't trust any teacher that won't show their own work. Don't waste your time with teachers/classes/schools that don't teach what you actually need (and make sure to seek out professionals/books/resources on your own do you know what you need and know if you're not getting what you need- you have no idea how many people graduate from art school without realizing that their art school education barely prepared them for doing crappy paintings on video store windows, much less a decent position at a company, and then reality hits them like a sack of bricks.)
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The current university I go to has 3 :?
Most schools only have two semesters :P
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most schools that I've seen in the US call that quarters instead of semesters. 3 during the school year and 1 in summer.
Anyway, where the schools are located are important. I'm not looking just to power through it without making new friends or going out and having fun. Atlanta might not be what I'm looking for.
Is there a good way to search for good schools or should I continue to bother you guys? They don't need to be top-tier art schools.
It's really, really hard to get in, but it has an amazing reputation and tuition is free for all four years. I go to the Engineering school there, so I can't comment on it first hand, but it's worth a shot.
Canada.
It is literally four times cheaper and you will get one hell of an education.
Do it.
EDIT: Holy fuck, fourty grand a year?
Seneca is five thousand dollars a year. With international fees it would be ten grand tops. Your entire education, with a degree and everything, will cost you no more than thirty grand, and that's it.
Don't go to school in the US, i'm begging you. It is a colossal rip-off financially, and since Toronto is one of the four major cities with commercial art fields, it is easily the cheapest and easiest to break in to.
oh my god you have made my week
Good luck!
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Check out Seneca. It's closer and they'll build you from the ground up.
EDIT: I just checked out Sheridan's website, and tuition fees seem pretty cheap, so that's a big plus. I would shoot them an e-mail to see what's up. Since it's in Mississauga, you can probably rent out a place for cheap if you don't want to go the route of dorm rooms. There's not going to be much to do out there in terms of recreation unfortunately, so there's also that to consider.
Yeah, they got those.
Something to note; from my experience from going to two private art schools, you can't get a work/study permit this way. That was a real dealbreaker for me, and is the number one reason why I went against that.
You never know, you might want to work in Canada/America/wherever someday, and a student in immigrant status if you're not attending a government-recognized school you are cutting yourself off at the knees by doing this, meaning you are not allowed to work or potentially live there. I've checked out all the facts, and there is no real way for a bachelor without family ties in said country or a family to live there. Getting your post-graduate degree permit is the only way this is possible, and you will not get this through a private institution.
If that's not an issue, check them out. Its kind of a bummer, because a lot of those schools, like the Academy of Realist Art (Toronto), do not offer this option.
That is a great side school however; the website is here
http://www.academyofrealistart.com/
You also only pay per month, and you can attend as cheaply as $265 a month. Art supplies will cost you at most twelve bucks. I went there during my summer off from school, and it was well worth it.
A word of warning; their main focus is sight-sizing study, and some people have an issue with that.
Oh sorry. For some reason I got the impression that you're from a different continent...
One does not simply walk into art center.
they certainly deserve to be #1 in the nation, but you'll either need to be jesus or already have a degree / portfolio of near-jesus caliber.
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