Mission Statement

American artists have been at the vanguard of the illustration field for more than a century. Great talents from Charles Dana Gibson to Winslow Homer, and from Reginald Marsh to Norman Rockwell have demonstrated the essential worth of this popular art form.

The responsibility of making pictures to tell the stories of the times has always been at the hands of the artists and illustrators of our culture.

A wall of a cave, the side of a pot, the vaulted ceiling, the printed page, the digital screen. The mediums have changed; the mission has not.

With no greater function of art than to provide us with a sense of who we are, how we are perceived by others, where we've come from and where were headed, the illustrators role is pivotal in this visual communication process.

An illustrator provides a vision for a written word, gives a style to innovative fashion and connects visually our shared experience of popular trends.

Preparing visual communicators for assuming their roles and responsibilities in our world of new challenges and rapidly expanding technologies is a key goal of our Master of Fine Arts in Illustration program.

With the convergence of art and technology comes the challenge and responsibility of creating a personal vision and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Innovation, a broad based diversity of skills emerging from traditional training coupled with ever expanding technology, as well as an essential element of training in writing and research, is at the forefront of our programs philosophy.

Rigorous, challenging projects and assignments, designed to elicit high quality, competitive results, are delivered by a faculty of noted, industry-active artists to support this advanced level of professional study.

After experiencing a comprehensive range of traditional studio classes, a strong digital component, field trips that embrace the exciting pulse and resources of our NYC location and independent study projects, the student will culminate their study and complete their degree with the creation of a thesis project.