visual arts education programs in new york

• Graduate Programs

Visual Arts Education (MA)

Welcome to the Visual Arts Education (MA) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation for Program 1.

Program 1 is for those with no prior New York State (NYS) certification.

Academic Plan

Total credits.

Earn at least 44 credits

Program Code for Certification

• Lori Kent , Faculty Advisor
• Bonnie M. Veronico , Certification, Graduation and Administrative Advisor
• Nikki Hertz , Clinical Placement Specialist

Newly Accepted Students

Getting started and orientation, new student checklist.

Welcome to the School of Education! Visit the Newly Accepted Students page for a checklist to get you started at Hunter College.

New Student Support

If at any point you need support, please reach out to our New Student Liaison at [email protected] or make an appointment.

Orientations

Students will attend three orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:

• General New Student Orientation
• Program Advising Session
• Clinical Experiences and Fingerprinting Orientation

See “Program Related Events” for details about upcoming sessions.

Financing Your Degree

Visit the Financing Your Degree page for information.

Fingerprint Clearance Requirements

All students in teacher preparation programs as well as programs in school counseling need to be fingerprinted so that they are cleared to work with children in various settings including New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public schools, charter networks, and other organizations. Visit the Fingerprinting page for requirements and procedures.

Program Sequences

Consult the 2-Year program sequence for a suggested order of courses for the program based on start date. It also includes when to take certification exams and apply for clinical experiences in addition to other important non-course requirements. For technical registration support and troubleshooting, please visit the Register for Classes page .

Hunter College Catalog

To review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements please use the course catalog for the year you were admitted to the program.

Course Catalog Summer 2022 onward

• Visual Arts Education

Course Catalog prior to Summer 2022

• Visual Arts Education – MA

Clinical Experiences

Students in the Visual Arts Education (MA) program participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork), and supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum).

Fieldwork is a classroom experience in a New York City Public School in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements.

Registration, Placement and Application Processes and Procedures

Students must apply before registering for SEDF 705 and will be placed by the Office of Clinical Experiences at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City. ARTED 710 and ARTED 7100 do not require an application before registering. Students will be placed by the OCE and will be emailed at the beginning of the semester.

Students working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher may be eligible to complete their fieldwork requirements in their current job if it is aligned to their pending certification/area of study.

The following are required for eligibility and will be reviewed by the course instructor:

• Teaching position must be aligned with pending certification
• Site must be pre-approved by faculty and/or Office of Clinical Experiences
• Students must submit documentation from worksite/school program director

For courses requiring less than 36 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from their instructor, students are responsible for identifying placement within New York State. Please refer to the NYC Department of Education at schools.nyc.gov to find a school in a particular neighborhood.

Application

Students must apply for the following courses with fieldwork components through the Office of Clinical Experiences before registering.

• SEDF 705 Application

Registration and Placement Process

• The Office of Clinical Experiences reviews applications for eligibility.
• The Office of Clinical Experiences grants registration permission and notifies students via their myhunter.cuny.edu email address one week before registration opens.
• Student registers for course once permission granted.
• The Office of Clinical Experiences places students at a Hunter College School of Education partner site and notifies them via their myhunter.cuny.edu email address.
• Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form

Supervised: Student Teaching/Practicum

Students participate in supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum) as the culmination of their course of study. Student teaching and/or practicum requires five full days per week for one semester. Students are observed by Hunter College Clinical Supervisors throughout the semester. Students may complete practicum in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study.

Required Exams

Students must pass the following New York State exams before registration permission is granted for Supervised Teaching:

• Students with initial certification do not have to take the EAS exam.
• Content Specialty Test (CST) – Visual Arts

Student Teaching

Students not working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher complete Student Teaching. Student Teachers are placed by the Office of Clinical Experience with a mentor/cooperating teacher at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City. Students teach alongside the mentor/cooperating teacher throughout the semester.

Students working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher may be eligible to complete Practicum in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study. The Offices of Clinical Experiences and Professor Isaac review Practicum eligibility.

The following are required for Practicum eligibility:

• The classroom must be aligned with pending certification
• Students submit a letter from worksite/school program director
• Practicum Site Approval Form

All students must apply for student teaching and practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences.

• Student Teaching and Practicum Application

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester: April 1st
• Spring Semester: November 1st
• Summer Semester: N/A
• The Office of Clinical Experiences reviews practicum applications for eligibility.
• The Office of Clinical Experiences grants registration permission.
• One week before each semester registration opens, the Office of Clinical Experiences will inform students of next steps through their myhunter.cuny.edu email.
• If students require placement, the Office of Clinical Experiences will place them at a Hunter College School of Education partner site in New York City and notify via their myhunter.cuny.edu email

Internship Certificate

The Internship Certificate allows a teacher or educational leadership candidate to serve as a teacher or leader of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher or leader education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. Visit the  Internship Certificate  page for eligibility requirements and application processes and procedures.

• Supervised Teaching Time Record Form

Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines. Visit the Graduation and Commencement page for complete information.

Certification and Licensure

This program leads to New York State certification in Visual Arts PreK-12. Students must wait to apply for certification until they receive an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This usually occurs six to eight week’s after the conferral of your degree.

Types of Certification

Students are recommended for both initial and professional certification:

• The Initial Certificate is the entry-level teaching certificate and is valid for five years. Students who graduate from a Hunter master’s degree certification program without prior certification will be recommended for initial certification.
• The Professional Certificate is an advanced certificate. Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching, they can apply for professional certification.

Application Checklist

Review your fingerprint status.

All students in programs leading to New York State certification need to have their fingerprints cleared by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Visit the  Fingerprinting for Hunter College School of Education Students to learn how to obtain fingerprint clearance. You can check your state clearance status on your TEACH account.

Take Required Certification Exams and Workshops

All students must fulfill the following exam requirements over the course of their program:

• Students who have completed Educating All Students (EAS) for a prior certification, do not need to take the exam again.
• Content Specialty Test (CST) – Visual Arts

Exam Registration and Test Preparation

Register for an exam at the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations website . Need help preparing? Learn about upcoming Test Preparation Workshops .

All students must fulfill the following workshop requirements over the course of their program:

• This workshop is included in coursework.
• Students may take the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website . Once you complete the DASA workshop, submit copies of DASA workshop certification to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs so that their CUNYfirst account can be updated via the Workshop or Exam Completion Form .

Apply for Graduation

In order to be recommended for certification, all students in all programs including advanced certificate programs, must complete their program and apply for graduation. For more information on the graduation process, please visit the  School of Education Graduation and Commencement page .

Apply for Certification

Certification candidates must wait to apply for certification until receiving an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This will occur six to eight weeks after the Hunter College conferral dates of June 1 for spring grads, September 1 for summer grads and January 1 for fall grads. Candidates will be recommended for Initial and Professional certification. There are 5 steps in the application process.

Create/Log in to your TEACH Account

Students must create/log in to their New York State Education Department (NYSED) TEACH Account . From your Teach Online Services Home page, select Apply for Certificate which is found under “Online Application.” This will start a new application.

1. Verify/Update Profile

The Verify/Update Profile section will ask for education and employment history.

For educational history, provide information from bachelor’s degree to present. For the drop down next to Degree and Major, select the option that corresponds to the degree and major earned.

For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public, private and charter schools.

2. Select Certificate(s)

Enter the following information for the certificates section depending on whether you are applying for initial or professional certification.

Initial Certification

• Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
• Select your Subject Area: Visual Arts
• Select the Grade Level: Pre K-12 All Grades
• Select the Title: Visual Arts
• Select your Certificate Type: Initial

On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:

• Program Code: 37723

Professional Certification

• Select your Certificate Type: Professional

3. Complete application (sign affidavit, sign application, make payment)

Read and sign the required affidavit and confirm and sign the application. Finally, make payment.

Additional Resources

Expiring certifications.

If you will not graduate from the Advanced Certificate program prior to the expiration of your initial certificate, you may be eligible for an extension through NYSED’s TEACH Online Services.  Create/Log in to your TEACH account  and select “Apply for a Time Extension.”

Out of State Certification or Licensure

Students applying for certification or licensure in states other than New York must complete the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form and upload the required completed form for the state they are applying to.

For students applying in states that have a web based form (ex. New Jersey), please send the access information to Melissa Boronkas, Certification Officer at [email protected].

For more information on certification or licensure requirements in other states, please review the interstate agreement information on the National Associate of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification site .

Hunter International Students (F1 Visa Holder) Certification or Licensure

Registering for new york state teacher certification exams (nystce).

During the registration process enter all 9s when prompted for your Social Security Number (SSN). Once you do receive a Social Security Number, you will need to fax a copy of your Social Security Number card and Passport to the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) with a cover letter including your assigned New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) ID number to request they change your temporary Social Security Number replacement with your assigned Social Security Number.

The fax number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-7088. Follow up a few days later to ensure they have received your fax. The phone number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-2882.

Applying for NYSED TEACH Account without a Social Security Number

You do not need to wait for a Social Security Number (SSN) to create an account on the NYSED TEACH system. If you do not have a valid Social Security Number, you will need to email [email protected] to request a TEACH Access Number first. The access number is only for use with TEACH and meeting requirements for New York State teacher certification.  If you do get a social security number, you must notify NYSED.

If you apply for OPT the process will generate a Social Security Number which you will use to create your TEACH account and apply for New York State Department of Education teaching certification. You should apply for OPT as soon as you can, but you cannot apply earlier than 90 days before your program completion date.

For general instructions on setting up your NYSED TEACH account, please refer to the Certification and Licensure section on this program page.

New York City Department of Education Employment with OPT once your NYS Certificate has issued

International students cannot apply for employment with New York City Public Schools until they have a Social Security Number (SSN). International students may qualify for employment in New York City public schools once they hold New York State certification and hold an OPT visa. You will be ineligible to apply to work for the New York City Department of Education unless you hold OPT authorization, have a Social Security Number and your New York State certification has issued. Candidates fitting the above criteria may apply online to the New York City Department of Education. Once the application is received and reviewed, further instructions will follow. This policy is subject to change at any time.

Letter Requests

Please use the School of Education Letter Request Form to request a letter from the School of Education to verify your education experience.

Internship Certification for Graduate Teacher Education Students

Related links.

Register for Classes

Graduation and Commencement

Program Related Events

Visual arts education program-specific advising sessions for new students, school of education 2024 graduation celebration ceremony, general new student orientation question and answer (q&a) – teacher education, leadership and applied behavior analysis (aba), certification information session – teacher education.

Visual Arts–All Grades (Art Education) Master of Science for Teachers Degree

Request Info about graduate study Visit Apply

An art education master's degree that sharpens your artistic abilities as you prepare to teach the next generation of artists and creators.

Outcomes Rate of RIT Graduates from this degree

Overview for Visual Arts–All Grades (Art Education) MST

When does an artist become a teacher? The MST in visual arts-all grades (art education) prepares you to teach the next generation of artists and to create art experiences while honing your own artistic skills.

An Accelerated Visual Arts Education Program

RIT's art education master's degree is an accelerated visual arts education program. You will get a year of hands-on experience that will heavily mirror your life as an art educator. The program prepares you for a teaching career by embedding certifications and job placement support right into the curriculum. You will work with regional schools to find the best fit for your personality, talents, and teaching goals.

RIT's Art Education Master's Degree

In the MST degree, you'll complete course work in:

• child development in art and education,
• differentiated learning techniques for effective instruction in the diverse learning needs of all students, 
• a range of perspectives on multicultural issues in the visual arts and education fields, 
• the process of teaching art in the school classroom, including curriculum development and student assessment, and
• explore a range of perspectives on contemporary theories in art and education.

In addition, you will complete a student teaching practicum designed to provide you with in-depth pedagogical experiences, real-world challenges, and rich learning opportunities.

RIT’s art education master’s degree leads to Initial/Professional New York State certification in visual arts for PK through 12th grades. This certification allows applicants to teach in New York State public schools and most other states through reciprocal agreements. The program features pedagogical studies, studio inquiry, clinical fieldwork, and community partnerships. The MST program prepares candidates to meet the national, state, and regional needs of teachers of the visual arts. Curriculum and experiential learning are designed to provide candidates opportunities to teach effectively with positive impacts on diverse PK through 12 grade student learning and development, through the application of content knowledge, foundational pedagogical skills, and technology integration. The program is nationally accredited and is for candidates who hold a BFA or BA in an area of art (studio, design, new media, or photography majors). Graduates of the last three MST classes have a 97 percent pass rate on the New York State Department of Education certification examinations, initial certification, and job outcome rates.

Students are also interested in: Fine Arts Studio MFA

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30% Tuition Scholarship for NY Residents and Graduates

Now is the perfect time to earn your Master’s degree. If you’re a New York state resident with a bachelor’s degree or have/will graduate from a college or university in New York state, you are eligible to receive a 30% tuition scholarship.

Learn more about Master Up NY

Careers and Salary Info

Typical job titles, featured work.

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Curriculum for 2023-2024 for Visual Arts–All Grades (Art Education) MST

Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements

Visual Arts-All Grades (Art Education), MST degree, typical course sequence

Admissions and financial aid.

This program is available on-campus only.

Full-time study is 9+ semester credit hours. Part-time study is 1‑8 semester credit hours. International students requiring a visa to study at the RIT Rochester campus must study full‑time.

Application Details

To be considered for admission to the Visual Arts–All Grades (Art Education) MST program, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

• Complete an online graduate application . 
• Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
• Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
• A recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Submit a personal statement of educational objectives .
• Submit two letters of recommendation .
• Entrance exam requirements: None
• Submit a portfolio. View portfolio requirements.
• Writing samples are optional.
• Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic), if required. Details are below.

English Language Test Scores

International applicants whose native language is not English must submit one of the following official English language test scores. Some international applicants may be considered for an English test requirement waiver .

International students below the minimum requirement may be considered for conditional admission. Each program requires balanced sub-scores when determining an applicant’s need for additional English language courses.

How to Apply   Start or Manage Your Application

Cost and Financial Aid

An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns. Graduate tuition varies by degree, the number of credits taken per semester, and delivery method. View the general cost of attendance or estimate the cost of your graduate degree .

A combination of sources can help fund your graduate degree. Learn how to fund your degree

Accreditation

The visual arts–all grades program maintains Initial Program accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The program's most recent CAEP accreditation approval was spring 2021. Reporting outcomes and student achievement data are available for review.

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Art & Art Education

As of May 3rd, access to Teachers College is limited to TC ID holders. Guests and visitors who wish to visit the Macy Art Gallery must email [email protected] 36 hours in advance of coming to campus. Per the current TC restriction, all external guests and visitors (including alumni) must be pre-approved. There are no exceptions. The Macy Art Gallery (MY 444) is open to the public on Monday - Thursday, from 11am - 4pm.

The Art & Art Ed Program Offices and Macy Art Gallery are closed on Fridays. AAE Staff will be working remotely on Fridays till 1pm in observance of Summer Fridays (5/17 - 8/30). 

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

An exhibition featuring technology-infused student work from the Art and Art Education Program's new media studio art courses.

May 20 – June 6, 2024 

Reception: May 23, 5-7pm 

How would you describe the color blue to someone who cannot see it? Inspired by this question, artist Kelly Cave presents work from a year-long study of the color blue.

Reception: May 23, 5-7pm

Design Your Future

Whether you’re an experienced art educator or just starting your teaching career, the Art & Art Education program at TC will help you envision your future and achieve your goals.

View Our Programs

Be an Artist

At TC, becoming an educator, researcher, or leader doesn’t mean putting your studio practice on hold. Continue or renew your visual arts practice in our studio community while growing as a maker, critic, educator, curriculum designer, curator, researcher, and leader.

Learn About Us and Our Facilities

Collaborate with Us

Work with our distinguished faculty and supportive student community to teach, lead, and conduct research and creative projects in schools, colleges, museums, galleries, community centers, and alternative sites all around the world.

Read About Our People

Welcome to the Program in Art and Art Education

The Art and Art Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University is dedicated to preparing art educators, teacher educators, and leaders in visual arts education. Our curriculum is designed so you can teach and lead programs wherever you go, whether that’s in a P-12 classroom, a museum, a community art center, a university, or beyond. Our dedicated studios—from drawing and painting to sculpture and new media and digital technologies—allow you to actively create art while you continue your studies. In fact, all of our degree tracks require studio work. We believe it’s in the studio that you develop new ways seeing, experiencing, and responding to the world allowing you to expand your expertise in teaching others to do so as well. This focus on the studio as teaching laboratory distinguishes our program within Teachers College Columbia University, one of the leading graduate schools of education in the world.

Degree Tracks

Master of arts.

Initial Cert: Visual Arts Pre-K-12

Non-Certification

• Studio Practice for Art Educators (Hybrid)

Master of Education

Doctor of education, doctor of education in college teaching.

of Visual Art

Advanced Certificate in Creative Technologies

Choose your concentration.

• Museum Education
• Art Pedagogy
• Creative Technologies
• The Arts & Community Engagement
• Academic Research in Art Education

Students who wish to work with education initiatives in museums in the US and around the world may complete the Museum Education area of focus . This area of focus explores the art museum as a civic and educational institution, examines the role of museum education departments, and introduces students to innovative museum education programs and pedagogical practices.

Students who seek to sharpen their expertise designing pedagogically sound, imaginative studio art learning opportunities may complete the Art Pedagogy area of focus. This concentration equips students to teach people of different ages in different learning contexts—schools, museums, community centers, and beyond. It combines courses in the artistic development of children and adolescents, curriculum development, studio-based practice with applications for teaching, cultural diversity in art education, and special education, along with an optional art teaching internship.

 Learn More

This concentration explores and strengthens the relationship between art, technology, and education. The goal is to prepare you to be a leader in educational ecologies that interweave digital tools and creative materials in multi- and cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and playful pedagogies.

Students whose aim is to be an art educator in community settings may take courses in the Community Engagement area of focus as part of their degree.

Students who are particularly interested in conducting rigorous, high-level scholarly research in art education may complete the Academic Research in Art Education concentration.

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For admissions, please contact  [email protected]

Admissions information, application requirements.

• Art and Art Education
• Art and Art Education NY State Initial: Visual Arts Pre-K-12

Fund Your Degree

• Tuition & Fees
• Financial Aid
• Request Info

Program Director : Dr. Judy Burton

Teachers College, Columbia University 444 Macy Hall

Phone: (212) 678-3360

Email: artofc@tc.columbia.edu

School of Visual Arts

4 year • New York, NY

School of Visual Arts is a proprietary institution that was founded in 1947. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. School of Visual Arts' ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities North, #104. Its tuition and fees are $49,140.

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• #104 in Regional Universities North  (tie)
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Room & Board

$24,200 (2023-24)

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MSEd in Visual Arts Education

Program overview, program description.

The   Master of Science in Education in Visual Arts Education (MSEd) Program  serves certified art teachers who are pursuing a master's degree for professional advancement and artist-teacher development. The MSEd program meets New York State art teacher requirements to complete a master's degree for Professional teaching certification, and is intended for artist-teachers interested in a dynamic, fully- online graduate program that offers personalized mentorship and flexibility for working professionals.

 The Visual Arts Education Graduate Program is a fifteen-month, fully-online learning experience where art teachers reinvigorate and bring depth to their studio practices, carry out original research related to their teaching practices, and develop strong connections between the two. The unique curriculum allows for robust engagement as artist-teacher-researchers under the close mentorship of Art Education faculty.

Admission Requirements

• One official transcript of all undergraduate and graduate work providing evidence of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale
• Evidence of certification or licensure in Art Education, or evidence of pending certification or licensure
• A 300-500 word teaching-artist's statement discussing the candidate's  current teaching and creative practices, and goals for graduate study
• Two letters of reference from current administrators or colleagues, former teachers, or other professionals familiar with the candidate's qualifications and who can support the candidate's ability to do graduate work.
• Satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS scores for students who have a non-US degree.

Portfolio of 12- 20 images of original creative work: 

We require a minimum of 12 individual pieces; additional detail photographs and installation documentation can be included. You may include external links to videos as part of your portfolio. Each work sample must be labeled with the title of work, medium, size, and date. Images can be labeled and ordered as they are uploaded. For good image quality and fast upload, we recommend jpeg images no larger than 1280 x 1280 pixels @ 72 PPI. 

Each image should document a finished work or present a detail or alternate view of finished work. Please do not submit composite images that include explanatory text, preparatory drawings, and comparisons with other pieces. Our online portfolio includes a label section and we encourage you to provide more details and context about your work there and in your artist statement.

Application Deadlines

Summer: April 15*

COURSE WORK TIMELINE

MSEd in Visual Arts Education students must complete a total of 30 credits, develop and complete a body of artwork and an original research study, and give a public presentation of their work. Coursework is completely remote with no in-person component. Courses in this program may not be taken out of sequence.

• Complete the prescribed coursework with in six years after matriculation.
• Maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all course work with no more than two grades below B-
• A thesis is required. Under the guidance of a graduate committee, the student will develop an appropriate presentation commensurate with accepted standards of scholarship.

Graduate Checklist

Apply for graduation via  my.newpaltz.edu  under “Graduation” tab according to the schedule in the  academic calendar .    

Resolve any pending admission conditions (outlined in your acceptance letter) and/or missing documents if applicable.  

Review your progress report via my.newpaltz.edu to ensure that you have completed all program requirements.   

Remember that only two grades below a B- may be applied to your   plan of study  

Contact your advisor if you need to amend your plan  or process  transfer credit .  

Ensure that you are in  good academic standing  with a  GPA (Grade Point Average)  of 3.0 or higher.  

Pass your capstone or culminating assessment.  

Complete your degree within the  specified time limit  outlined in the Program Overview.  

Program Learning Outcomes

Expand knowledge of diverse histories and contemporary practices in studio art, design, and art education    

Demonstrate—in written, visual, and oral forms—an understanding of a work of art or design, in terms of its social, political, cultural, aesthetic and historical context    

Develop and articulate self-reflective practices as artists, designers, teachers, and citizens    

Create collaboration and engagement with local and global art, design, and learning communities    

Build professional networks to support lifelong learning and sustainable practices    

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Visual Arts Education

Master of science in education, suny new paltz.

• Delivery Mode 100% Online
• Total Credits 30
• Degree Level Master of Science in Education
• Contact Us 845-257-3200

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You will earn the same diploma as our on-campus students.

The Master of Science in Education in Visual Arts Education (MSEd) Program serves certified art teachers who are pursuing a master's degree for professional advancement and artist-teacher development. The MSEd program meets New York State art teacher requirements to complete a master's degree for Professional teaching certification, and is intended for artist-teachers interested in a dynamic, fully- online graduate program that offers personalized mentorship and flexibility for working professionals.

What's it like to earn this degree online?

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• 100% Online This program is presented 100% online. You will not be expected to attend any classes on campus.
• Live classes You will learn in real-time while the instructor leads the class. Courses are similar to in-person classes, but you participate online.
• Classes on your schedule Courses are semester based and classwork can be completed around your work and family commitments. There is no set time where you are required to log in to attend class.
• Same faculty as on-campus The faculty that teach online classes are the same faculty that students learn from on-campus.
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• Art Schools

The 10 Best Art Schools in New York

Thanks to New York City, the Empire State has no shortage of amazing art schools. 

But that doesn’t mean students have to stay in the Big Apple to get a quality education. Greater New York state boasts some top-notch art schools, too.

Many of these institutions offer several levels of art programs, from associates to terminal degrees, and some even give high schoolers a chance to study on campus and see what art school life is all about. 

Students at a few schools will find opportunities to expand their studies into other subject areas thanks to interdisciplinary programs or to study abroad, spending a semester immersed in an artistically rich overseas environment.

Students interested in pursuing studies at art school will want to narrow down their focus and decide whether they simply want to study art, its history, and its role in society, or whether they want to become a working artist or designer. 

Where they end up for school may depend on their ultimate career goals, since some schools offer only certain programs.

Students also may want to consider what type of community they want to learn in. Schools in New York City, for instance, put students closer to major museums and galleries that they can check out on their down time or even part of class.

Below, we’ll break down 10 of the best art schools in New York, what type of degrees they offer, and much more.

School of Visual Arts (New York, NY)

The School of Visual Arts , located in the heart of New York City, has something for every type of student.

In the Pre-College program , high-schoolers can further develop their artistic skills and work toward putting together a portfolio. 

That can help them prepare to join the school’s undergraduate program , in which they can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 11 specialties, from Animation and Film to Advertising and Interior Design. 

The school also offers undergraduate non-major programs .

At the graduate level , the options are even greater. Students can earn a Master of Arts in either Curatorial Practice or Design Research, Writing, and Criticism. Or, they can choose to earn a terminal degree, the Master of Fine Arts, in a dozen subjects.

Meanwhile, students who want to use art differently can pursue the Master of Professional Studies in subjects including Art Therapy, Directing, and Fashion Photography.

New York Academy of Art (New York, NY)

The main program at the New York Academy of Art is the Master of Fine Arts . The two-year program consists of 60 credits, most of which students fulfill in studio artwork. 

Students choose from drawing, painting, or sculpture as a concentration but also can pursue tracks in printmaking or anatomy. Courses give them experience in both traditional and modern art.

Undergraduates interested in studying at NYAA can participate in its Summer Undergraduate Residency Program . This one-month residential program gives them added experience in the studio, where they can refine their technical skills as they prepare to one day join an MFA program.

NYAA also offers a Certificate of Fine Art , which involves an intense curriculum geared toward people interested in learning about drawing, painting, or sculpture in a studio environment. The 36-credit program takes one calendar year to complete.

Beginning artists interested in learning the basics of different mediums can join NYAA’s continuing education programs , which faculty members have offered live on Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic.     

SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton, NY)

Students can major or minor in art at SUNY Binghamton, which offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees.

In the BFA program , students focus on one of five mediums, such as drawing or graphic design, but also take classes in art history and electives. 

The program is designed for students who want to work as artists one day or move on to a graduate program. These students also must complete several studio courses before finishing their studies with the Senior Exhibition Seminar, which includes a display of their work.

The BA program , on the other hand, is geared for people who want to pursue a double major or gain some extra artistic skills through studio work. 

They can major in six areas, including photography, sculpture, and painting. Students also take art history classes but do not need to complete the Senior Exhibition Seminar.

Undergraduates who want to get some artistic experience can pursue the Studio Minor , a six-course studio program focusing on one of five artistic mediums. 

New York University (New York, NY)

New York University’s students hone their skills and expand their knowledge in the artistically rich East Village of Manhattan.

At its Steinhardt Department of Art and Art Professions , the university offers both Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees , which students earn through hands-on work as well as courses focusing on artistic theory. 

The university brings in well-known artists as well as critics and scholars to further students’ understanding of art and its place in the world.

Students also can choose to pursue a Master of Art in subjects such as Visual Arts Administration and Costume Studies. The school offers a doctorate in Art Therapy as well. 

No matter what they study, students also can take advantage of the numerous museums, theaters, and other artistic spaces that also call New York home, seeing firsthand artists at work.

SUNY Purchase School of Art + Design (Purchase, NY)

Students have lots of options for studying at SUNY Purchase School of Art + Design, located less than an hour from New York City.

In the Bachelor of Fine Arts program , students can choose from five majors, including Graphic Design, Sculpture, and Photography. Or, they can pursue the Visual Arts BFA, an interdisciplinary option in which students study two visual arts mediums.

Students interested in interdisciplinary studies can also pursue a Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts . They split their time between visual arts studies in the School of Art + Design and one or more other subjects in a different school.

The school also offers a Minor in Visual Arts for undergraduates majoring in other subjects. 

At the graduate level , Purchase offers an MFA in Visual Arts and a dual MFA in Visual Arts/MA in Art History program, with the history part offered through Purchase’s School of Humanities.

Syracuse University School of Art (Syracuse, NY)

The School of Art at Syracuse University has been graduating students since 1875. Today’s students can choose from seven undergraduate and graduate programs of study.

Syracuse offers three undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, in Arts Education, Illustration, and Studio Arts. The school also has one Bachelor of Science program, also in Studio Arts. 

Undergraduates studying other subjects who still want to receive an arts education can pursue the Visual Culture minor or the Studio Arts minor . They can choose from intensives such as Ceramics, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, and Painting.

Graduate degree options include two Master of Fine Arts programs in Illustration and Studio Arts, and a Master of Science in Arts Education.

Throughout the year, students learn from faculty members still working and exhibiting in their fields as well as hear from more than 30 guest artists through Syracuse’s Visiting Artist Lecture Series.

Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (Ithaca, NY)

Students gain a well-rounded education in different artistic mediums through Cornell University’s undergraduate art program.

Redesigned in 2018, the Bachelor of Fine Arts program consists of two parts: an art section that includes seminars as well as studio courses in different artistic mediums, such as photography and painting. 

Students then round out their time at the university with electives from throughout the university to give them a well-rounded education. They also have a chance to study in semester-long programs at Cornell’s satellite campuses in New York City and Rome.

To earn the Master of Fine Arts degree , meanwhile, students spend two years in intensive study. Students learn not only from faculty in Ithaca but from two distinguished artistic mentors the department brings in each year, and they have opportunities for exhibiting their work as well.

Pratt Institute School of Design (Brooklyn, NY)

Students learn from world-class, award-winning professionals in the School of Art at the Pratt Institute School of Design.

The institute has two associate degree programs , which involve four semesters of study. Students can choose to study Graphic Design, Illustration, or Game Design and Interactive Media in the AOS program. 

The AAS degree, though, in which students can study Graphic Design/Illustration or Painting/Drawing, prepares students to transfer into Pratt’s BFA after they finish their associate degree.

Bachelor’s degree students, meanwhile, have six departments in which they can study everything from the traditional Fine Arts to more modern mediums, like Game Arts. 

The Art and Design Education path prepares students to become teachers themselves, whether it be in schools or for organizations like museums.

Graduate students can pursue studies in many of the same fields as undergraduates as well as a few others specific to the master’s program, including Arts and Cultural Management and Creative Arts Therapy.

The New School Parsons School of Design (New York, NY)

The New School Parsons School of Design has three levels of degrees available.

The Associate Degrees are geared toward “mature students” who do not have a background in design and gives them the knowledge they need to pursue careers in Communication Design, Interior Design, and Fashion.

Parsons has a dozen undergraduate majors to choose from, 11 of which end in Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. They include many different types of design, from Fashion to Architecture, as well as areas like Photography and Illustration. 

Or, students can pursue the Bachelor of Business Administration, which focuses on Strategic Design & Management, which Parsons offers both in New York and Paris.

The graduate program is even more diverse, with 20 degree programs. It also has a Master of Architecture program and a combined MArch/MFA focusing on Architecture and Lighting Design.

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York, NY)

Cooper Union’s School of Art has just one degree program, a Bachelor of Fine Arts that prepares students for careers as artists and designers. 

The student experience begins with a “Foundation Program,” in which they learn about different mediums and artistic concepts and techniques. 

In their sophomore year, students narrow their focus, choosing a discipline from areas like painting or photography. They take various studio courses as well as electives before moving on to more advanced study in their junior and senior years. 

In their final year, students also participate in the Senior Presentation, in which they exhibit their work for the public.

High school students can get a taste for the Cooper life during the Summer Art Intensive , in which students learn from professional artists and take in the sights of the New York City art world. 

The students focus on a specific type of art and build a portfolio they can then submit with their college applications.

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MSED IN VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION

The master of science in education in visual arts education (msed) program.

Serves certified art teachers who are pursuing a master's degree for professional advancement and artist-teacher development. The MSEd program meets New York State art teacher requirements to complete a master's degree for Professional teaching certification, and is intended for artist-teachers interested in a dynamic, fully- online graduate program that offers personalized mentorship and flexibility for working professionals.

Connecting Practice And Pedagogy

The MSEd in Visual Arts Education gives art teachers the opportunity to reinvigorate and bring depth to their practices, conduct original research related to their teaching, and develop a direct line between the two.

The Only Online Arts Education Program In SUNY

This 15-month, fully online learning experience is designed to help art teachers across New York State and beyond earn their master’s degrees in a way that’s convenient, no matter where they live. Courses are designed to be flexible, with a teacher’s schedule in mind.

Join A Network Of Mentors And Creators

SUNY New Paltz is a hub of the rich arts community in the Hudson Valley. Our Visual Arts Education students access that community as part of a cohort, finding opportunity with our partner organizations and schools, collaborating with faculty mentors in both studio practice and art education research, and building close, lasting relationships with peer practitioners.

Designed By Art Educators, For Art Educators

Completion of this degree qualifies teachers in New York State to receive full Professional Teaching Certification in Visual Art PreK – 12. Our curriculum is carefully constructed to serve our students’ interest in achieving rewarding, high-demand careers as educators, while sustaining their growth and nourishing their journeys as artists.

Program Information:

Andrea Kantrowitz, Graduate Program Coordinator [email protected] or (845) 257-3783

Admission Information:

Alana Matuszewski, Director of Graduate Admission [email protected] or (845) 257-3285

MSEd in Visual Arts Education Information Session

Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM This program is intended for artist-teachers interested in a dynamic, fully- online graduate program that offers personalized mentorship and flexibility for working professionals. Join us to learn how you can advance your artistic practice and expand your expertise in the education world. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Graduate Coordinator, Beth Thomas, and Graduate Admissions to get all their questions answered.

The M.S.Ed in Visual Arts Education program does not lead to Initial teaching certification for people with undergraduate degrees in art studio, art history, or other areas. Prospective students who have earned a bachelor's degree in these areas and who wish to become art teachers may apply as second-degree students to the undergraduate art education program.

As a prerequisite for admission, applicants must possess certification for Visual Art PreK - 12 from their respective state. Within New York State, completion of the degree qualifies students for Professional teaching certification in Visual Art PreK - 12 for those students currently working under Initial art teacher certification.

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• PDF CDFNY Summer Program Poster 2024

May 15, 2024

Exhibition in Long Island to showcase work by School of Art and Design MFA grads

Eight international artists who recently received MFAs from Alfred University will exhibit their work at Sculpture Space NYC-Center for Ceramic Arts beginning May 24.

The exhibition, titled “Ouroboros,” continues a four-year relationship between Alfred University’s School of Art and Design and Sculpture Space NYC - Center for Ceramic Arts. The Long Island City-based gallery has exhibited the work of Alfred University MFAs in efforts to highlight emerging global directions within the ceramics field.

The 2024 exhibition opens with a reception May 24 from 6 to 8 pm and extends through June 22.

“We are coming off an amazing season of Ceramic MFA thesis exhibitions in the School of Art and Design at Alfred University,” says Alfred University Associate Professor of Ceramic Art Matt Kelleher. “Ouroboros will highlight work from all eight of our 2024 graduates in one space. It's a wonderful opportunity for these recent graduates to show their work to an New York City audience.”

The artists:

Chelsea McMaster , a ceramics artist of Caribbean descent, completed her BA in Art at Millersville University, in Pennsylvania, in 2019 and her MFA in Ceramics from Alfred University in 2024. In 2023 she was awarded the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NYCECA) Graduate Student Fellowship and the American Ceramic Circle Research grant. McMaster makes work primarily using coil building and sculpting techniques with low-fire clay and traditional finishes. Her work seeks to find ways to represent her oral culture and traditions through the ceramic process.  

Daeun Lim , a ceramic artist/designer from South Korea, explores in her work the boundaries of functionality. She studied at Ewha Woman's University in Seoul, South Korea, before pursuing an MFA at Alfred University. Her art has been exhibited in Germany, China, South Korea, and the United States, and she has participated in residencies in US, Mexico and South Korea. She was also recognized as an emerging artist in Ceramics Monthly in 2021 Through her work, Daeun invites viewers to reconsider the traditional roles of objects and engage with them in new and unexpected ways through the question, “What can objects do?”

Joël Brodovsky-Adams , a queer ceramicist originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, employs wheel-thrown forms with highly patterned and decorated surfaces. Brodovsky-Adams took up ceramics in 2013 at a community studio called L’aluminé in Montreal, Quebec where he studied with ceramicists Marko Savard and Jennifer Wicks. He completed a post-bachelors studio certificate at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia prior to receiving his MFA in ceramics at Alfred University. He has several exhibition credits throughout Canada and abroad, including a group show at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario, and a group show at Thrown Contemporary in London, England. He was also the third prize recipient in the AX National Emerging Artist Exhibition in Sussex, New Brunswick.

Julien Tang , a Taiwanese visual artist who holds a BFA and an MA in Crafts and Design, focuses on figurative sculpture, infusing “happenings” into her work through glazing to create scenarios. She has been selected for the 2024 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, received the Second Award at the 41st Concurs International de Ceràmica de l’Alcora in Spain (2022), the Fifty Award in the 24th International Portrait Competition (2022), and was awarded a scholarship from the American Ceramic Circle.

Liz Vukelich apprenticed with Simon Levin at Mill Creek Pottery, assisted Liz Lurie and Peter Beasecker in Syracuse, NY, and worked at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. She creates ceramic sculpture for ritual, performance, and interaction. Her work has been exhibited locally and nationally. 

Spencer Cheek is a sculptor originally from Boston, MA., working primarily in ceramics. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Art from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a post-bachelor’s degree from The University of Colorado Boulder.

Emma Kaye is a ceramics artist and educator currently based in the Northeastern United States. She holds a BFA in Art History from Pratt Institute and an MFA in Ceramic Art from Alfred University. She has completed post baccalaureate studies in ceramics at Syracuse University and has been a sponsored participant at Penland and Arrowmont Schools of Craft. In 2019, she was the recipient of Ceramic Monthly's Emerging Artist Award. She has taught and run ceramics classes and workshops for adults and children through non-profits, public schools, and community spaces.

Gabriel John Poucher is a visual artist from northeast Ohio. His current work interrogates the meaning of nature in the anthropocene through a queer approach to ecological thought, and an investigation of ceramic material. He was a 2022 presenter and exhibitor at the Yuma Arts Symposium and has exhibited sculptural and functional ceramics nationally. He received his BFA in Crafts with a concentration in glass and ceramics from Kent State University in 2017.

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The Mind-Expanding Value of Arts Education

As funding for arts education declines worldwide, experts ponder what students — and the world at large — are losing in the process.

By Ginanne Brownell

This article is part of our special report on the Art for Tomorrow conference that was held in Florence, Italy.

Awuor Onguru says that if it were not for her continued exposure to arts education as a child, she never would have gotten into Yale University.

Growing up in a lower-middle-class family in Nairobi, Kenya, Ms. Onguru, now a 20-year-old junior majoring in English and French, started taking music lessons at the age of four. By 12, she was playing violin in the string quartet at her primary school, where every student was required to play an instrument. As a high school student on scholarship at the International School of Kenya, she was not only being taught Bach concertos, she also became part of Nairobi’s music scene, playing first violin in a number of local orchestras.

During her high school summer breaks, Ms. Onguru — who also has a strong interest in creative writing and poetry — went to the United States, attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts ’ creative writing camp, in Michigan, and the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio . Ms. Onguru, who recently returned to campus after helping organize Yale Glee Club’s spring tour in Kenya, hopes to become a journalist after graduation. She has already made progress toward that goal, serving as the opinion editor for the Yale Daily News, and getting her work published in Teen Vogue and the literary journal Menacing Hedge.

“Whether you’re in sports, whether you end up in STEM, whether you end up in government, seeing my peers — who had different interests in arts — not everyone wanted to be an artist,” she said in a video interview. “But they found places to express themselves, found places to be creative, found places to say things that they didn’t know how else to say them.”

Ms. Onguru’s path shows what a pivotal role arts education can play in a young person’s development. Yet, while the arts and culture space accounts for a significant amount of gross domestic product across the globe — in the United Kingdom in 2021, the arts contributed £109 billion to the economy , while in the U.S., it brought in over $1 trillion that year — arts education budgets in schools continue to get slashed. (In 2021, for instance, the spending on arts education in the U.K. came to an average of just £9.40 per pupil for the year .)

While experts have long espoused the idea that exposure to the arts plays a critical role in primary and secondary schooling, education systems globally have continually failed to hold it in high regard. As Eric Booth, a U.S.-based arts educator and a co-author of “Playing for Their Lives: The Global El Sistema Movement for Social Change Through Music,” said: “There are a whole lot of countries in the world that don’t have the arts in the school, it just isn’t a thing, and it never has been.”

That has led to the arts education trajectory heading in a “dark downward spiral,” said Jelena Trkulja, senior adviser for academic and cultural affairs at Qatar Museums , who moderated a panel entitled “When Arts Education is a Luxury: New Ecosystems” at the Art for Tomorrow conference in Florence, Italy, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation, with panels moderated by New York Times journalists.

Part of why that is happening, she said, is that societies still don’t have a sufficient and nuanced understanding of the benefits arts education can bring, in terms of young people’s development. “Arts education is still perceived as an add-on, rather than an essential field creating essential 21st-century skills that are defined as the four C’s of collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking,” Dr. Trkulja said in a video interview, “and those skills are being developed in arts education.”

Dennie Palmer Wolf, principal researcher at the U.S.-based arts research consultancy WolfBrown , agreed. “We have to learn to make a much broader argument about arts education,” she said. “It isn’t only playing the cello.”

It is largely through the arts that we as humans understand our own history, from a cave painting in Indonesia thought to be 45,000 years old to “The Tale of Genji,” a book that’s often called the world’s first novel , written by an 11th-century Japanese woman, Murasaki Shikibu; from the art of Michelangelo and Picasso to the music of Mozart and Miriam Makeba and Taylor Swift.

“The arts are one of the fundamental ways that we try to make sense of the world,” said Brian Kisida, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs and a co-director of the National Endowment for the Arts-sponsored Arts, Humanities & Civic Engagement Lab . “People use the arts to offer a critical perspective of their exploration of the human condition, and that’s what the root of education is in some ways.”

And yet, the arts don’t lend themselves well to hard data, something educators and policymakers need to justify classes in those disciplines in their budgets. “Arts is this visceral thing, this thing inside you, the collective moment of a crescendo,” said Heddy Lahmann , an assistant professor of international education at New York University, who is conducting a global study examining arts education in public schools for the Community Arts Network. “But it’s really hard to qualify what that is.”

Dr. Lahmann’s early research into the decrease in spending by public schools in arts education points to everything from the lack of trained teachers in the arts — partly because those educators are worried about their own job security — to the challenges of teaching arts remotely in the early days of the Covid pandemic. And, of course, standardized tests like the Program for International Student Assessment, which covers reading, math and science, where countries compete on outcomes. “There’s a race to get those indicators,” Dr. Lahmann said, “and arts don’t readily fit into that.” In part, that is because standardized tests don’t cover arts education .

“It’s that unattractive truth that what gets measured gets attended to,” said Mr. Booth, the arts educator who co-authored “Playing for Their Lives.”

While studies over the years have underscored the ways that arts education can lead to better student achievement — in the way that musical skills support literacy, say, and arts activities lead to improved vocabulary, what have traditionally been lacking are large-scale randomized control studies. But a recent research project done in 42 elementary and middle schools in Houston, which was co-directed by Dr. Kisida and Daniel H. Bowen, a professor who teaches education policy at Texas A&M, is the first of its kind to do just that. Their research found that students who had increased arts education experiences saw improvements in writing achievement, emotional and cognitive empathy, school engagement and higher education aspirations, while they had a lower incidence of disciplinary infractions.

As young people are now, more than ever, inundated with images on social media and businesses are increasingly using A.I., it has become even more relevant for students these days to learn how to think more critically and creatively. “Because what is required of us in this coming century is an imaginative capacity that goes far beyond what we have deliberately cultivated in the schooling environment over the last 25 years,” said Mariko Silver, the chief executive of the Henry Luce Foundation, “and that requires truly deep arts education for everyone.”

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Master of Arts Visual Arts Administration

Become a visual arts administrator.

Our Visual Arts Administration MA was the first in the nation to focus on visual arts management careers in both traditional and alternative contexts. This degree prepares you for leadership roles in a broad range of arts organizations. We take into account the cultural and economic impact of the visual arts, nationally and internationally, as well as the challenges facing the arts today.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

Master of Arts in Visual Arts Administration

Degree Overview

Your academic experience, careers and outcomes.

Our Visual Arts Administration MA addresses the whole art ecology, including:

 The cultural environment in which art and arts organizations operate

The role of the artist in society

How artwork is documented, presented, and interpreted

The structure and management of organizations that display artwork – both nonprofit and for-profit

The role of art theorists, critics, curators, and collectors

The degree curriculum considers how visual arts organizations expand knowledge and build audiences, the increasing role of art in urban development and public spaces, and new approaches and tools for encouraging access and participation. A strong emphasis is placed on acquiring theoretical and practical tools for fundraising, financial management, marketing, and knowledge of new media and technology in the visual arts. This degree is oriented toward both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors of the field.

Learn about the Visual Arts Administration faculty .

The MA takes advantage of our position in New York City to access a variety of arts organizations and professionals for case studies, focus groups, site visits and examples of theory applied to practice. You'll also have the opportunity to study abroad and observe exciting changes in the visual and performing arts in other countries.

You will take entry-level business courses at the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business and the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and fulfill internships with a range of sponsors, including galleries, museums, and other arts organizations. In addition to business and internship requirements, you will complete a substantial master’s thesis. 

Using the program's extensive internship component and alumni networks, you will have access to a wide range of individuals and organizations in the field and increase the depth of your understanding of the complexities of this challenging area.

Upon completion of our program, our graduates:

Demonstrate an understanding of the creative process, how art and artists function in society.

Analyze the economic, political and social environment in which artists and arts organizations operate, including legal, ethical and policy issues

Identify and evaluate how artwork is interpreted, presented, documented and archived.

Critique and compare the structure, operations and management of organizations that present or produce artwork on various scales.

Outline strategies for marketing, audience development, outreach, and community development in the arts.

Have acquired business skills in accounting, finance, organizational theory, and management, as well as arts-related media and technology.

Have developed an expansive and inclusive world view of the visual arts field that values different global perspectives, identities, concerns, and goals.

Program Head Sandra Lang on the MA Visual Arts Administration Program

Sandra Lang, Program Head and Clinical Associate Professor.

Art and Art Professions

Barney Building 34 Stuyvesant Street, New York, NY 10003 212-998-5700 [email protected]

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

National Endowment for the Arts awards more than $110m in grants to US organisations

Visual-art projects receiving support include a new agnes denes work in california, a duane linklater commission in new york and a public collaboration to help heal indigenous generational trauma in alaska.

Close-up of The Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum, which will receive an NEA grant to support an exhibition celebrating the beloved project's 60th anniversary Courtesy the Queens Museum

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced its second round of grants for fiscal year 2024. Totalling more than $110m, the grants fund everything from museums to dance companies, theatres, literary organisations, arts festivals, opera companies and music and art schools—representing all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands and Guam. The more than 800 individual grants range from $10,000 to $2.5m each, with the larger amounts going to state and regional cultural bodies and arts councils.

The Western States Arts Federation will receive the heftiest grant (more than $2.5m) to support its programming in 13 US states in addition to American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. The state of New York will receive both the largest number of grants—277, more than 200 of which will go to organisations within New York City’s five boroughs—and the greatest total amount (just over $11m).

The grant summaries reveal several interesting, yet-to-be-announced projects at museums throughout the US. Some of the most notable collaborations with individual artists are an upcoming “large-scale sculptural work” by Agnes Denes at the Desert Biennial in Palm Springs, California (receiving a $55,000 NEA grant); a new Duane Linklater commission at the Dia Art Foundation in New York ($50,000); an exhibition spanning two decades and more than 100 works by the Pakistani American artist Anila Quayyum Agha at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Western Pennsylvania ($45,000); a comprehensive survey of works by Jackie Winsor at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St Louis ($40,000); and a solo show by the Austrian Nigerian photographer David Uzochukwu at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Tennessee ($40,000).

The NEA will also fund museum-anniversary exhibitions, including one marking the 65th anniversary of Puerto Rico’s Museo de Arte de Ponce , home of Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June (1895), “the world’s most liked masterpiece” ($60,000 grant); and a celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum , complete with new site-specific works inspired by the famous miniature model of the Big Apple ($50,000).

Noteworthy public-art projects on the grant list include a Living Streets Alliance programme in Tucson, Arizona, of “traffic-calming interventions” ($90,000); a Chilkoot Indian Association collaborative project in Alaska to help heal generational trauma in the Tlingit community ($75,000); and an initiative by (Neo)Muralismos de México in St Paul, Minnesota, to work with the local community to create 10,000 alebrijes , vibrantly coloured traditional Mexican folk-art sculptures of mythical creatures ($30,000).

Arts industries contributed a record $1.1 trillion to the US economy in 2022

“These projects exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” the NEA’s chair, Maria Rosario Jackson, said in a statement. “So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and well-being, infrastructure and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design and this funding at the local, state and regional levels demonstrates the National Endowment for the Arts’ commitment to ensuring people across the country benefit.”

In January, the NEA announced 1,288 grants totalling more than $32m in its first round of funding for fiscal year 2024. In March, the annual Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account report revealed that the US’s arts and cultural industry generated a record $1.1 trillion in 2022 (4.3% of the country's GDP) and provided jobs to 5.2 million people.