NEW YORK STUDIO SCHOOL OF DRAWING PAINTING & SCULPTURE INC

The School also offers three year, full-time Certificate and Virtual Certificate programs, which mirror the MFA in their concentration on intensive studio work, but does not require the attendance at and completion of the Critical Studies courses, nor the completion of a thesis project. Students enrolled in the Certificate program (whether in-person or virtual) are, however, encouraged to attend the lunchtime and evening lectures and participate fully in discussions.

Certificate students work alongside MFA students in their respective ateliers. This close relationship between the two programs encourages a higher level of commitment, dedication and rigor for everyone involved.

The Certificate program is ideal for those students, regardless of age and skill level, who desire to further their understanding and artistic development within a program concentrated purely on studio practice.

The School's internationally recognized Marathons were developed in 1988 by Dean Graham Nickson to address the importance of drawing as the basis of understanding one's experience in the world. Virtual and In-Person Marathons are led by full-time faculty and distinguished visiting artists in two-week sessions three times a year, and Virtual Marathons are also offered as one-week Intersession Marathons twice a year. Taking place a minimum of eight hours daily, participants learn firsthand by engaging in the physical aspects of art-making and through the intellectual stimulation of group and individual critiques. Virtual Marathons enable artists from around the world to experience the rigorous exercises, profound insights, and deep connections from their own respective studios. The strong student works that emerge become catalysts for future creations, and the strategies imparted sustain artists beyond each Marathon’s conclusion.

The School's celebrated Evening Lecture Series, running for more than half a century, features lectures, panel discussions, and dialogues with distinguished artists, art historians, critics, and scholars. Each season includes 30-40 programs, providing a platform for discussion of a broad range of issues. The Series showcases internationally recognized artists and renowned scholars and curators, as well as emerging voices in the visual arts. On Tuesdays, artists lecture on their own practice. On Wednesdays, critics, curators, and historians present recent research, sharing insights into new publications, exhibitions, and other scholarship.

The Series, conducted via Zoom and YouTube since the onset of the pandemic, is free and open to all. There is generally a lively Q&A session at the conclusion of each program. Recordings are available on NYSS' YouTube channel, and the School is regularly uploading additional programs from its extensive Lecture Series archive to this channel.