Full-Time Program
The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts is a nonprofit studio school devoted to re-establishing the high standards of traditional craft in drawing and painting. It is open to all who qualify regardless of race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. We are looking for serious students who have as their goal the career of a professional painter.
Enrollment in the four-year, full-time apprentice program is limited to twenty students. The tuition for 2023-2024 is $9,450, which includes daily instruction Monday through Friday during the academic year, figure drawing every morning, and dedicated private studio space. All instruction is individualized, one on one, by Director Cyd Wicker, Assistant Director Laura Tundel, and instructors Christine Mitzuk, Andy Sjodin, and Kenneth Schweiger. Students must commit to the 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-through-Friday schedule. The morning hours are devoted to drawing and painting from live models. The afternoon curriculum is tailored for each student according to their level of proficiency. Generally, a student's training follows this outline:
All levels: Figure drawing and painting every morning
First year: Cast drawing and painting
Second year: Still-life painting
Third year: Portraiture and still-life painting
Fourth year: Portraiture and interior
Optional fifth year: Interior and imaginative painting
Composition, memory drawing, color theory, and anatomy are also presented to all students with a series of exercises. Upon completion of a four-year course of study, the student has a foundation of knowledge and experience to pursue a career as a professional painter.
by Laura Tundel
Oil on canvas, 44 x 34 inches
The philosophy and course study are outlined in the booklet “On the Training of Painters - Notes on the Atelier Program” by Richard Lack. If you wish to receive this booklet, please either order online below or mail $22.00 with your request and your address to The Atelier. If you would like further information, please also sign up for our mailing list or join the Friends of The Atelier.
Application
We are currently accepting interviews for the full-time program.
If you are interested in admission to the full-time program, we require a portfolio review. Please submit digital images, slides or photographs of your work, both drawings and paintings. Do not send original artwork. We do not look for professional quality work but rather for selected samples of your best efforts. Include a letter summarizing your educational background since high school, and brief comments about your ambition in art, favorite painters, and any other information you feel would be pertinent. Your slides and photographs will be returned.
Before a student is accepted, we require a personal interview here in Minneapolis. This will give you an opportunity to see firsthand what we are doing, and will give us a chance to get acquainted with you for a final evaluation. We are taking applications all year and set up interviews as convenient.
Apply to the full-time program nowScholarships, Grants and Competitions
There are several opportunities for tuition assistance for the full-time program.
Art Renewal Center (ARC) Scholarship
As The Atelier is an ARC-Approved School, students attending the full-time program are eligible to to enter the Art Renewal Center's annual scholarship competition. The ARC awards $30,000 per year to new and continuing atelier students.
Learn moreArt Renewal Center (ARC) Salon Competition
The International ARC Salon offers over $100,000 in cash awards and International recognition through partnerships with prestigious magazines, galleries, museum exhibitions, and a strong online presence.
Learn moreThe Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation is a Canadian foundation that provides financial grants to art students and artists from around the world in the early or developmental stage of their career. The Foundation focuses solely on those who work in a representational style of painting, drawing, sculpture or printmaking and who are committed to making the practice of their art a lifetime career. Grants are intended to assist applicants in the study or practice of their art, and the costs associated therewith, such as tuition, studio rental, model fees, travel and living expenses.
First grants are in the amount of CAD $15,000 each. Subsequent grants are in the amount of CAD $18,000 each. Grantees may not receive more than three grants in their lifetime. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submitting their application. The Foundation welcomes applications throughout the year; there is no deadline for filing an application.
Learn moreThe John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund
The purpose of the Scholarship is to foster high standard in the study of form, color, drawing, painting, design, and technique, as these are expressed in modes showing patent affinity with the classical tradition of Western culture.
This scholarship is open to United States citizens only, both men and women, single or married, irrespective of race, creed, or color. The age limit is between 18 and 35 years. Award amounts vary annually and range from $500 to $5,000 per recipient. At the discretion of the Committee, these may be awarded in quarterly installments.
Learn more