Bridgeview School of Fine Arts in New York

[lena murray]

I am somewhat biased because I am a founder and an alumni of this school. I founded it in 2001 with a bunch of classically-trained Russian artists who ended up in New York City. I've been studying myself on and off at Bridgeview for 5 or so years, did sculpture, drawing and painting. I ended up going to the Repin Academy in Russia for a year afterwards. Bridgeview has helped me a great deal. I particularly recommend my own teacher at Bridgeview Samuel Kudish, an amazing man, 80 years old, superbly trained at the Russian academies in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the 40s and 50s.

Our website is www.academicart.com but here are a few pictures of Samuel Kudish's work (the self portrait in oil, the apples in oil. The rest is student work.

Our winter session is starting January 5.

[Maxine Schacker]

Thanks for the post. Are the paintings shown true to the actual colors?

[lena murray]

I guess they are true, since they are not adjusted on the computer, but each monitor is different, so you always have some color distortion.

[lena murray]

The student work displayed here is by former students of Samuel Kudish including myself, Lena Murray, John Murray, Ilya Mirochnik, Katya Kuznetsova and Tim Dose. The first two paintings (a self portrait and still life with apples) are by Samuel Kudish during his academic years in the Soviet Union.

[Maxine Schacker]

I'm originally a New Yorker (Brooklyn, to be precise, but I worked for awhile in LIC!). I've been in Toronto since the 70's, and am a founder of Max the Mutt. We too are blessed with many instructors from eastern block countries, especially Russia and the former Yugoslavia. If you have the time, take a look at our website...and welcome to conceptart.org! You'll find many talented young people here doing extraordinarily well teaching themselves to paint.

Midgaard Serpent and Pancho Simpson come to mind immediately. Do take a look at their work. Your input will be greatly appreciated by them, I'm sure.

PS Happy new year!

[lena murray]

maxine, can you post the links to these guys please, Midgaard Serpent and Pancho Simpson, I could not find their work on your site.

[lena murray]

These are some classroom photos including Samuel Kudish teaching a portrait class, students at work and the area of Long Island City near the school.

[lena murray]

here is a link to our new video featuring college portfolio program for kids, take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DvnaeQ5TxY

[panchosimpson]

Hi Ms. Murray,

I thought I'd chime in, since Maxine was kind enough to mention my work :) Your student's work is very impressive, I've been following the development of your school for about a year now, particularly because of my interest in Russian impressionism and because I'm friends with Tim Dose. If I lived anywhere near NY I would definitely drop by your school!

Best,

Ramon

Ps. If you are interested in taking a look at my thread it's at
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=91471

there's some really old stuff in the first pages though :)

Midgard serpent's stuff is here
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83867

[Maxine Schacker]

Pancho, I hadn't been to this thread over the holidays...so thanks for providing Lena with the threads.

[lena murray]

Pancho, I looked at your threads, really good work, you've progressed so much and so quickly. And I realize Tim has been giving you some pointers. Do you study on your own just by copying or do you study with instructors? Also, your structured figure studies are very impressive. Do you use Bridgeman as your reference for the construction or is it from any other book?

[panchosimpson]

Thank you Ms. Murray, I really appreciate your feedback :) I've studied composition and structural drawing with Karl Gnass, Glenn Vilppu and one of his best students, Will Weston (who also worked at Disney). I use different sources for construction, but it largely comes from Glenn, and from studying Bridgman (also Glenn's teacher studied with Bridgman).

I study painting on my own, although I get critiques from my instructors when possible. I also am unbelievably fortunate in that I've received helpful critiques from mature painters like Maxine, and Alexey Steele, a Surikov grad. I'm going to start my first painting class in about a week's time, so I'm really excited :)

Thanks again for the feedback!

-Ramon

[lena murray]

I like how you copy old master works somewhat deconstructing them. Titian's young boy at the National gallery is also one of my favorites and you did a good job with it (a little bit of the scull is missing though). Most people (myself included) fall into that trap sometimes, copy the superficial stuff, which is on top of very strong plastic idea, that a great old master always has. You seem to be successful avoiding it, same with your life drawing. In Russia, we studied with Professor Zaitsev (Tim did too), very briefly. He is a major artist with works in the Russian museum who in the 60s and 70s even created his own movement called the Hermitage group, where they deconstructed the Old Master paintings from the Hermitage trying to find the formal compositional ideas behind the paintings, the S-curves, pyramides and etc, much more complicated though. If I ever have some time, I will post a few pictures from Zaitsev's book. Of course, there is always a problem of limiting yourself to construction and robotics, and there is always a golden medium between construction and fluid organic form, so we always have to be conscious of this. I've seen extremes on both sides. In the States, it's usually the photographic extreme, no structure, just "shadow shapes". So, I am glad you've found the teachers who understand this problem and take you into the right direction. I will look up them online as well.

[lena murray]

A few of us at Bridgeview (instructors and former students) got together and painted from the figure, here is a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNQpSNuRwk&feature=player_embedded

[lena murray]

Photos of the paintings done during the 8 days workshop. The paintings are done by Bridgeview alumni and one of the instructors.

[lena murray]

Recommended to both sculptors and painters.
April 26 - 30. 9.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m.
Tuition $475 (model fee included)
Bridgeview studios are located in New York City

"I invent nothing, I rediscover." (August Rodin)

"There are unknown forces in nature; when we give ourselves wholly to her, without reserve, she lends them to us" (August Rodin).

If you are like most artists, you might struggle with many issues trying to express what you see, and most important, what you feel about what you see.

This workshop may not solve all your artistic problems, but it will definitely teach you a great deal of things that you either don't know or need to be reminded of.

Working under the guidance of an outstanding artist and sculptor Tatyana Zhurkov, you will proceed step by step in sculpting a portrait from a live model. While still working in a school environment focusing on proportions, anatomy, structure and movement, the goal is to make an artistic piece, something that expresses how you see and interpret nature.

The Russian tradition is rooted in the methodologies going back to the Greek, Roman and French 19th century sculpture. We are honored to have Tatiana Zhurkov teach this class. Tatiana is an internationally known artist, who received her classical education in Russia. Her work is included in the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

[lena murray]

The plaster head in the previous post is by August Rodin. And more information about the school can be found at www.academicart.com

To see work from previous similar workshops visit www.academicart.com/larisaworkshop.htm

[jfmenna]

IMHO this is some of the best possible training one could get short of actually going to Russia itself. This school is fantastic, Lena is incredibly professional and helpful, and the staff artists are among the best practitioners in the world.

I'm biased, too as I am on the founding board but having experienced the New York Academy, the Pennsylvannia Academy, the Art Students' League, and other top institutions in this country NOTHING compared to my time studying with Russian Artists whether State-side or in Russia, itself.

This is just my experience and opinion, but people here might really dig this.

[lena murray]

Thanks for such a glowing recommendation!

[lena murray]

If you are in New York area, hope you decide to study at Bridgeview. Our Spring Semester begins April 5 and ends June 27. We are only one subway stop from Manhattan in a hip and upcoming area of Long Island City, Queens.

We have a variety of classes, but in a nutshell the schedule is like this

Tuesday and Thursday evenings with Samuel Kudish. Drawing and Painting. Some work from still life and casts, some from a live model depending on your level. $520 for the semester, model fees included. Recommended to all levels, also excellent class for college portfolio.

Tuesday mornings 10.30 - 1.30 p.m. Academic Drawing/Painting. Still life and Portrait. Instructor Polina Osnachuk. Aside from alla prima painting, old master techniques are also taught. 12 sessions, $380 per semester.

Saturday afternoons 2.30 - 5.30 p.m. with Tatyana Zhurkov. Tatyana is a major Russian-trained artist whose work is in the Smithsonian, and the Hermitage among other museums. This is a portfolio class, where students can do Drawing and Painting from Still life or Sculpture from a live model. 12 sessions, $420 per semester.

Friday evenings we have a class at the Metropolitan Museum. Drawing at the Met with Tatyana Zhurkov. 8 sessions, $290 per semester.

For more information visit our website at www.academicart.com or www.academicart.com/openprogram.htm

[lena murray]

Here is a video from a recent 5 days intensive Sculpture Workshop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Vr0je-LQo

[lena murray]

Winter Session is starting January 3. We are expanding our College Portfolio program, getting some really good results. One girl was accepted to Cornell to study architecture, almost two thirds of costs were covered by a merit scholarship. Check out this page www.academicart.com/college.htm

[lena murray]

Here is work by very much beginner students, mostly high school kids done last semester at Bridgeview for college portfolio.

[lena murray]

We have two different classes, that might help one prepare a strong portfolio for getting some serious scholarships.

Class I. Drawing and Painting from Observation. Still Life, Portrait, Figure.
This previous post shows work from last semester done by high school kids in this class.

Class II. Personal Project. Conceptual Approach.
This is a new class which we will be starting this Winter Semester. Basically you develop a series of works in any media based on a theme. You work mostly at home, but have the teacher critique the work. In class you attend lectures on contemporary art by instructor, visiting contemporary artists and etc. Field trips to artists' studios and New York City museums are also part of this course.

here is a link that fully describes both courses www.academicart.com/college.htm

[setsuna801]

I would like to have a % if possible of how many student get work in fineart or entertainement after taking the workshops here. Do you here from them after a year or 2?

I like the sculpture in the gallery the big one, who is the artist?


I wanted to know on average what are the cost for material for a full year


how is the schedule like when taking sculpture+drawing for the certificate program? and how will be the price

Up to how many hours can you stay in studio to work?

I am coming from an illustration back ground so I am looking for skills to work in the illustration field and really want to get into fine arts.

Thanks those are my questions for now.

[lena murray]

I don't know percentage numbers, but here is a page devoted to just a few of our alumni http://www.academicart.com/alum.htm

About our alumni.

Some are still in college (BFA or MFA) and some have already graduated. Our school is only 10 years old though, so not everyone has . But, not being a college we work with two groups of people. One is the youth who want to prepare for college and another is people who already graduated college, but want to improve their skills since many colleges do not really teach classical way of drawing and painting.

I am in touch with some of our students. Many work in the area of illustration or graphic design, some went into fashion, and some into fine arts. Quite a few are teaching.

The big sculpture is by Mike Brooks. He studied at Bridgeview for about 3 years. He now lives in Colorado.

As far as using the studio. We charge $75 per semester (three months) for using the studio. You can use the studio as much as you want provided there is no class there.

[setsuna801]

thanks for the answer

[setsuna801]

This an important question to me, because I juge weather I want to attend or not depending if I really like the student work

I wanted to know in what year 1 one or third were those drawing done

http://www.academicart.com/drawings.htm

I especially want to know if the drawings by ILLya were done during is time at bridgview,

same for the painting Jon SOndow
http://www.academicart.com/drawing.htm



and in the sculpture section I suppose its all 3rd year right ?


But then again I do understand the school is 10 years old and the stuff I do like and I know I would learn a lot especially starting from my level

http://jeffry801.blogspot.com


Another question that is very important to me.

Is I like to do sculpture also, If I want to combine sculpture and drawing how is it going to change the montly or yearly price? Because by doing sculpture it is going to be per class per credit price right? and it probably means 3hours drawing and 3 hours of sculpture on a same day for 5 days a week.


3rd question what is the difference between 1st 2nd and 3rd year of the certificate program? in term of what the student learn?
drawing and painting same time? ro drawing firt
Head first year, secound year full figure? third year composition and multi figure?

My goal is to go in the fineart industry or the illustration industry after the atelier, I am now getting an illustration diploma so I already have the connection, buseness side of things and the tools, I am missing the skills. Is this a school for me ?

Thanks

[lena murray]

Setsuna,

I am sorry, but I can't answer all your questions regarding each piece of work that is online. Unless it states under the piece that it was done by our alumni students at the Repin Academy, it means that it is done at Bridgeview. As far as the first or second or third year, it does not work like that. We had some students who came with BFA degrees (someone like Tim Dose) to Bridgeview, so their first year work was probably much better than someone who just came out of high school.

But, the work shown here by high school students www.academicart.com/blog.htm is what you would probably see a compleat beginner do during his first semesters at Bridgeview.

As far as sculpture, currently we only offer intensive workshops which any of our students can take.

[lena murray]

Figure Drawing in the Russian academic tradition.
Instructor Harout Simonian
March 21-25
Tuition $475 (model fee included)

This intensive one week course will emphasize a process-based approach to development of figure drawing, including analysis of anatomy, form, construction, and perspective. Professional models will present a series of long and short poses specifically designed to challenge intuitive, analytical and investigative observational drawing processes. Using a variety of drawing materials this course will address traditional and experimental techniques, enabling one to challenge his or her artistic abilities. This figure drawing course will encourage students to examine their current approach to drawing and continue to develop individual personal style. This workshop is suitable for intermediate and advanced students.

Workshop meets 10.00 a.m.- 3.00 p.m, Monday through Friday.
Tuition is $475 for 5 days of drawing (model fee included).

The structural diagrams by Russian professor Kurkov demonstrate the traditional way of teaching that will be used in this workshop. While looking at a live model, the instructor will give similar demonstrations in order to explain the figure.

Harout Simonian trained as a sculptor in Armenia, a former Soviet republic. He has a strong understanding of three-dimensional form. He graduated with honors from the Art Academy in Erevan, Armenia.

[lena murray]

New painting from Ilya Mirochnik, Bridgeview alumni, who now is in his 4th year at the Repin Academy in Russia.

[lena murray]

The female figure is by Jim Sondow and the male by Ilya Mirochnik, both now studying at the Repin Academy in Russia.

[lena murray]

Tonns of great references from the Old Masters (figure, anatomy, landscape, portrait drawing and painting) have been made available by me on Facebook. Special emphasis on Russian artists. Join it by clicking the like button and you will get updates on new postings. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10150105778125603#!/pages/Artists-to-Learn-from/143770632347726