For over 30 years, the Visual Arts Institute has provided high school students with an immersive space to explore their creativity and build essential skills in the visual arts.
Highlights from 2024
Grades 10–12
This four-week precollege program offers a unique opportunity for students who have completed their freshman year of high school to work with practicing artists in a variety of media at Purchase College.
Led by a team of accomplished instructors, the Visual Arts Institute consists of focused workshops designed to provide experience in techniques and materials in the major disciplines.
Explore drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media in this hands-on visual arts program for high school students. Build a strong foundation in observational drawing, experiment with new techniques, and develop your personal style in a supportive studio environment. Perfect for students preparing for art school or looking to grow as artists
Both new and returning students are welcome. The Institute culminates with an exhibition of student work for family members and invited guests.
Each day, students attend master workshops and electives:
Master Workshops
Observational Drawing and Painting
Become familiar with the materials, techniques and methods of drawing and painting. Sharpen perceptual skills and critical judgment while building towards a portfolio of work that reflects your personal voice.
Sculpture
Explore the process of creating art in three dimensions using various materials. Sculpture will introduce students to working and thinking dimensionally and exploring pure form, structure, armature, and scale.
2026 Electives
Figure Drawing
Use a variety of art materials, techniques, and artistic approaches to obtain the basic skill of drawing the human form and to gain experience drawing from live nude models.
Sculpture
Learn the technical competency needed to create two and three-dimensional art. Study a variety of methods and techniques will be explored, as well as skill building exercises
Typical Day
9:30am – 12:00pm
Master Workshops
Students are divided into groups that rotate to the two Master Workshops. Each session begins with warm up exercises and demos.
Studio Work Session will follow – each day will build upon the previous day’s materials and techniques to gradually explore a variety of artistic media.
12:00 – 1:00pm
Lunch
1:00 – 3:30pm
Electives
Students are divided into groups that rotate to each elective. Each session begins with warm up exercises and demos.
Figure Drawing: Lessons will include fundamental exercises in gestures, proportion, anatomy, portraiture, long poses, and more to obtain the basic skill of drawing the human form and to gain experience drawing from live nude models.
Sculpture - Details coming soon.
Studio Work Session will follow – each day will build upon the previous day’s materials and techniques to explore each discipline.
Friday mornings are devoted to joint activities such as trips to the Neuberger Museum of Art, portfolio reviews, guest artists*, and in the afternoon, free studio time to focus on special interests or complete projects for the final exhibition.
*if available
Program Details
YTH 9000 / Visual Arts Institute
Sessions I and II: ( 4 weeks) June 29 - July 24, 2026 Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 3:30 pm (20 sessions)
$2,200 for the first registration
$1,980 for the second registration in the family, Purchase College employees, and alumni, Broadview families, Pepsi employees and early registrations (paid in full by May 1, 2026)
Empire State Arts Scholarship Information
Institute Certificate
Students enrolled in the Visual Arts Institute who have attended at least 80% of the classes, are eligible for a certificate of completion which acknowledges the successful completion of prescribed coursework.
Instructors
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Instructor Sculpture
Interested in Undergraduate Fine Arts Programs at Purchase College?
Check out the BFA programs in painting and drawing, sculpture, interdisciplinary visual arts, graphic design, and printmaking in the School of Art+Design.
School of Art+Design Events - Information about portfolio reviews.