15 Jan 2020

Centuries of knowledge to be shared online by faculty and graduates of Europe's top representational art academy

The Florence Academy of Art opens new online resource revealing practices and philosophies of contemporary figurative artists trained at the FAA

Much of the practical knowledge used to train the great figurative painters and sculptors throughout art history would have been lost if it were not for the research of Founder, Daniel Graves, and his colleagues at The Florence Academy of Art. Now, the Florence Academy has opened its doors to the world to offer a view into the lives and practices of its professional artists through a Patreon page called 'The FAA Collective'. 'The FAA Collective' is a new source for thoughtful, artistic and educational videos, filmed inside the school or artist's studio, that feature Graves and Florence Academy Faculty and Alumni, Art History Lectures filmed at the Florence campus, and behind the scenes photography. These videos will bring the viewer into the Florence Academy's community.

The Florence Academy's programme is based on 19th century French academic training, focusing on drawing, painting and sculpting from life. The rigorous three-year curriculum that includes studies from live models and plaster casts under natural north light, and appeals to those seeking to create art founded on technical mastery. These students aspire to be figurative or representational artists, for which Florence is the new epicentre.

Daniel Graves spent decades searching for the shards of a lost tradition in painting and sculpture. Over the years, he put them back together to form The Florence Academy of Art's curriculum. Its many talented graduates, who became the academy's faculty, contributed to the evolution of the FAA's teaching method by demystifying the practice of making art so that as many students as possible could learn the craft of painting and sculpture. Technology through digital formats creates a global platform for witnessing all the elements that go into making art from life, and increasing appreciation for figurative painting and sculpture amongst a larger number of people than ever before.

The FAA Collective is intended to both educate and inspire students, artists, patrons and viewers around the world by allowing them to get behind the scenes of The Florence Academy of Art, interact with the artists of The FAA Collective, and see their work in creation. Proceeds will go towards funding international scholarships, artists residencies, and more.

Patreon subscriptions range from €3 to €1500 a month and will include special edition fine art prints and VIP events for the top tier subscribers. Sign up at www.patreon.com/thefaacollective.

About The Florence Academy of Art

The Florence Academy of Art was founded in 1991 by Daniel Graves to provide the highest possible level of instruction in classical drawing, painting and sculpture. We aim for our students to acquire the technical skills needed to develop a visual language, and, ultimately, create a work that is both personal and universally relevant. Students who apply to The Florence Academy of Art seek the language of Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Bernini, Velazquez, Van Dyck, Sargent, and the tools to convey their ideas with confidence through the oil or clay mediums. A common visual aesthetic draws them to the classical world (and its renaissance in Florence) to build an artistic vocabulary where beauty and humanity are intrinsic to art. Applicants vary widely in nationality, age, educational background, and artistic experience: 155 full time students come from 39 different countries; 20% is between 18-20 years of age, 47% in their twenties, 19% in their thirties, and 14% over forty. Of those in their twenties and beyond, 60% have had some higher education, and 43% have earned a higher degree (BA, BFA, or MFA.) Contact information is kept for 900 students who have attended the full time program for at least one trimester, of which, 155 are currently enrolled, and 447 are graduates, that is students who have completed the full three year program of study; of these, 74.5% are currently pursuing careers as professional artists. Each year, this number grows by at least twenty new graduates who complete the three-year curriculum and enter the art market. The academy - which has campuses in Italy, America and Sweden - has been seminal in reviving and building on the techniques, methods and philosophies employed by artists for centuries. The school tracks its graduates' success on social media. The academy's own followers on Instagram are 225,000 (@florenceacademyofart).