After
Graduation
Preparing to Work as a Professional Artist
Most students who come to the Florence Academy intend to work professionally as painters or sculptors in the figurative tradition. We understand the challenges of this choice, and place great importance on bringing visibility to the artwork they produce. To support the professional careers of our graduates, we have created several opportunities.
Alumni Gallery
Each graduate is given a page in the Alumni Gallery on the FAA website with contact information and 5 or 6 images of artwork that are updated semi-annually.
Alumni Exhibitions
The Florence Academy of Art has organized exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. The Alumni Exhibition has taken place in London, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Gothenburg, and Dresden. Group shows of Florence Academy alumni take place regularly throughout the year at major American and European galleries including Ann Long Fine Art, Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, Grenning Gallery, Patterson Gallery, Galerie Michael and Mana Contemporary, to name a few. Between 2005 – 2012, seven alumni exhibitions were held in Florence at the stables of the Corsini family home. More than 80 graduates participated during each exhibition with over 100 drawings, paintings and sculptures each time. In recent years, we have used the campus galleries for in-person shows, and our website for online exhibitions. These reach our substantial social media following around the world. The purpose of these exhibitions is to promote the work of the Academy’s advanced students and graduates to galleries and patrons, and, at the same time, to expand public appreciation for Realist art.
Using Classical Training outside the Fine Arts
Even though our program is composed mainly of students who intend to become fine arts painters or sculptors, a number will apply their acquired skills to other disciplines: digital animation, movie productions, medical illustration, restoration, and more.
Did you know?
Our graduates bring great art to the world. Here is what we know about them:
FAA Teachers: 100%
Teachers at The Florence Academy of Art are graduates of its Painting and Sculpture programs. We begin forming our teachers by selecting our most talented students to become assistant instructors. Eventually, they can advance to become principal instructors and program directors.
Working artists: 78%
We count 493 graduates who either 1) have had solo exhibitions or appear regularly in group shows in galleries, international salons, and art fairs, 2) have participated in and placed in and/or won art competitions like the Portrait Society of America’s Annual Competition, the National Sculpture Society, the British Portrait Prize, the A.M. Travelling Grant (Australia) and Art Renewal Center International Salon; 3) appear in art publications like Fine Art Connoisseur, and International Artist; 4) have formal gallery representation, 5) paint almost exclusively on commission.
Teaching: 32%
There are a recorded 148 graduates who are currently teaching the methodology they learned at The Florence Academy of Art in a variety of academic settings: 58 have started their own atelier style schools; a number are employed by NASAD accredited institutions; 30 are employed by The Florence Academy of Art as program directors or principal instructors.
