FOUNDERS COLLEGE ANNOUNCES FINE ARTS DEGREE PROGRAM

Joint venture will create first of its kind “classical” BFA program


SOUTH BOSTON - You've heard about back-to-basics in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now the trend moves to college level education in fine art, with the announcement of a new joint program between Founders College and the Academy of Realist Art (ARA), a private institution located in Toronto, Canada, that teaches drawing and painting in the old master tradition.
The Studio program in drawing and painting, taught at the Academy of Realist Art (ARA) for the past decade, will now integrate with core-curriculum liberal arts courses from Founders College, to create the first "classical" BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degree program. Founders College will grant the BFA degree to art students enrolled at either location, on completion of both the ARA curriculum and required liberal-arts courses from the Founders catalogue.
“The partnership with ARA enables Founders to provide a very unique offering to students,” said Tamara Fuller, Founders College Chairman and CEO. “The BFA program at Founders returns the fine art curriculum to its roots and introduces a richer and more ambitious learning experience for students of all ages and experience levels.” Historically, instruction in drawing and painting shifted away from fundamentals such as accurate proportion, shape, and tone, as had been taught from the Renaissance to the 19th century Academies by the middle of the 20th century, and instead emphasized unstructured creativity and expressiveness.  Although there have always been a few 'classical' art schools, the majority of college fine arts programs forego the fundamentals taught at the private art schools called ateliers or academies. ARA is the largest classical atelier/academy in North America, and one of the world’s largest. In the past, graduates have received diplomas, but no degrees. "We searched long and hard to find the right fit in an art school for our daughter, before we settled on ARA in Toronto. It’s wonderful news that this great training will also be available in the U.S. on a campus where there are horses, which she loves" said Penne Ard, mother of ARA student Nike Ard, a home schooled student from Florida.
The BFA program is not only attractive to typical college-aged students, but also those looking to go back to school. Retirement-age  musician/composer/painter Donald Coakley intends to enroll because, as he puts it, "Those letters (BFA) will vindicate my ten years of work mastering this craft, making it clear to all that it's no simple hobby." Applications are being accepted for September 2007 enrollment. Students may choose between the Academy location in Toronto (an artists' Studio atmosphere, where academic courses will be delivered by Distance Learning) and the Founders College location in Virginia, where both programs will be delivered live in the beautiful landscape of the South Boston, Halifax County campus.

For more information about Founders please call 434.517.7051 or visit www.founderscollege.com. For more information about the Academy of Realist Art (ARA), please visit http://www.AcademyofRealistArt.com.