Ashley Jacobs
SURP 2015
At the New York Academy of Art, learning extends far beyond the studio. Through a collaborative community of artists, students build lasting connections, engage with New York City’s vibrant art world, and develop the skills, experience, and professional networks that prepare them for successful careers.
Two-year intensive graduate program
with concentrations in Painting,
Drawing, and Sculpture
Flexible part-time study for working
artists. Complete in 2-4 years at your own
pace
Intensive 5-week program for
undergraduates and recent graduates.
Earn 6 credits
Extracurriculars
As part of the visiting critics program, artists and critics from across the country visit the Academy weekly for individual critiques.
Notable Visiting Critics
The Academy hosts a robust speakers program, featuring some of the world’s most distinguished visual artists, scholars and critics.
The Academy’s clubs and organizations cover a range of activities. Students are encouraged to create and participate in organizations and activities that meet their specific needs and interests. Past clubs and organizations are listed below.
The club will meet once a week on Wednesday mornings in 501 for three hours during the summer term. It will focus on figure drawing through short poses ranging from one to twenty minutes. The sessions are open to everyone, including MFA, CFA, and SURP students, as well as faculty and staff. The goal is to create an inclusive, low-pressure space for regular drawing practice.
Join us for weekly gentle yoga and stretching, Wednesdays at 12:45pm in classroom 504. Eve Albrecht (CFA ‘26) will be guiding an open level yoga class for the NYAA community. Class will begin promptly at 12:45pm to allow for a well-rounded practice, focusing on breath, presence, and gentle movement. This is an all-levels class, beginners and experienced practitioners are all welcome! Please bring your own mat if you have one, and a towel/blanket/hoodie/cushion to sit on. There are a few mats available to borrow from Student Services.
Join the PRA to participate in a variety of printmaking projects throughout the semester including trade portfolios, collaborative prints, jumbo printmaking, print marathons and more. All levels of printmaking experience welcome!
PRA meeting dates Spring 2026:
Every other Thursday at 1:15pm. Jan 15 & 29, Feb.12 & 26, March 12 & 26, April 9 & 23
Join us for Clay Sketch Night! Tuesdays 6-9PM in GL1
Sculpt from a live model, or choose your own subject – like your shoes, a pet, or anything else. We’ll have water-based clay, essential tools, and snacks ready for you.
Please join us for a weekly live painting session focused on exploring different approaches to painting the human portrait from observation. This club will be a venue for NYAA students to practice alla prima, sight size, comparative measurement, and long form portrait painting using a variety of palettes and under various lighting conditions. There will be opportunities for students to give presentations about the painters they appreciate, to give demonstrations on their personal painting techniques and to learn how to drape and pose a model for a life size portrait project. We will also have demonstrations given by visiting artists and plan museum and gallery visits in the NYC area.
(anyone can join, please show up on time)
Sundays, 1-4PM in 501
Please join us for a weekly lunch time study group where we go over the key vocabulary and concepts found in the aesthetic, historical and compositional texts that are assigned in our respective NYAA classes.
There will be opportunities for students to share short presentations designed to help the members of theory club define terms and to better relate the assigned texts to our respective studio practices as we move through the trials of contemporary life. The goal is to help us to be better prepared to engage in critical conversation during our class discussions.
(anyone can join, please show up on time)
There will be snacks provided by NYAA for the club members.
Wednesdays, 1-2pm in 101
NYAA Movie Club will break up the monotony of the week with visual and narrative inspiration to fuel all your creative endeavors. We will look at classics, independent films, and short anthologies from different periods and backgrounds. Discussions are welcome but by no means necessary. Snacks will be provided!
Meeting Dates Spring 2026: Feb 13, Feb 27, Mar 13, Mar 27, April 10, April 24
Fridays at 12:30 PM
The Masterclass program invites prominent artists to the Academy to teach intensive weekend workshops. Masterclasses provide opportunities for intensive interaction with professional artists working in a variety of media and from a broad spectrum of cultural viewpoints.
Notable Masterclass Artists
Academy Facilities
The Academy provides dedicated studio spaces for full-time MFA students throughout their course of study and for full-time CFA students during their summer semester. Studios are organized to encourage dialogue across disciplines, with each floor also featuring exhibition space for student work. Gallerists, collectors, faculty, and visiting critics regularly tour the studios for informal visits and formal critiques.
Well-lit classrooms are located throughout the building, including large studio classrooms on the fifth floor and sculpture classrooms on the Garden Level. Administrative offices are situated near classrooms and studios to encourage close engagement between students and senior staff.
Room 201 is a shared second-floor workspace for oversized works and large-scale projects.
GL3 is a communal sculpture studio on the Garden Level for work in clay, marble, and plaster casting, equipped with HEPA air filtration units and downdraft tables.
The kiln room and woodshop, both located on the Garden Level, are managed by the Studio Manager, who oversees access and reservations.
The Printshop is located on the third floor and is managed by the Studio Manager. The shop is equipped with two etching presses, two lithography presses and a full stone library.
The main floor of 105 Franklin houses the Academy Library, specimen collection, and anatomy collection.
The Academy Library provides written, visual, and electronic resources supporting the intellectual and creative needs of the Academy community. Its specialized collections and services support technical study, critical exploration, and lifelong artistic growth, with holdings focused on the visual arts and the CFA and MFA curricula.
New York City is Our Campus
Weekly updates on available housing and studio opportunities for Academy students and alumni are distributed through a weekly newsletter.
Below is a list of neighborhoods outside of Manhattan that are generally safe and offer a reasonable commute to the Academy (approximately 45 minutes or less):
Brooklyn: Park Slope, Bay Ridge, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Carroll Gardens, Crown Heights, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg.
Queens: Astoria, Flushing, Forest Hills, Long Island City, Rego Park, Ridgewood and Woodside.
New Jersey: Hoboken and Jersey City.
Manhattan: Alphabet City, Lower East Side, Chinatown and Two Bridges.
Rooms and Apartments
NYC Housing Residences
US Citizens and Green Card holders may be eligible for New York City Benefits: SNAP Food Stamps, Fair Fares, Cash Assistance, Medicaid or the New York State’s Essential Healthcare and more! International Students (F-1 visa holders) are only eligible for the Fair Fares program and the New York State’s Essential Healthcare.
Please refer to our New York City Benefits Guide.
Additional Benefits
Energy Affordability Program: You may qualify for a discount on your monthly energy bill if you receive benefits through certain government assistance programs. More information and applications are available HERE.
IDNYC: Apply for an IDNYC Card to access hundreds of free and discounted opportunities all over the city! You can schedule an appointment through IDNYC’s Online Portal to apply for an IDNYC in person.
Culture Pass: Explore local museums and attractions with Culture Pass! If you have a library card from the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, or New York Public Library (serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), you can reserve free passes to 100+ cultural institutions across NYC. View Partner Organizations and reserve a Pass HERE.
Program Eyeglass Voucher: New Eyes purchases new prescription eyeglasses for low-income individuals in the U.S. through a voucher program. More information is available HERE.
NJ Transit Student Pass: If you reside in New Jersey and commute via NJ Transit, Academy students are eligible for a 25% discount on monthly rail passes!
Preparatory Programs
The Professional Practice program prepares students for the realities of postgraduate life by developing skills needed to navigate the professional world. Among topics discussed are: practical and legal issues faced by independent artists; grant and residency applications; and career opportunities in galleries, museums and higher education.
Continuing Studies Teaching Assistant Program: Currently enrolled graduate students in the MFA program may apply to be teaching assistants for continuing studies classes.
Off-site Teaching Assistant Program: Currently enrolled graduate students in the MFA program may apply to be teaching assistants at local area colleges.
The Alumni Teaching Assistant Program: Provides Academy alumni with the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience at the graduate level in the CFA and MFA Programs. In turn, Academy instructors are provided with a teaching assistant to support the tutorial component of the curriculum and the operations of the classroom.
The SURP Postgraduate Teaching Program provides rising second years with valuable teaching assistantships and recently graduated students with adjunct faculty positions in the Summer Undergraduate Residency Program (SURP). Additionally, the program provides successful applicants with a significant CV credential, knowledge of syllabus and lesson plan development, and the opportunity to document a body of student work for future pedagogical applications.
The SURP Administrative Internship offers one graduating Academy student the opportunity to gain experience in arts administration while supporting the Summer Undergraduate Residency Program (SURP). The intern assists with program coordination, student support, and events while gaining professional experience in arts education administration.
The New York Academy of Art offers a range of artist residencies and fellowships for students and alumni, from stone carving in Carrara, Italy to a pastoral retreat in the Hudson Valley.
Each year, the Academy selects three outstanding graduates to serve as postgraduate fellows as part of the Chubb Postgraduate Fellowship.
The Academy offers a variety of resources to support students throughout their graduate education. This section includes information on housing, immunization, local museums and cultural institutions, our neighborhood resources, and more.
Tuition is the same for in-state, out-of-state, and international students. View tuition and fees for MFA, CFA, and SURP, along with payment deadlines.
