ABOUT US

ÀNI Art Academies is a non-profit organization that provides an intensive, skill-based, multi-year art education to aspiring artists around the world. Utilizing the highly successful training system developed by artist Anthony J. Waichulis, the ÀNI Art Academies’ Program is designed to foster creative freedom with practices that yield significant development in the areas of visual literacy and communication. A collaborative project conceived and founded by Tim Reynolds, ÀNI Art Academies empowers students to create, express, and communicate in new and exciting ways. In the beginning, each creative is limited by a lack of skill– however, in the end, they are bound only by their imagination.

Since 1998, Anthony Waichulis has been training artists responsible for some of the most breathtaking realist drawings and paintings of today. Works by Waichulis apprentices continue to be lauded by critics and collectors alike. Their endeavors populate the walls of prestigious galleries throughout the US, appear regularly in top national publications, and receive numerous accolades and awards. In 2010, The Waichulis Studio was approached by a newly forming entity with aspirations for an educational effort on a global scale. This new entity, the ÀNI Art Academies, was the brainchild of Mr. Tim Reynolds, co-founder of a thriving Wall Street trading firm, passionate artist, patron of the arts, and founder of The Tim Reynolds Foundation. Mr. Reynolds felt that placing some of the strongest artistic training into the hands of many aspiring artists around the world would give rise to a generation of creatives capable of contributing exciting new ideas, sharing robust cultures, and engaging in expression, connection, and communication on a grand scale.

The name ‘ÀNI‘ was chosen to represent this massive undertaking as it is a play on the Swahili word ‘Andjani,’ meaning the “road” or the “path ahead.” With Mr. Reynold’s inspiring vision in place, The Waichulis Studio merged with The ÀNI Art Academies project to create a new entity with far more resources and opportunities for aspiring artists today, The ÀNI Art Academy Waichulis. Today, ÀNI Art Academies is proud to offer this program in its entirety to new generations of emerging artists around the globe. Sponsored by the luxurious ÀNI Private Resorts and the Tim Reynolds Foundation, full-tuition scholarships and financial aid are given to every student so that they may concentrate on their education. We are fully funded and committed to the goals of our mission; as such, we do not currently accept donations or government contributions. The only thing that we ask in return from our students is that they share this kindness along their journey.

2012 marked the opening of the second ÀNI Art Academies on the Caribbean island of Anguilla (ÀNI Art Academies Anguilla). In Fall 2013, a third academy officially opened its doors in the Dominican Republic (ÀNI Art Academies Dominicana), followed soon after by a second school on the Dominicana campus. September 2015 celebrated the opening of the Academy’s fourth location on the Thailand island of Koh Yoi Noi (ÀNI Art Academies Thailand). ÀNI Art Academies America, explicitly created for Veterans but now also open to students ages 18+, opened its doors in 2016. The sixth and most recent location of the Academies launched in late 2017 in Sri Lanka (ÀNI Art Academies Sri Lanka).

The ÀNI Art Academies’ curriculum focuses on essential fundamentals of draftsmanship, material handling, properties of light, visual perception, visual communication, and basic painting strategies, all without promoting a specific aesthetic. Through a comprehensive series of simple but challenging exercises, ÀNI Art Academies’ apprentices develop the ability to communicate with a vocabulary of confident marks, lines, and values. It is the artist’s particular employ of this adaptable visual vocabulary that will begin to reveal an artistic vision and, ultimately, a unique voice.

Entrance to this highly sought-after program is based primarily on an artist’s level of commitment. We believe that great artists are not born – they are educated. Therefore, ÀNI Art Academies requires no previous artistic experience and instead seeks out individuals dedicated to the learning process and the completion of training. The skills garnered from the ÀNI Art Academies training program apply to many aspects of the contemporary artistic endeavor and beyond. Consider making ÀNI Art Academies part of your artistic education and allow your world of creative possibilities to grow.