Our Philosophy:
Our guiding philosophy begins with the idea that great artists are not born—they are educated. In other words, the idea of talent as an innate or inherited gift is largely a myth. Rather, a growing mountain of evidence shows that talent, or expert-level performance, is something that one can grow with focused hard work, vetted educational resources, and a well-designed, nurturing environment. And while we acknowledge that a highly developed set of skills in domains relevant to artistic practices may not be necessary or even sufficient for some versions of “success,” our efforts reliably provide adaptable skillsets and significant degrees of creative freedom for dedicated learners by facilitating the development of appropriate visual literacy and visual communication skills (as well development in other relevant domains.)
In addition, the ÀNI Art Academies believes that quality educational resources should be available to everyone who can utilize them. Thanks to the generous support of the The Reynolds Foundation and ÀNI Private Resorts, the ÀNI Art Academies offers a limited number of full merit scholarships for eligible learners, covering all tuition fees and applicable materials. In the case of the ÀNI Art Academies curriculum, the specific structure, content, and modes of information delivery offer equal opportunities for successful development to those with varied levels of experience and educational backgrounds. Aside from simple prerequisites implemented to ensure artists are positioned for maximal development, requirements for success in our arts program are limited to a deliberate dedication to exceptional effort, adherence to instruction, and a commitment to program completion.
The skill-based arts focus of the AAA was selected for longevity and ubiquity throughout human history. In addition to the development of visual literacy and visual communication skills, we believe that a quality skill-based visual arts program can provide an experiential learning environment that effectively nurtures creative and critical thinking development, maximizes retention and comprehension of new and complex ideas, and fosters a lifelong love of learning and exploration. Our learning environments include access to all appropriate materials that allow learners to reach specified learning goals and provide resources that expose learners to relevant components of art history and diverse artistic traditions. With access to these resources, students can gain insights into different cultures, perspectives, and historical contexts, greatly enhancing their efforts to effectively connect and communicate with a larger audience.
It is also important to note that our overall efforts are not limited to positively impacting the individual learner. Rather, we aim to see our efforts positively impact the Academy’s creative learning collective, as well as the community in general.
