Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art

Described as “one of the nation’s top art academies” by Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Studio Incamminati is an atelier school in downtown Philadelphia offering a variety of instructional programs including workshops, night classes, an Advanced Fine Arts Diploma, and a BFA through Rowan University. Thanks to our accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, students enrolled full-time or part-time qualify for state and federal grants, G.I. Bill benefits, federal student loans, national scholarships, and international student visas.

Studio Incamminati was launched in 2002 by Nelson and Leona Shanks to teach artists how to “use the world and its phenomena as the vocabulary to create a visual language with creative and communicative meaning.” While our teaching is rooted in classical tradition, our vision is guided by contemporary sensibilities.

At Studio Incamminati’s core is its four-year Advanced Fine Art program, whose staged curriculum carries the student from the fundamentals of drawing to proficiency in direct painting with a focus on the human figure. Student progression is through a cohort-based approach and learning is supported by daily demonstrations by award winning faculty, feedback and critiques, and lectures on techniques, tools and anatomy. Core classes are 6.5 hours/day, 5 days/week, with additional access to evening/weekend model sessions and workshops by guest artists. The facilities are open 365 days per year to enrolled students for supplemental class work, collaborative endeavors with other students, or personal projects.

Through a partnership with Rowan University, Studio Incamminati offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Contemporary Realist Art. Ours is the first (and only) degree-granting partnership between an atelier and a public research university, with all the advantages of both educational tracks combined.

Studio Incamminati is conveniently in downtown Philadelphia (named by Lonely Planet as one of the top ten cities to visit worldwide in 2024) near bus and subway lines, and, with a neighborhood Walk Score and bike score of 98/100 and 80/100, everything is accessible without a car. Our campus spreads across 18,000 square feet on the 7th floor of the award-winning Bok Building, a socially progressive cultural hub covering an entire city block and filled with creative entrepreneurs in fields like glassmaking, culinary arts, tattooing, filmmaking, and fashion.

Designed by artists, our renovated studio spaces are outfitted to provide artists with a range of lighting conditions. Upper-level courses are taught in north-light studios under 14 ft. ceilings; other studios have been optimized for artificial and posed lighting, and three newly built skylight studios use panel technology to create a uniformly a uniformly diffused luminosity.

Outside of classes, students enjoy access our library, Open Studio sessions, discounted Continuing Education classes from guest instructors, frequent lunchtime lectures on art history, anatomy, and career progression; and occasional group visits to the major museums in the vicinity, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, and the Brandywine River Museum (home of the Wyeth Collection).

Students can finance their educational costs through payment plans, grants, the GI Bill, national scholarships, and federal student loans. Additionally, Studio Incamminati awards several merit-based scholarships annually. In the past 3 years, 88% of those who applied for our scholarships received at least $3,000. 

At Studio Incamminati, we aim to serve our local community by bringing art education to underserved constituencies. Serving artists of all ages and circumstances, we run education partnerships with area high schools and senior communities, as well as community-minded collaborations with non-profit organizations like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, CIS Works, and Project HOME – whose mission is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. We’re proud to foster exhibition and event partnerships with local organizations including the Philadelphia Ballet, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Andalusia Foundation, and Natural Lands Trust; a nature conservancy organization.

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