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Here, the names of the old masters
haunt our halls. The words grace and beauty inspire, and we teach that craft is
the first step towards respecting the wonder and awe of the world around us.
About Us
The Fine Arts League of
the
Carolinas, a non-profit art school of drawing
and painting was established to preserve and develop the traditions and
techniques of the Old Masters.
We teach the tenets of
representational art that span the classicism of the Greeks, the idealism of the
Italian Renaissance to the fidelity of contemporary Realism. The school's
mission is to cultivate knowledgeable artists open to the spirit of expression.
We believe that continuous training in the use of historically validated tools
and materials can provide such knowledge, inspiration and independence.
Graduates possess solid, refined skills in drawing and painting, along with the
practical experience and support necessary for building their careers as
professional artists.
At the Fine Arts League,
modern education techniques and the master-apprentice studio system combine to
form an immersive curriculum based on rigor and accomplishment. The curriculum's
basic goal is to equip artists with the skills needed to use and explore the
four major aspects of representational art: figure, portraiture, landscape and
still life.
Instructors are in the
studios five days a week. Core classes are held in 3 hour segments, twice a day
for a 12 week term. The school is also open to students for workshops, evening
drawing sessions and for use with their own work. In class, students always work
alongside their teachers, and this aspect of the master-apprentice system is
essential to artistic development. Whether a 20 minute figure study, an extended
portrait drawing, or a series of studies for a larger commission, the lessons
gained from observing professional artists meet the challenges of their own work
are invaluable.
Preservation of craft can
also move art forward and this happens student by student, drawing by drawing,
painting by painting. Using traditional techniques, our teachers demonstrate how
to make ink, frame work, prepare paper and canvas, and use various media.
The League has a gallery
for students to show and sell their work, providing a space to learn about the
process of exhibition and introducing them to the local art scene.
We teach multiple methods
and traditions so that the students can find their individual voices as artists.
This coupled with the depth and the span of the curriculum, makes The Fine Arts
League of the Carolinas a singular educational experience not replicated in the
United States or
abroad. Our system demonstrates the intrinsic value of direct observations and
assistance. As students learn, they too become teachers. Producing a supportive
community of peers is a defining principle of our work.
Our Facility
The Fine Arts League of the
Carolinas opened the doors to its new facility
at
362 Depot Street in September
of 2007. The 6400 square foot facility contains 7 studios, a gallery,
library/conference room and office space. This new facility has doubled the
available space and allowed for new classes offered by the League.
The
Fine Arts League of the
Carolinas is a creative and dynamic non-profit
school of art whose mission is visionary yet grounded in the fundamentals of
training and work. Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), an
Asheville based non-profit, is a
visionary organization whose mission is to build and improve homes,
neighborhoods and communities for people of limited resources.
Together we have
created a unique facility that furthers the vision and mission of both
organizations. Both believe that the fundamental building block of any
organization comes from commitment, vision, creative thinking, planning and hard
work.
Facility
History
The ‘corner market’
property that is occupied by the Fine Arts League was originally a company store
for railroad men. It was also used for several operated food processing plants
that made (among other items) chili for the hot dogs sold at Asheville Tourist
baseball games. 
Mountain
Housing Opportunities Glen Rock project
Cindy Visnich Weeks,
Project Director at Mountain Housing Opportunities notes, “We were thrilled when
we found out that the Fine Arts League was interested in our building on
Depot Street. This is an
important corner for our Glen Rock development, and the Fine Arts League will be
the perfect anchor for us. Having this world class, well-established art school
at the Glen Rock is a huge win for Housing Opportunities, the neighborhood and
the River Arts District. This partnership also follows a compelling model that
we’ve seen in other cities, whereby arts organizations partner with community
development groups to revitalize neighborhoods.”
The corner market property
is part of a larger development project that Mountain Housing Opportunities
(MHO) plans for the adjoining properties, the old Glen Rock Hotel and several
properties along Ralph and Choctaw Streets.
MHO plans to construct an
80,000 sq ft mixed use building on vacant land on Depot Street that will offer
market rate and affordable homes (both rental and for sale) as well as
commercial, retail, and studio space. The old Glen Rock Hotel will be
historically restored and will be used as office space on the upper two floors
with commercial and retail space on the first two floors. Also included in the
development will be community space for meetings, classes, and children’s
programming that they hope will link river district artists with children in the
neighborhood.
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