By Olwen Logan, Director of Marketing and Pubic Relations
How can a premier education in the arts at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts be made even better? Recently, the College merged with the University of New Haven (UNH), creating a range of new exciting opportunities for students. Situated in Old Lyme in rural southeastern Connecticut, but only two hours from both Boston and New York City, the College – now officially named Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven — continues a long-standing tradition in the arts in the town. Early American Impressionists, who formed the Lyme Art Colony, were drawn to this area to paint in the distinctive natural light. That light still exists today and is part of the school’s idyllic arts setting coupled with the culturally rich area surrounding the College and the close proximity of the UNH’s campus just 35 miles away. These factors, combined with the opportunity to study abroad at the UNH campus in Tuscany, Italy, provide an unmatched environment with aspiring artists.
Campus Dean Todd Jokl says there is no standard age, gender or character profile for students who thrive at the College other than, “They are all serious artists, who share a passion for the pursuit of artistic excellence in an environment free from the distractions of urban life. However, we also know that students need opportunities to enjoy the cultural arts scenes found in the great cities in our area and take advantage of a campus in Italy that is at the heart of where the Renaissance began. Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts has all of this for our students.”
Class sizes are extremely small with an average student to faculty ratio of four to one and consequently, faculty members regularly work one-on-one with students. Ethan Brewerton, a member of the Class of 2011, recalls, “I had a very close relationship with my instructors, I was able to go to them about anything related to my work, pretty much whenever.”
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree at the College offers four majors – Drawing, Illustration, Painting and Sculpture – and includes a robust liberal arts program. Seniors in the BFA program receive studio space and spend their final year generating an independent body of work, which makes up a significant portion of their final grade. Offering a strong figurative focus, each program is rigorously structured in order to build technical proficiency and confidence, while simultaneously developing conceptual tools and encouraging personal voice. The Illustration program, in particular, teaches traditional skills alongside the latest digital technologies.
The enticing opportunity to study abroad at the UNH campus in Italy where the Renaissance began further distinguishes the College’s programs. Jokl notes enthusiastically, “The Prato campus nestled in the heart of Tuscany, just 20 minutes outside Florence, is such a perfect place for fine arts students to spend time learning their craft. Not only is it a beautiful and culturally rich location, but the area is also the historic home of some of the finest representational and figurative artists of all time.”
The program at Lyme Academy College is without question demanding, but teaches skills students cannot find elsewhere. Mike Reeves, who graduated with the Class of 2011, speaks for many alumni when he says, “The bar is set so high and everyone’s work ethic is so strong that it makes you want to work that hard also. Faculty expect more of you. They really prepare you to work on a more competitive level with professional artists.” Emily Bedard, who is now working full-time as a professional sculptor after graduating in 2009, adds, “The first time I visited the College, I was amazed by the remarkable discipline in the student work. I knew that if I wanted a challenge, this was the place to be.”
The question, “What are you going to do with an art degree?” is a common one, especially from parents of 18-year-olds aspiring to attend art school. Ann de Selding, Director of Alumni Relations at the College, has plenty of interesting stories to share with concerned parents. She notes that one of Bedard’s commissions was to restore a life-sized, white marble statue of a female, “Liberty,” for the historic Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn., while another alumnus, T. Allen Lawson, “designed the White House Christmas card in 2008, which is now part of the permanent collection of the White House.” Lawson is also widely recognized for his landscape paintings of Wyoming and Maine subjects. De Selding continues, “In contrast, Ronnie Rysz, who graduated with a BFA in Painting in 2006, is a prosthetic artist for Alternative Prosthetic Services and, in this capacity, travels across the continental US creating custom prosthetics for civilians and soldiers alike.”
Another graduate of Lyme is Lynn Jadamec Grayson(BFA, Painting, 2000), who worked recently on a project that involves painting tectonic fault lines around the world. The multi-faceted artist lives in Los Angeles and de Selding explains that Grayson also, “Designs storyboards for commercials and feature films in Hollywood and, on top of that, in 2012, she launched her own line of home goods, which is now being sold around the globe.” Jokl notes, “An education at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven is about the growth of each student as an artist and as person. It is important that students are prepared to enter life as successful artists, but also understand how the creative thinking and execution skills they are learning are applicable to careers in many areas of the creative economy.”
With its merger with UNH, finalized in July of this year, the College found itself poised to reach higher levels of excellence. Jokl explains, “After 20 years as an academy and almost another 20 as a fully accredited, independent college, this affiliation represents a wonderful opportunity for Lyme Academy College to take the next step in its evolution as it becomes part of a much larger university, while retaining all the attributes of a small institution.”
The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920, the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates pursuing some 80 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Apart from its main campus in West Haven, the University has campuses in Orange, Conn., New London, Conn., and Italy, with others soon to launch in the San Francisco area and Qatar.
The mission of Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts of the University of New Haven is to educate aspiring artists through a rigorous studio curriculum rooted in figurative and representational art. The college offers a comprehensive liberal arts education essential for advanced critical and creative thought.
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