WSS Certificate Programs
Please contact Milena Spasic with questions about the application process: certificate@washingtonstudioschool.org
Foundation Program
2 YEARS (if pursued, full-time)
Launched in the Fall of 2018, the WSS FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM is a structured introductory program designed to develop strong, fundamental proficiency in drawing and painting based on direct observation, including the human figure.
The curriculum introduces students to the materials, techniques, language, and concepts of visual art. Students who complete the program are able to translate the observed world with both a sound degree of technical skill and empathic response. By the second year, students will be exposed to a wide variety of traditional and contemporary practices and will begin to see how they each connect to the visual world in their own personal way. Hard work and commitment are expected, including work outside of the classroom.
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor throughout the program to advise on course selection and to provide feedback.
It is recommended that students begin the program during our Fall Term. WSS accepts applications on a rolling basis. Application is by form, statement, interview, and a non-refundable application fee of $50. A portfolio is not required. There are no prerequisites.
Please contact Milena Spasic with questions about the application process: certificate@washingtonstudioschool.org
Master Certificate Program
APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS
Washington Studio School’s MASTER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, designed for serious, advanced students at various stages of life, is an alternative non-degree option to a university MFA program. The Master Certificate Program has been a hallmark of the school’s offerings for over 20 years.
Students who are accepted into the program enter with strong skills and a commitment to the rigor, seriousness of purpose, and curiosity necessary to the life of an artist. During their time in the program, students deepen their existing skills and begin producing work that is meaningful and personal to them. Work comes from a vocabulary built out of direct observation but can move into abstraction, memory, or imagination.
The program involves required classes and coursework at the advanced level and independent time in the studio. Students work with a faculty advisor throughout. The final year of the program is primarily an independent study with a faculty mentor. The goal for each student is to develop sound studio practices, discipline, and independent thinking, representing a level of mastery in the use of visual language and material technique.
The program culminates in a thesis exhibition of work, teaching students how to develop, produce, and mount a cohesive and personal body of work. WSS Master Certificate graduates have had successful careers as gallery-affiliated artists and as instructors of drawing and painting.
WSS accepts applications on a rolling basis. Application is by form, statement, portfolio (10 drawings, 5 paintings), recommendations, and a non-refundable application fee ($100).
Please contact Milena Spasic with questions about the application process: certificate@washingtonstudioschool.org