The 92nd Street Y School of the Arts is internationally recognized for the quality and scope of its adult and childhood arts education programs.
More than 9,000 students annually, ages 4-97, from neophyte to professional, take courses, workshops and master classes in dance, music and the visual arts. An additional 12,000 people gain access to the school annually through community outreach, public lectures, exhibitions and performances.
The school affirms 92Y's mission as a Jewish institution by offering courses, workshops, lectures, performances and exhibitions with Jewish content. Three special lecture series, Artists Visions, Breaking Ground and Dialogues with Design Legends bring major visual artists, dancers, choreographers and designers to 92Y to discuss their work. Master classes and workshops with artists of international prominence round out the program. The result is a record of excellence comparable to the best academic art programs in New York City.
School of the Arts consists of the four centers
The Art Center
The Art Center offers classes and workshops in art appreciation, fine art, ceramics, jewelry, metalsmithing and photography. A core faculty of working professional artists provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of art and the development of a personal art-making vocabulary, along with insights into historical and contemporary perspectives in art. Workshops with visiting artists, public lectures with artists of international stature and regular exhibitions in the Milton J. Weill Art Gallery round out the program. The Art Center is pleased to host the only formal Judaica Metalsmithing program in the country where students are able to learn how to make Jewish liturgical and ceremonial objects in silver under the guidance of experienced master craftsmen.
The 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center
Founded in 1935, the Harkness Dance Center has been dedicated to promoting the art of dance through a twofold commitment: facilitating the rehearsal, creation and performance of new choreography and providing classes taught by dedicated, experienced professionals for people of all levels of experience. The original faculty included Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Anna Sokolow and Hanya Holm. The center was named the Harkness Dance Center in 1994 with a generous gift from the Harkness Foundation for Dance.
School Of Music
Established in 1917, the School of Music offers one of the most comprehensive community music education programs in New York City. The program reaches over 1,000 students from beginner to pre-professional and includes private instrumental instruction in all orchestral instruments, piano and voice, chamber music coaching, performance workshops, courses in theory, musicianship, music history and appreciation and the only publicly accessible electronic music lab in the city.
Mission Statement
Mission
The School of the Arts at 92nd Street Y is dedicated to producing high quality programs in the visual arts, music and dance that foster both creative and responsive engagement to challenge the mind and body. Implicit within its mission is a commitment to excellence, which guarantees that all individuals, regardless of background, are served with the highest professional standards. It supports 92Y's mission as a Jewish Institution by offering classes, workshops, performances and exhibitions that cultivate knowledge of Jewish heritage and Jewish values through the arts.
The School of the Arts serves a broad-based constituency—from young children to senior adults and from budding amateurs to professional artists. At all levels, instruction focuses on the teaching of specific skills, as well as the cultivation of an informed appreciation of the arts. The faculty is comprised of highly trained, professionally active artists/teachers who are devoted to sharing their knowledge and craft with students at all stages of artistic development in a nurturing and supportive environment.
The School of the Arts seeks to promote mutually beneficial, cooperative partnerships with other departments within 92Y, while engendering a genuine sense of community among its own constituents. The School serves the community at large through outreach programs (including programs in public and independent schools) and through extensive scholarship support for students in need.
Objectives
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To provide high quality educational experiences at all levels in Art, Music and Dance to the full spectrum of our constituency
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To serve as a national model for community-based arts education
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To help cultivate a sense of Jewish identity through the arts
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To address the artistic needs of the community at large by providing outreach programs to the public schools and scholarships for students in need
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To develop interdisciplinary projects which extend the traditional boundaries of arts education
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To support the arts in our community by providing exhibition and performance opportunities for emerging, as well as established, professional artists
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To promote creative interaction and mutual growth between the amateur and professional communities