Photo by Nolan Trotter (Media Arts ‘22)
Whether for filmmaking, graphic design, animation, or mixed media, digital photography is an essential skill for any contemporary art-maker. With that in mind, The Academy is excited to announce the debut of a formal photography curriculum in the fall of 2019.
The new photography course of study will be a collaborative program between the Visual and Media Arts departments. These two departments are excited to add this course to other historically shared curricula like drawing and animation. Photography will be required ninth-grade study for students in both departments, and students in all grades will have access to equipment and guided studio time as an integrated part of other coursework and practices. In the coming months, The Academy will hire a photography professional to instruct and oversee the development of the course.
Tom Fiske, Photography Program Donor
Our new guided focus on photography at The Academy is made possible by a generous gift by Tom Fiske. A lifelong artist and virtuosic photographer, Mr. Fiske attended Kendal School of Design in Grand Rapids, pursued illustrative photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, and studied advanced advertising at Northwestern University. His professional career began as a photographer for Arthur Andersen in Chicago, and in the subsequent decades he worked as a photography director, art director, executive producer, and associate partner at Andersen Consulting. As an artist, Mr. Fiske’s interests range from abstract work, to landscape and sports photography. The Academy is deeply grateful for his support.
More information about this exciting initiative, including specific course-of-study information, will be made available in months to come.