If one of your fondest childhood memories was playing with modeling clay, you don't have to stop doing that just because you're an adolescent or adult. You can take one or more of the many different sculpture classes that are offered by art schools and private studios in the New York City area.
Depending on which venue you choose for your sculpture classes, you may be able to receive college credit. If you're just wanting to do it for fun, there are also non-credit classes available.
New York Sculpture School
If you attend classes at the
New York Sculpture School, and meet all enrollment and admission requirements, your classes can count towards college. Classes are held during "regular school hours" on weekdays, but there are also Saturday and "marathon" class schedules available.
Marathon" classes are exactly what they sound like—you "cram" a whole unit of learning into a few short hours. They are intense, but they often work well, especially if you have a very business schedule.
The school is located at 8 W 8th Street in New York City, and is very accessible by public transportation. You can easily get there from whereever you live or work in New York City, the boroughs, or even New Jersey and surrounding areas.
New York Academy of Art
The
New York Academy of Art, located at 111 Franklin Street in the Tribeca District, offers several different types of sculpture courses. These are offered on a "community education" type basis; however, some of them can count towards college credit or CEUs.
Courses in such areas as portrait sculpture (introductory to advanced), Ecorche of the Head, Sculpting the Figure, the Bargue Method, and Forensic Sculpting are offered at different times throughout the year on weeknights and Saturday. The Forensic Sculpting class may help you advance in your career if you work a job where that may be useful.
If you do, then you may often be required to earn CEUs. So, not only will you learn a new technique, but you can take care of continuing education requirements at the same time.
Socrates Sculpture Park
If nothing else, this will be the most fun venue for taking your sculpture classes, because a lot of them take place outdoors. Some are conducted in schools during the months that school is in, but workshops, seminars, and other things are held in the
Socrates Sculpture Park itself. This is a great way to introduce your children to the art of sculpting, because the classes are designed to be fun and casual, while at the same time providing a lot of learning opportunities. Ideas for things to sculpt come from the natural surroundings in the Park, so there's no telling what your child might create.
