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Great Expectations:
The Legacy of Teaching at Two Art Schools in New York
by Kyunghee Pyun
The Art Students League of New York and the National Academy School of Fine Arts are both known for their long-standing tradition of studio art classes. The Academy came first, with a program for young artists beginning in 1826; its sculpture program was established in 1886. The League, in a split with the school over administrative and curricular priorities, opened its doors in 1875, adding sculpture classes around 1888. For more than 120 years, then, these schools have trained a great many sculptors, including some of the most outstanding names in twentieth-century American art: David Smith, Dorothy Dehner, Alexander Calder, Malvina Hoffman, to name just a few. According to Stephanie Cassidy, archivist at the Art Students League, its illustrious faculty has featured such notables as Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Gutzon Borglum, Alexander Calder, William Zorach, Nathaniel Kaz, Chaim Gross, Sidney Simon, Arthur Lee, and Jose DeCreeft. TodayÕs roster includes Anthony Antonios, Lorrie Goulet, Barney Hodes, Grace Knowlton, Leonid Lerman, Seiji Saito, Jonathan Shahn, Rhoda Sherbell, Gary Sussman, and Greg Wyatt.
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