Tyler School of Art
Encyclopedia
The Stella Elkins Tyler School of Art, usually just referred to as Tyler School of Art is Temple University
's school of art, which confers BFA and MFA degrees. The school was originally founded by sculptors Stella Elkins Tyler (of the Elkins/Widener family) and Boris Blai on a separate 14-acre estate in Elkins Park
. In 2009 the school's campus was consolidated to a new purpose-built building on Temple University's main campus in Philadelphia despite objections from alumni, faculty, and students.
The Tyler curriculum encompasses programs in the fine arts, design, art history, art education, and architecture. Tyler students work with a faculty who are dedicated teachers, accomplished studio artists, and highly respected scholars.
Different art schools have strengths in different disciplines. Some art schools are dedicated art schools, some are affiliated with a particular museum, and others like Tyler are part of a larger university and its associated resources. See resources below for some good links for viewing information on rankings.
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
's school of art, which confers BFA and MFA degrees. The school was originally founded by sculptors Stella Elkins Tyler (of the Elkins/Widener family) and Boris Blai on a separate 14-acre estate in Elkins Park
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...
. In 2009 the school's campus was consolidated to a new purpose-built building on Temple University's main campus in Philadelphia despite objections from alumni, faculty, and students.
The Tyler curriculum encompasses programs in the fine arts, design, art history, art education, and architecture. Tyler students work with a faculty who are dedicated teachers, accomplished studio artists, and highly respected scholars.
Foundation
One of the things that makes Tyler similar to other art schools is the requirement of a Foundation year. Studies for the BFA degree at Tyler begin with a common freshman experience, the Foundation Year. During this year, students are enrolled in studio courses in Drawing, 2-D and 3-D Principles, and Foundation Computer. The Foundation Program is highly structured and intensive. It forms the fundamental basis for studio practice, critical thinking, and the understanding and implementation of principles of visual art expression. The program emphasizes creative and critical thinking, problem solving, visual thinking, perception and observation, as well as presenting traditional vocabulary, theory, media, and techniques of artistic practice. The Foundation Faculty is composed of faculty from all major areas in the School, providing freshmen with a broad perspective and diverse points of view from which to build their experience as artists.Graduate studies
Tyler School of Art's graduate program is highly selective and is considered to house one of the top fine arts programs in the country. The school confers MFA, MA, MArch, and PHD degrees in many disciplines including Art History, Architecture, Art Education, Ceramics, Painting, Printmaking, Fibers, Glass, Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM, Photography, Sculpture, and Graphic Design. Among these programs, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture are consistently ranked among the top ten fine arts programs in the country by U.S. News and World Reports, with Photography and Ceramics consistently ranking among the top twenty. Unique to Temple university, graduate students at the Tyler School of Art have the option of studying for one year in Philadelphia and one year abroad at any one of Temple University's extension campuses. Temple University has campus extensions in Rome, Japan, and Scotland.Rankings
While there is no formal national ranking of undergraduate BFA or BA art school programs, graduate programs are ranked in national surveys. As of 2008, Tyler’s overall ranking surged to 14th in the nation, leaping seven spots since U.S.News last ranked fine arts graduate programs in 2003. Tyler’s graduate programs in ceramics (ranked 19th in the nation in the 2009 edition) and photography (18th) entered the national top 20 for the first time in the school’s history, joining Tyler’s longstanding top-ranked graduate programs in painting and drawing (7th), sculpture (8th) and printmaking (17th).Different art schools have strengths in different disciplines. Some art schools are dedicated art schools, some are affiliated with a particular museum, and others like Tyler are part of a larger university and its associated resources. See resources below for some good links for viewing information on rankings.
Notable alumni
- Regis BrodieRegis BrodieRegis Brodie is a tenured Professor of Art at the Department of Art and Art History at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and a potter. Since 1972, he has been serving as the Director of the Summer Six Art Program at Skidmore College. He also wrote a book called The Energy Efficient Potter...
, artist and professor of ceramics at Skidmore CollegeSkidmore CollegeSkidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State.... - Cecelia ConditCecelia ConditCecelia Condit is an American artist working in video. A storyteller producing videos since 1981, her work swings between beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty...
, video artist - Chuck ConnellyChuck ConnellyChuck Connelly is an American painter.-Biography:Connelly graduated from the Tyler School of Art in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania in 1977. After graduating Connelly moved from the Philadelphia area to New York City where Robert C...
, American painter - Alix DobkinAlix DobkinAlix Dobkin is an American folk singer-songwriter.-Biography:Alix Dobkin was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia and Kansas City. She graduated from Germantown High School in 1958 and the Tyler School of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1962...
, singer-songwriter - Trenton Doyle HancockTrenton Doyle HancockTrenton Doyle Hancock is an American artist. He was born in 1974 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and grew up in Paris, Texas.Hancock received a BFA from Texas A&M University, and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Philadelphia...
, artist - Louise FishmanLouise Fishman-Biography:Louise Fishman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 14, 1939. She is recognized as one of the best known American abstract painters of her generation. Her painting style at first gave her some trouble in being recognized. She exhibited only occasionally in the 1960s, a...
, abstract painter - Linda and Terry JamisonLinda and Terry JamisonLinda and Terry Jamison are American identical twins, professionally known as The Psychic Twins. They are best known for the prediction they made in 1999 on the Art Bell radio show...
, purported psychics - Irvin KershnerIrvin KershnerIrvin Kershner was an American film director and occasional actor, best known for directing quirky, independent films early in his career, and then Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. -Background:...
, American film director - Mark Kobasz, American Glass Artist
- Simmie KnoxSimmie KnoxSimmie Knox is an African American painter who was chosen to paint the official White House portrait of former United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.-External links:*...
, portrait painter - Janet PerrJanet PerrJanet Perr is an art director, graphic designer, author and illustrator.She has designed record covers, advertisements, posters, CD packages and book covers and is now the creator of the books Yiddish For Dogs Janet Perr is an art director, graphic designer, author and illustrator.She has designed...
, designer, Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning art director, illustrator and author - Paula ScherPaula ScherPaula Scher, born October 6, 1948, in Washington, DC., is an American graphic designer, illustrator, painter and art educator in design, and the first female principal at Pentagram, which she joined in 1991...
, designer - Aaron ShiklerAaron ShiklerAaron Shikler is an American artist noted for portraits of American statesmen and celebrities like Jane Engelhard and Sister Parish....
, portrait painter - Richard SylbertRichard SylbertRichard Sylbert was an Academy Award-winning production designer and art director, primarily for feature films....
, two-time Academy Award-winning production designer - Hannah WilkeHannah WilkeHannah Wilke was an American painter, sculptor, photographer, video artist and performance artist.-Biography:...
, sculptor and photographer - Lisa YuskavageLisa YuskavageLisa Yuskavage is a contemporary American painter who lives and works in New York City. Her figurative oil painting is known for its engagement with the female form. Her name is pronounced yus-CAH-vitch....
, painter - John StangoJohn Stango- Biography :Born and raised in working-class Philadelphia, Frances Elaine Rockwell, Stango's mother, was a painter. He attended Tyler School of Art at Temple University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Graphic Design. After graduation, Stango was hired by Macy's and...
, pop artist - Laurie SimmonsLaurie SimmonsLaurie Simmons is an American artist and photographer currently working in New York.- Personal life :Laurie Simmons was born in Long Island, New York, in 1949. She received a BFA from Tyler School of Art in 1971...
, photographer - Diana VincentDiana VincentDiana Vincent is an American jewelry designer and businesswoman. Vincent is the niece of American fashion designer James Galanos.-Biography:...
, award winning jewelry designer