Academy duCret is dedicated to the highest level of instruction in representational drawing and painting. It is intended for serious, highly motivated art students who desire to make a career as a professional artist.
Philosophy:
“Creating personal expression through technical excellence” is
the philosophy of Academy duCret. We seek to empower our students with high
level drawing skills and a strong understanding of nature in connection
with three-dimensional form. We seek to train professional artists with
a strong grounding in the craft of painting and a sense of pride in their
work. We want our students to take their newfound knowledge and apply it
to their future projects. There are no short cuts to the hard work required
to be an artist. We intend to provide an environment that fosters student’s
individual strengths and encourages personal artistic interpretation.
Once the student reaches a level of competence with academic painting
procedures they will be encouraged to experiment with their own
personal artistic expression. It
is not our aim to be dogmatic about the finished paintings, if the student
wants to finish their painting loose or tight it is their discretion and
the program does not work against them. To educate the student of the
endless possibilities for oil painting, the student will be exposed
to various options through slides, books and trips to galleries and
museums.
Full and Part Time Options
Academy duCret’s full time program operates on a schedule of two fifteen-week semesters, Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. Completion of the program is three years full time and requires the student finish 2700 clock hours of study and receive passing grades at all of the assessment reviews. Students with prior academic training will be given credit towards graduation on a case-by-case evaluation. The part time program offers a two-day a week schedule, with two options, Monday to Tuesday or Thursday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Testimonials
The duCret School of Art History
The duCret School of Art has a long reputable history. Artist and teacher
Marjorie Van Emburgh founded the School in 1926. Its aim, then, was to create
an institution where students could obtain an art education comparable with
that found in schools and academies in major cultural centers. In
the early part of the twentieth century Plainfield was a bustling cultural
center and provided Ms. Van Emburgh the perfect location to start a high
quality art school. Because of its location students were able to receive
an excellent education without the added expense of moving or commuting
into Manhattan or Philadelphia.
In the early thirties, in keeping with its mission of providing a high quality art education, the School's teaching staff included such prominent artists as Jonas Lie, N.A., John Carlson, N.A., Yasno Kuniyoshi and William Zorach. By 1936 the School had outgrown its original quarters and obtained space in the Babcock Building, located in the center of the Plainfield business district.
Over the next two decades, the school continued to grow and build a reputation for excellence in art education. In 1964, the Van Emburgh School of Art was acquired by Dudley V. duCret and became the Van Emburgh/duCret School of Fine and Industrial Art, a privately owned institution. Ms. Van Emburgh remained a faculty member until 1975. The school continued its tradition of excellence and marked steady growth.
In 1970, the school officially became a private, non-profit corporation under the name "The duCret School of the Arts Inc." That year, Philadelphia sculptor, Boris Blai, and nationally known portrait artist, Furman Finck, joined the faculty.
Seven years later the school moved to its present location at 1030 Central Avenue in a historic section of Plainfield. The school is now situated on a seven-acre campus in a wooded residential area. In the 1980's, the school continued to develop a reputation for providing quality art education and community service. As the school grew, the need for quality educators increased, notable artist and teacher Frank Falotico acquired the role of Director. The Faculty was complemented with nationally known illustrator Peter Caras, whose expert guidance has produced countless commercial illustrators, most notably Vince Natale. http://www.vincenatale.com/
In the 1990’s, duCret’s faculty included prominent artist such
as J. Brian Townsend, Paul W. McCormack and Vince Natale among others.
Today duCret continues its long tradition of providing quality art education and is excited about adding Academy duCret as another chapter in its long history. The Academy Is designed for serious students who want to immerse themselves in the study and pursuit of excellence in oil painting.
