The Ashland Academy of Art is a classically based, independent art school, committed to the restoration of the fundamental values in Art, allowing aspiring artists the training that has been denied by contemporary art education.
The Academy’s program is mainly based on the Russian academic system, which after the onslaught of 20th century modernism remained the only surviving classical system. This system followed the artistic achievements of the Renaissance, developed and practiced by European academies until the end of 19th century.
The Ashland Academy’s extensive curriculum combines academic art education with the latest advancements in psychology of visual perception, and is designed to give students a true mastery of drawing and painting, making it one of few such schools worldwide.
Founder
Semyon Bilmes, Founder and Master Instructor of The Academy, is a graduate of The Russian Academy of Art. His classical education allowed him to rapidly achieve national recognition as an artist and illustrator. Reviving high academic education, Mr. Bilmes founded The Ashland Academy of Art, which over the years has become an internationally known school of drawing and painting.
