ILLUMINART PRODUCTIONS ARTS ACADEMY

CREATE.
LEARN.
GROW.

Arts Academy is for emerging creatives looking to build skills, connections, and career opportunities.

TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪     TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A PROFESSION    ✪    
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BUILD
CREATIVE
SKILLS

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GAIN
PROFESSIONAL
TOOLS

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NETWORK
WITH
COMMUNITY

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FIND
WHAT’S
NEXT

THE ARTS ACADEMY EXPERIENCE

Find the Path That Fits Your Goals

IlluminArt’s Arts Academy is designed for emerging, pre-professional artists who want to hone their creative skills, make vital connections in the arts industry, and build the materials that support what comes next.

Through hands-on exploration in various creative disciplines, virtual business and career development seminars, and opportunities to network with peers and professionals, participants experience an approach that connects creative learning with real-world knowledge that most training programs often overlook.

As the first program of its kind on Staten Island, Arts Academy creates a much needed space where artists not only get to deepen their creative skills with working professionals as their guide, but actually get to build the first steps of their careers as well.

ARTS ACADEMY, POWERED BY ILLUMINART PRODUCTIONS, IS MADE POSSIBLE BY

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CREATIVE ARTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Free Programs for Emerging Artists

Arts Academy offers two Certified Core Track pathways – one in Visual Arts and one in Creative Writing. These courses were designed for pre-professional and early career artists ready to hone their craft and take meaningful steps toward their future in the creative industries. Through hands-on artistic study, targeted “business of the business” seminars, and selected theatre electives, participants build their creative practice alongside professionals while gaining the knowledge and career skills needed beyond the classroom. The Core Track journey culminates in earned certification and an Arts Academy graduation ceremony, where students will have the opportunity to present their work and network with working professionals.

Business Seminars and Theatre Electives are also open to the community through individual course enrollment, allowing participants to choose one or multiple offerings based on creative interests, professional goals, and areas of continued development.

FIND YOUR TICKET TO WHAT’S NEXT.

CERTIFIED CORE TRACKS

SELECT ARTIST
STUDIES

VISUAL ARTS TRACK

The Visual Arts Track is a free, 12-week hands on Core Track created for emerging artists ready to develop their craft through focused study across three areas of visual arts.

The Visual Arts Track is designed for participants ready to commit to the full 12-week pathway and the requirements of a Certified Core Track. Participants are expected to:

Business Seminars | Required

All six Business Seminars are included as required professional and career development within the Core Track experience.

Theatre Electives | Optional

Participants may explore Theatre Electives that complement their Core Track while supporting their creative interests and career goals.

Explore the Visual Arts Track schedule and take the next step toward becoming part of the Arts Academy, offered free of charge through IlluminArt Productions.

CREATIVE WRITING TRACK

The Creative Writing Track is a free, 12-week hands-on Core Track created for emerging artists ready to develop their craft through focused study across two areas of writing:

The Visual Arts Track is designed for participants ready to commit to the full 12-week pathway and the requirements of a Certified Core Track. Participants are expected to:

Business Seminars | Required

All six Business Seminars are included as required professional and career development within the Core Track experience.

Theatre Electives | Optional

Participants may explore Theatre Electives that complement their Core Track while supporting their creative interests and career goals.

Explore the Creative Writing Track schedule and take the next step toward becoming part of the Arts Academy, offered free of charge through IlluminArt Productions.

ULTIMATE ARTIST EXPERIENCE

The Ultimate Artist Experience is a free, 24-week comprehensive pathway created for emerging artists ready to deepen their creative practice through the combined Visual Arts and Creative Writing Core Tracks:

The Visual Artist Experience is designed for participants ready to commit to the full 24-week pathway and complete the requirements of both Certified Core Tracks. Participants are expected to:

Business Seminars | Required

All six Business Seminars are included as required professional and career development within the Core Track experience.

Theatre Electives | Optional

Participants may explore Theatre Electives that complement their Core Track while supporting their creative interests and career goals.

Explore the Ultimate Artist Experience schedule and take the next step toward becoming part of the Arts Academy, offered free of charge through IlluminArt Productions.

BUSINESS SEMINARS

Business Seminars are free professional development courses offering flexible learning opportunities that equip emerging artists with practical skills and knowledge to support their growth and careers in the creative industries.

Business Seminars offer flexible professional development, allowing participants to choose one or multiple offerings based on their interests and professional goals.

Theatre Electives

Participants may complement their Business electives with any number of Theatre Seminars.

Explore the Business Seminar schedule and take the next step toward building your professional skills, offered free of charge through IlluminArt Productions.

THEATRE SEMINARS

Theatre Seminars are free creative development courses offering flexible learning opportunities that allow emerging artists to explore new disciplines, expand their skills, and pursue areas aligned with their creative interests and goals.

Participants may also choose one or multiple Theatre Seminars to support their professional interests and goals.

Business Seminars

Participants may explore Theatre Electives that complement their Core Track while supporting their creative interests and career goals.

Explore the Theatre Courses schedule and take the next step toward building your professional skills, offered free of charge through IlluminArt Productions.

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CERTIFIED
CORE
TRACKS

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BUSINESS
& THEATRE
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FREE TO
JOIN &
PARTICIPATE

THE SUPPORT YOU’LL FIND

Learn From Expert Instructors

Arts Academy is part of IlluminArt Productions’ commitment to cultivating creativity and opportunity within the community. Through hands on instruction, professional development, and mentorship, participants gain new perspectives while building their creative and professional skills

SB Kosinski

Visual Arts Track, Business Seminars

Drawing
Painting
Build Your Materials: Portfolios & Performance Reels

Mona Oman

Visual Arts Track, Business Seminars

Mural Making
Getting Hired: Essential Career Skills for the Artist

Ariel Marcus-Hollenbeck

Creative writing track, Theatre Seminars, Playwriting, Theatre for Young Audiences

Creating Stories for Big Imaginations: Theatre for Young Audiences Workshop

Matthew Figueroa

Creative Writing Track

Poetry & Spoken Word

Kristi Sorkin

Theatre Seminars

Take the Stage! Audition Intensive

Justine Giachetti

Business Seminars

Getting Hired: Essential Career Skills for the Artist
Build Your Materials: Portfolios & Performance Reels

CERTIFICATION & GRADUATION

Earn Your Certification. Graduate. Make Connections

Participants who successfully complete either Certified Core Track, or both through the Ultimate Artist Experience, earn an Arts Academy certificate and take part in a graduation ceremony alongside IlluminArt team and participating industry professionals. The experience extends beyond recognition, creating an opportunity to showcase their work, build professional connections, and connect with people who may open doors to future opportunities in the creative industries
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REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿     REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN    ✿    
ADMISSION PROCESS

Simple Steps to Get Started

Geting started is easy. Explore the program, choose the path that fits your goals, and complete your free registration.

Discover the Core Tracks, Business Seminars, and Theatre Electives available through the Arts Academy.

Select the Core Track or individual learning opportunities that best align with your creative interests and goals.

Submit your registration to take the next step toward becomingpart of the Arts Academy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Everything You Need to Get Started

NOTHING! This is a free program made possible by a generous grant from Flagstar Bank. There is no class fee and all course materials will be provided.

Arts Academy welcomes creatives ages 16 and up. Whether you are a young professional just starting out or someone making a career pivot later in life, classes will have specialized attention that can meet you where you are at. Classes are open for exploration – you do not need any prior knowledge about an artform to participate.

All visual art, creative writing, and theatre courses, as well as the headshot session, will take place at Snug Harbor Cultural Center Building P. All business seminars will be held virtually.

You can find our course calendar HERE: Arts Academy Schedule

Yes. In person programs and sessions may fill based on available space.

Certified Core Tracks
The Visual Arts Track, Creative Writing Track, and Ultimate Artist Experience provide immersive pathways for participants to strengthen their creative practice while building skills for continued growth in the creative industries. Registration remains open based on availability through the start of the first course in the selected program and may close earlier if all available spaces are filled.

Business Seminars & Theatre Electives
These flexible learning opportunities support professional skill building, creative exploration, and continued development in specific areas. With a versatile selection of individual offerings, participants can register for one or multiple sessions, including on the day of a session prior to its scheduled start time.

Early registration is encouraged.

There is not – the program requires in-person attendance to support creative development and growth.

We ask that Arts Academy students prioritize classes above other extracurriculars. While we understand that sickness and emergency may arise, repeated absences will result in an incomplete program status and no certificate will be issued.

Business Seminars and Theatre Electives are available to the community to pick and choose from like a buffet – sign up for what you’re interested in and leave the rest! Participation in the Visual Arts or Creative Writing Tracks, or in the Ultimate Artist Experience, requires your completion of all 12 weeks of the program plus aendance at all business seminars.

For the creative disciplines of visual arts, creative writing, and theatre, in order to ensure each student will get individualized aention in class, enrollment will be limited. We encourage those interested to register early as spots may fill up. Business seminars will be held virtually and therefore can support a larger class size

For those enrolled in the Visual Arts or Creative Writing Tracks, or in the Ultimate Artist Experience, the program will culminate in a graduation ceremony at Snug Harbor. Certificates will be issued and students will have the opportunity to network with professionals across various artistic disciplines while geing the opportunity to display and share their art.

While we cannot guarantee employment upon completing the program, what we can guarantee is the opportunity to connect with professionals who can learn more about you and your art, which may very well lead to opportunities in the future. We at IlluminArt are also particularly invested in connecting with individuals for future internship or teaching artist opportunities.

Once your registration is submitted, here’s what to expect next:

Registration Confirmation
You’ll receive a confirmation email immediately after submitting your registration, sent to the email address you provided. Your confirmation will include your registration details and the schedule for your selected program or session. A quick tip: Your confirmation will arrive with “Arts Academy Registration Confirmation” in the subject line. If you don’t see it right away, it may be waiting in another email folder.

For Participants Under 18
If you’re under 18, the parent or guardian information provided during registration will be used to complete the required permission process. Your parent or guardian will receive instructions by email to provide consent and the required emergency contact information before your registration can be finalized.

Preparing for Your Program
As your program start date approaches,  IlluminArt Productions Education Coordinator will reach out with additional information to help you prepare, including first day details and any applicable arrival, location, parking, or program specific instructions.

We’re here to help. For additional questions about programs, schedules, registration, or participation, please contact the IlluminArt team at liz.illuminart@gmail.com.

IlluminArt Productions Arts Academy logo featuring a colorful New York City skyline, Statue of Liberty, paint palette, pencil, and notebook, with the tagline “Creative Workforce Pathways” and the motto “Create • Connect • Thrive” on a transparent background.

Registration

Art Academy Registration Form
  • Welcome
  • Applicant Information

APPLICANT INFORMATION:

Please provide your information below as the person interested in participating in the Arts Academy program.

Parent/Guardian Contact:

Because you are under 18, parent or guardian approval is required to finalize your Arts Academy registration. Please provide your parent or guardian’s information below.

After you submit your registration, they will receive a separate email with your registration details and instructions to approve your participation. Your registration will be finalized once their approval is completed.