Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts of Sergey Andriaka was founded on December, 2 2002 according to the Moscow Government resolution. The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is the academy’s regulator. The inauguration of the academy took place on September, 12 2012.
Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts is an art institution of higher education of a new type that has no equals both in Russia and abroad. The academy is the first institution in Russia that provides educational program “Painting and Fine Arts” (reference number 54.05.05). Along with learning thoroughly the art of drawing and painting, which is essential for every professional artist, students try different techniques and types of fine art. The academy trains different kinds of artists. The academic program includes such disciplines as watercolor, tempera and oil painting, pastel, etchings, monumental painting, stained glass, Roman and Florentine mosaic, sgraffito, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, porcelain modeling, porcelain and ceramics painting, enamel miniatures, jewelry, book illustrations and some others.
The academy has modern equipment and offers its students current technologies for each academic discipline. The process of learning is based on teachers’ personal experience being a role model. The students and their teachers fulfill the tasks together. Such method has been applied since 1999 in Moscow State Special School of Watercolor and has proven to be successful and productive.
Educational program is based on the classical methods and system of training, which allows students to progress consistently to the highest level of skill.
To provide an all-round education, along with the core disciplines the program includes additional courses in different spheres, such as: Information technology, History of Russia, History of Russian and Foreign Art and Culture, Philosophy and Mythology, History of Costume and some others.
At the end of each year of study students leave Moscow for creative practice to develop skills of plein air painting, landscape and architectural drawing. They are also sent to regional Russian museums to make copies of paintings by the old masters.
One of the main aims of the academy is the revival of the most effective method of education: students do their courseworks and degree projects in a form of real orders made by different state and commercial organizations under observation of highly qualified teachers.
Students will get invaluable hands-on experience in actual production. After graduation, the academy will provide all possible assistance in employment of its students based on their professional interests, and individual abilities.
Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts of Sergey Andriaka seeks to become the largest center of artistic education. Today the academy is conducting a large-scale scientific and methodological work, studying the teaching experience and the best modern methods. The academy is elaborating training manuals for all techniques and schools. The best manuals for watercolor and oil painting of the XIX century were republished, a number of tutorial videos and numerous students’ and teachers’ books were produced.
The academy has many exhibition spaces as well as one of the few Museums of Watercolor in Russia. The former presents the visitor a unique collection of masterpieces, watercolors, drawings, book illustrations made by Russian and European artists of XIX-XX centuries. One should also visit the exhibition of works by Sergey Andriaka, the academy’s Rector, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, the full member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
In the exhibition halls of the academy paintings of the talented young artists and recognized masters of the fine arts from the most remarkable world museums are serially shown.
The academy’s concert hall is a well-equipped leisure complex where we organize concerts and plays. Our sport and health facilities attract not only the students, but also people who live nearby unrelated to the academy.
The equipment of our studios and depository not only permits us to deposit works of art from the museums which lack such rooms, but also to conduct restoration of paintings, icons, furniture and books. We have a proper publishing house to do all the necessary design and painting.
Academy of Fine Arts of Sergey Andriaka is not a mere university. It offers a new type of artistic education.