The First Steps...

It pretty much started back in December, after speaking with a good friend and incredible abstract painter, Sarah Dineen, http://sarahdineen.com/ about the ideas of Graduate School, and my strong opinion that there were no programs or schools that interested me at this point in my life, I was none-the-less intrigued.

I started a search online and and as I narrowed my google searches, the more specific I got, the more the New York Academy kept coming up. I decided to check out the website...and was blown away.

I called the school and spoke with Elvin Freytes, the Director of Student Affairs. His enthusiasm, information and encouragement to come to the city for the open house convinced me it was time to check it out in person. The open house was THAT WEEKEND, December 17th, 2011, so I cleared my schedule and arrived the day before.

http://nyaa.edu/nyaa/admissions/visit.html

The open house was amazing, inspiring and completely shocking for how good the student work was, how open and welcoming everyone was and what the overall facilities looked like. I had the opportunity to show my portfolio to Peter Drake, the Dean Of Academic Affairs, who was positive and supportive with the work he saw of mine. His earlier presentation to the group moved me almost to the point of tears...which was strange but telling, and from that moment on I knew I had to be a part of that community. 

That night I met my dear friend David Weller for dinner and told him of the experience, the photo below is Weller in Heartland Brewery, Union Square with my sketchbook and the Prospective Students Guide on the Bar. 

It was that night that Dave first urged me to start a Blog and a Twitter account to document the entire process, and here we are 6 months later.

I came back to Boston and immediately started the application process...

The 2nd photo below is of the finished package just before I mailed it away. 

Dave Weller with Sketchbook and
NYAA Prospective Student Guide. 

Finished Application Package ready to mail.