Fall 2026 Visionary Studio Applications Are Now Open!
FALL 2026 DATES
The Visionary Studio program will run for nine weeks from October 17 to December 19, 2026. No classes will run on Thanksgiving weekend (November 28).
Location: Department of Art and Art Professions, New York University, 34 Stuyvesant Street, New York, NY 10003
Classes take place on Saturdays from 10 am to 12 pm.
Visionary Studio: Saturday Art Workshop classes connect current social justice issues with dynamic art-making practices and media. Designed for high school students in the New York City area, participating students explore timely issues facing society such as climate change, racism and white supremacy, gender identity and bias, medical apartheid, economics, and politics by learning about the work of contemporary visual artists and drawing upon a rich array of innovative, multidisciplinary artistic approaches through which they can visually express their ideas.
Classes are taught by teams of Art Education students. Together, students and teachers consider how artists influence society. In workshop sessions, students experiment with techniques that include drawing, painting, printmaking, video, photography, 3-dimensional media, and installation to communicate their ideas about timely social and political issues. As part of the program, students participate in a final exhibition inviting parents, friends, teachers, and NYU faculty to see their work.
Classes are free and open to students with all levels of art experience!
Sessions run from 10 am to 12 pm on Saturday mornings.
High School students do not need a portfolio or any previous experience to apply.
FALL 2026 THEMES
Identity and Technology: How much AI am I?
AI is ever-present in our daily lives and access to information, and increasingly shapes the content we consume and how we connect with each other through social media and online platforms. How do we define ourselves in and outside of the technologies we use? Artists have always used technology to create art and explored how our identity is shaped. Contemporary artists who work with themes of identity and technology pose questions about who we are, authorship, authenticity, and originality in a time of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Through creative inquiry, this class will explore forms of visual representation and digital communication that question and provoke dialogue about what it means to be human in our particular time and place in the world.
Beauty and Representation: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?
Standards of beauty have shifted over the course of human history, reflecting dominant ideas about identity and power in relation to colonialism, and globalization. Beauty is also shaped by our personal beliefs and values. So how does beauty exist in the eye of the beholder, and how is it shaped by social, political, and cultural forces? And where have artists been part of this conversation? Looking at the work of artists through time, and particularly contemporary artists, this class will explore the complicated concept of beauty and the ways it is described and valued in different cultures and contexts. Using a variety of creative media, this class will not only reflect on what beauty means, but explore how dominant and exclusionary concepts of beauty can be disrupted and reimagined.
Immigration in the US: Who can be American today?
During the current moment of anti-immigrant deportations and violence in the United States, artists are actively contributing to nationwide resistance to ICE and support for impacted communities. Artists have created visual signage and creative messaging during protests, honored individuals impacted by the violence, contributed to local and national memorials, and asked questions about who is considered a citizen and what rights and responsibilities they should have - pushing towards policy and legal reform. In this class, we’ll use art as an opportunity to share knowledge about and experiences of immigration. We will also gain inspiration from contemporary artists to create more public conversations about the realities of immigration and citizenship in the United States.
Neighborhood Change and Gentrification: Where goes the neighborhood?
The New York City skyline looks different every day, and neighborhoods in all 5 boroughs are changing in response to the development of new luxury housing and rising rent costs. This class will use multi-media art as a lens to understand how communities are impacted by gentrification, especially BIPOC and marginalized communities who are pushed out of changing neighborhoods. Artists are also impacted by these changes, and create work that describes and critiques how gentrification and neighborhood change impacts the people who have lived in neighborhoods the longest. Inspired by contemporary artists and contemporary experiences of living in the city, we’ll explore how artists and creative activism can raise awareness about housing rights and resist community displacement.
Dollars and Sense: Where does my money go?
The cost of groceries, gas, clothing, and even Metrocards just keeps going up! Where is all this money going, and what can we do about the rising costs of daily surviving and thriving? Artists often use strategies of creative reuse, recycling, and reimaging the materials and tools for art and life. This class will use a variety of artistic experiences and media to investigate the landscape of consumption and affordability in New York City, and explore how we can do more with less through creative and critical art making. In times of scarcity, how can we think from an abundance mindset, and use our creativity to identify and take advantage of the many resources and opportunities around us?
Make Art, Not War! What can art do in times of crisis?
Throughout history, art and war have been intertwined. Artists have always been at the forefront of resistance to war and human suffering. From ancient murals to modern photography, artists have documented conflict by simultaneously glorifying war and military power as well as showing the brutalities of war. The issue of aestheticization of war and pain is one that artists need to consider in order for their work to have an impact. We are in a moment of intense global conflict and this class will explore how artists raise awareness and offer new visions and hope in dark times. From war in the Middle East and Palestine, to climate destruction and global pandemics, how can art give voice to resistance and dissent, and propose alternate ways of living in peace?
Please email visionarystudio@nyu.edu with any questions.
The NYU Art+Education Visionary Studios Saturday Workshop is a theme-based studio art program that addresses significant social issues and the ways in which art and artists influence society. Participating high school students choose from different themes and draw upon a rich array of innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to visually express their ideas.
Each year Visionary Studios: Saturday Workshop classes explore current issues and timely social themes. Find out more about past themes and see examples of student artwork and final exhibitions on our program blog.
Student Testimonials
From High School Students:
“I was so happy to meet people who share my ideas and want to make a change in our society.”
“ I didn’t realize how we as humans are affecting our selves and our planet. I was surprised that so many artists use climate change as a subject in their art.”
“ I learned how important it is to be an activist.”
From Grad Students:
“What I appreciated most about Visionary Studios is that both the teachers and students sustainably embraced the unknown in their respective creative work. I was working with students and we trusted each other every step of the way. That was a gift.”