Art and Design High School

Art and Design is a vibrant school that offers hands-on training in commercial arts including animation, architecture, cartooning, fashion, film, graphic design, illustration and photography. Students participate in internships in the industry and earn professional certifications in a range of skills. The school, which attracts students from across the city, offers extra support for struggling learners and advanced and college level courses for high achievers.

Founded in 1936, Art and Design counts many prominent figures among its alumni including Tony Bennett, Harvey Fierstein, Calvin Klein and Art Spielgelman. Many of its teachers are working artists and the school's industry partners and network of loyal alumni provide a steady stream of internships and employment opportunities for students and graduates.

Manuel Urea, former school leader of Repertory Company High School, became principal in January, 2016 and quickly made some big changes. He switched the school from a triple to single session, so all students start and end their school day at the same time. He created a student council, and at students' request, agreed to let seniors who are in good academic standing leave the building for lunch. Teachers now have more time for professional development, collaboration and parent outreach; students have a say in school decisions and all are available at the same time to participate in after-school activities.

Walk into any of the art classes and you'll see talented and engaged students in action. We observed fashion students designing their ready-to-wear lines inspired by different periods in history. Illustration students refined digital collages inspired by the Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo. In a film class, students offered a scene-by-scene critique of a classmate's work.

Writing, oral presentations and technology are constants in all arts classes. Students craft artist statements and share their work and research with peers. The school's numerous computer labs are full each period with students crafting and editing work as well as converting their creations into digital form, an essential skill that artists need to market their work.

In academic classes there's a mix of teaching styles. Group work dominates in some, while teacher-directed lessons are the norm elsewhere. Regardless of the class structure, teachers build in time for student discussion and reflection.

English and history classes are scheduled back-to-back so teachers can coordinate lessons between the two subjects. For instance, while 11th-graders are reading 'The Crucible, in English--Arthur Miller's play about the Salem witch trials that's an allegory about McCarthyism--they're learning about McCarthyism in their United States history class.

For an arts-focused school, there's a nice range of science courses. In addition to traditional Regents courses in earth science, living environment, chemistry and physics there are elective courses in forensics as well as Advanced Placement (AP) options in chemistry, biology, environmental science and psychology.

Qualifying students may take courses at Hunter College and there's a nice range of AP courses. Spanish and French are taught in class settings for one year and after that students may continue their studies via online coursework.

Art and Design is housed on six floors of a contemporary building in midtown Manhattan that it shares with PS 59. There's a myriad of well-equipped art studios and academic classrooms, an expansive gymnasium, a fitness room equipped with cardio and weight-training equipment, and a bright and airy cafeteria adorned with a stain glass mural designed by Art Spiegelman.

All students have a prep class built into their schedule, which in the lower grades focuses on Regents exams and in the upper grades focuses on SAT and Advanced Placement exams. College and SAT prep classes are also offered on Saturdays.

After graduation, some students get jobs, but many choose to attend art schools such as Cooper Union, Parsons, Pratt, Rhode Island School of Design as well as CUNY and SUNY schools and private institutions.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: There are ICT classes and SETSS.

ADMISSIONS: Open to students citywide. For admissions to all programs, students must audition and submit an art portfolio. Admissions decisions also take into account students' grades, test scores and record of lateness and attendance. (Laura Zingmond, October 2016; updated September 2018)