Master Your Craft

Personalized, studio-driven programs designed for artists ready to define their creative direction in Florence

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Where artistic vision meets historical depth

The Florence School of Fine Arts offers an alternative to traditional graduate programs— a place where mentorship is personal, studio time is abundant, and the city itself becomes your classroom. Our Master programs are designed for artists who want focused development, not standardized curricula.

Two Semesters

Master in Visual Arts

A Personalized, Studio-Driven Program

A highly personalized program designed for artists who want to define, refine, and fully realize their creative direction. Rather than following a fixed curriculum, students work closely with faculty mentors to identify their individual visual language, conceptual interests, and material practices.

  • Semester One: Discovery & Direction through intensive studio practice
  • Semester Two: Realization & Professional Practice with thesis project
  • One-on-one mentorship model focused on your unique artistic voice
  • Preparation for MFA-level study, residencies, or independent practice
Two Semesters

Master in Visual Arts

A Personalized, Studio-Driven Program in Florence

A two-semester program where students work closely with faculty mentors to identify their individual visual language, conceptual interests, and material practices. Painting, printmaking, photography, book arts, and art history function as interconnected studios.

Semester One

Discovery & Direction through intensive studio practice, material exploration, and critical dialogue.

Semester Two

Realization & Professional Practice—pursue an independent, mentored thesis project and prepare for exhibition.

What You'll Gain

  • A cohesive and resolved body of work
  • Clear artistic direction
  • Professional presentation experience
  • Preparation for MFA programs or independent practice

Ideal For

  • Emerging and mid-career artists
  • Students preparing for MFA applications
  • Artists reconnecting with material practice
  • Creatives ready for serious, independent work
Certificate Program

Printmaking

Process, Multiples, and Contemporary Print Practice

Designed for artists proficient in print media who wish to deepen technical mastery and explore conceptual possibilities. Work across intaglio, relief, lithography, screenprint, and photo-based processes.

Certificate Program

Master Certificate in Printmaking

Process, Multiples, and Contemporary Print Practice

Deepen technical mastery and explore the conceptual possibilities of print across intaglio, relief, lithography, screenprint, and photo-based processes.

What You'll Study

  • Intaglio (etching, aquatint, drypoint, mezzotint)
  • Relief printing (woodcut, linocut, wood engraving)
  • Lithography (stone and plate)
  • Screenprint (photo and hand-drawn)
  • Photo-based and hybrid processes
  • Print as object and installation

Program Emphasis

  • Material knowledge and editioning
  • Collaboration and professional standards
  • Contemporary print practice
  • Florence's rich print history as foundation
Certificate Program

Painting

Technical Mastery & Contemporary Practice

An intensive, studio-based program for experienced painters. Rooted in classical training and contemporary inquiry, balancing rigorous studio time with materials seminars and professional development in Florence.

Certificate Program

Master Certificate in Painting

Technical Mastery & Contemporary Practice

Intensive studio-based program designed for experienced painters to deepen technical mastery, expand conceptual approaches, and develop sustained professional practice.

Fall Session: Foundation & Mastery

  • Advanced studio practice with weekly critiques
  • Materials & surface: pigments, grounds, supports
  • Drawing for painting: gesture and structure
  • Advanced color theory and systems
  • Paint traditions in Italian art seminar

Spring Session: Integration & Exhibition

  • Independent mentored thesis project
  • Intermedia approaches: collage, photo, print integration
  • Installation and exhibition strategies
  • Professional practices: portfolio and residencies
  • Final thesis exhibition and jury critique

Studio Facilities

Large north-lit studios, materials library, preparation areas, and access to cross-disciplinary labs for traditional and experimental approaches.

Certificate Program

Photography

Image, Process, and Visual Narrative

Supports photographers ready to advance their practice through sustained projects, historical inquiry, and exhibition-based work. Combining analogue and digital processes with emphasis on series development.

Certificate Program

Master Certificate in Photography

Image, Process, and Visual Narrative

Advance your practice through sustained projects, historical inquiry, and exhibition-based work combining analogue and digital processes.

What You'll Study

  • Series development and visual narrative
  • Analogue processes and darkroom techniques
  • Digital capture and post-production
  • Photographic book arts and sequencing
  • Installation and expanded practice
  • Critical and historical context

Program Outcomes

  • Public exhibition and professional portfolio
  • Engagement with Florence's visual culture
  • Preparation for fine art, editorial, or curatorial careers
Certificate Program

Book Arts

The Book as Artistic Form

Explores the book as a site of visual, tactile, and conceptual expression. Integrating typography, letterpress, printmaking, papermaking, and binding.

Certificate Program

Master Certificate in Book Arts

The Book as Artistic Form

Explore the book as a site of visual, tactile, and conceptual expression in Florence—one of the birthplaces of print culture.

What You'll Study

  • Typography and letterpress printing
  • Papermaking and paper manipulation
  • Traditional and experimental binding
  • Artist's book design and structure
  • Book-based installation
  • Integration with printmaking and photography

Program Focus

  • Develop artist's books that investigate narrative and materiality
  • Bridge historical traditions with contemporary practice
  • Study in the city where book culture was born
Certificate Program

Art History

Art History as Lived Inquiry

An immersive approach to the study of art, architecture, and visual culture from Renaissance to present through seminars and site-based learning.

Certificate Program

Master Certificate in Art History

Art History as Lived Inquiry

An immersive approach to art, architecture, and visual culture from the Renaissance to present—with Florence as your classroom.

What You'll Study

  • Renaissance art and architecture
  • Baroque and Early Modern periods
  • 19th and 20th century movements
  • Contemporary art and visual culture
  • Museum studies and curatorial practice
  • Art historical methodologies

Program Approach

  • Direct engagement with art in original contexts
  • Site-based learning and archival research
  • Close visual analysis in museums and churches
  • Preparation for research, museum, or academic careers

What Distinguishes FSFA

Artist-Founded Structure

Created by practicing artists, with curricula shaped through ongoing studio practice and professional experience.

One-on-One Mentorship

Personalized guidance from established artists and educators. Your journey is unique, and your mentorship reflects that.

Florence as Studio

The city becomes both studio and catalyst—a place where historical depth and contemporary life continuously inform the making process.

Professional Development

Leave with a cohesive body of work, clear artistic direction, and preparation for MFA programs, residencies, or independent practice.

Material Focus

Access to world-class facilities for printmaking, painting, photography, and book arts. Technique matters here.