Most students who come to the Florence Academy intend to work professionally as painters or sculptors in the figurative tradition. We understand the challenges of this choice, and place great importance on bringing visibility to the artwork you produce.
To further support the professional careers of our advanced students and graduates, we organized exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world.

The Alumni Exhibition has taken place in London (1993 and 1997), San Francisco (1995), Atlanta and Ocala, Florida (1996), New York (1997), Gothenburg, Sweden (1999), Germany and New York (2003 and 2014). Since 2005, an annual Alumni Exhibition has been held in Florence at the stables of the Corsini family home, and became a biennial event in 2009. Dealers, patrons and friends from around the world are invited to attend.

Students who apply to The Florence Academy of Art have an intense desire for this specific training. They seek a language based on tradition handed down by masters from the pas, and the tools to convey their ideas with confidence through the oil or clay mediums. A common visual aesthetic draws them to the classical world (and its renaissance in Florence) to build an artistic vocabulary where beauty and ideas are intrinsic to art.

There are currently 100 students enrolled in the Florence program, and 28 students in Mölndal, from 35 different countries. Beginning students are encouraged to observe and learn from the work of the more advanced who, in turn, can have the opportunity to work as student teachers.

Entry to The Florence Academy of Art is based on a review of five reproductions of recent drawings, paintings or sculpture. The faculty makes its selections based on the applicant’s interest in figurative realism, whether she or he attempts to draw, paint or sculpt from life, and whether she or he shows some raw talent.

Students with prior training in academic drawing may be allowed to enter at an intermediate level. The student’s level upon entry (beginning or intermediate) is determined by the faculty from the five images of recent work upon application.

Entry to our program is competitive, although we manage to eventually find places for most applicants. For those applicants who are not immediately invited to join the program, they may be put on the wait list.

Some applicants have said they hesitated to apply to The Florence Academy of Art because “my work is not as good as the work by your students on your site.” Our mission is to train you to achieve those same skills, and possibly surpass them, by providing you a curriculum, teaching method and studio environment based on the soundest principles of realistic tradition, and an intellectually stimulating community fostered by the students, teachers and staff at The Florence Academy of Art.

FAA/Sweden is an international school. Our students come from all over the world, and our network of galleries and alumni extends far beyond the two countries we operate in. At the same time we appreciate the special quality of our environs, and keep a local touch to the school. We would love to tell you more about living in Sweden. Or maybe you want to get in contact with currently enrolled students to hear what they think about living in Scandinavia is like? Send us an email and tell us a little bit about who you are.

Students who are non-EU citizens may require a student residence permit (study visa) from their local Swedish embassy or consulate. The documentation required to obtain a permit will be provided by The Florence Academy of Art in the acceptance packet. It is recommended that students start the visa application process immediately upon confirmation of their acceptance. You can visit the website for the Swedish migration agency, Migrationsverket, to learn more and apply here.

As a Scandinavian student you will find yourself in an international study environment – at home. You will enjoy the benefits of studying within Scandinavia while studying with classmates from around the world. Students may transfer seamlessly into the same level among Florence, New York Metro or Mölndal without experiencing any difference in the curriculum or instructional language, or they may spend a trimester of study as an exchange student at a different location.

The Florence Academy of Art in Sweden is officially recognized by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education and has been approved for CSN. Through CSN, Swedish students may receive study assistance from the Swedish state to fund their studies at The Florence Academy of Art in Sweden. Students from Norway, Denmark and Finland may use this recognition to apply for funding from their respective countries.

The study assistance is of type B1, which means the same conditions as for college or university studies.