Mission
To foster the creative and intellectual development of young people through quality visual arts programs directed by professional artists, and collaborate with and enhance the capacity of those who provide and support arts programming for youth.

The Studio in a School Philosophy
At the heart of all STUDIO programs are in-depth collaborations with schools and community-based organizations that range from one semester to five years. Artists develop relationships with program administrators, teachers, and parents, and our skilled program staff builds partnerships and facilitates collaborative planning. STUDIO provides funding, facilities, materials, and training that enable art making to become a part of each child’s school day as well as an ongoing part of the school curriculum.

STUDIO’s programs foster children’s respect for creativity and develop art vocabulary and observation skills. Our students learn crucial critical-thinking skills and how to communicate effectively with teachers and peers. The arts experiences that we offer are often linked to classroom curriculum, giving students the opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning through creative expression. While children gain the valuable experience of making art and learn how to verbalize their creative process, their participation in the arts extends to learning in other disciplines and promotes good oral, written, and problem-solving skills.

Our programs are taught by professional artists, who bring their unique perspective to the classroom and express genuine enthusiasm for their work. STUDIO artists demonstrate professional achievement, creative skill at teaching young people, and the ability to work with teachers to develop in-school programs. Each artist works alongside a classroom teacher, presenting art activities to the teacher and students, and introducing the way in which an art teacher works. This partnership allows the students to explore their creativity while teachers grow as arts educators, learning how to integrate visual arts into the academic curriculum.

History
Since 1977, Studio in a School has enriched over 600,000 children’s lives in New York City's five boroughs with the creativity of the visual arts. STUDIO’s unique method brings professional artists into school and community organizations to lead classes in drawing, printmaking, painting, and sculpting, and work with teachers to link art with other academic subjects.

During the financial crisis of the mid-1970s, New York City virtually eliminated the budget for arts education in the public schools. In response, Agnes Gund, philanthropist and President Emerita of The Museum of Modern Art, founded Studio in a School. Partnering with administrators, artists, supporters, and members of the New York City Board of Education, STUDIO dedicated itself to providing students with a full and meaningful visual arts experience. We establish multi-year partnerships between artists and educators designed to develop age-appropriate art programs, and we offer professional guidance to teachers and administrators at participating sites.

Building on almost 30 years of experience, STUDIO expanded its reach in 2004 with an unprecedented partnership with the Department of Education to revitalize the arts curriculum. The resulting Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts is the first comprehensive, multi-dimensional kindergarten through 12th grade framework for arts education ever designed for use throughout the New York City school system. Thomas Cahill, STUDIO’s President and CEO, and Barbara Gurr, Director of the Visual Arts in the DOE’s Office of the Arts and Special Projects, served as co-chairs of the DOE committee that created this revolutionary Blueprint. STUDIO is now taking the lead in ensuring that all of New York City's art teachers master the Blueprint's core curriculum.

STUDIO provides programs to more than 170 schools throughout the five boroughs. Every year, over 90 professional artists devote some 45,000 hours to more than 30,000 pre-k through high school students and around 2,500 teachers. About 90% of all children who participate in our programs come from low-income homes.

Since its beginning, STUDIO has provided more than $60 million in services on behalf of young art students to more than 600 schools, child care centers, Head Start programs, and community organizations -- now over $5 million annually. These numbers grow every day as STUDIO's programs succeed in enriching young people's lives with art.

Student artwork may be seen throughout the city in various exhibitions sponsored by STUDIO and other organizations.