Palette And Chisel Academy of Fine Arts

Specialties

Are you one of those people that have skills and talents in the visual arts but need a place that allows you to grow in your gift Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, located in Chicago, IL on Chicago’s Gold Coast, is the place for you. It is a non-​profit educational institution that consists of artists wanting to fine-​tune their artistic skills through classes, workshops and exhibitions. We offer art classes in oil painting, drawing, watercolor and sculpture. We provide more than 60 hours per week of open studio sessions with live models. The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts is the premier institution for figure drawing, painting and sculpting.

We also offer:

? Artist memberships

? Student memberships

? Exhibits and workshops

? Studio rental

? Open studio sessions

? Full time and part time classes

The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts values our students’ growth. The new members join as Associate Members, then after one year they can become Artist Members with additional benefits and responsibilities. These are just a few of the benefits that our organization can offer.

Call the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts today for a catalog, membership details and class information!

History

Established in 1895.

The Palette & Chisel was founded in 1895 by art students in an evening class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago who grew weary of their charcoal studies. They wanted to paint in color, which was rather difficult since most of them worked six days a week and the Art Institute did not offer Sunday programs. Consequently, they formed the Palette & Chisel Club for the purpose of painting the figure from life under conditions of natural light.

In 1921, to accommodate their burgeoning numbers, members pooled their money and purchased a three-​story Italianate mansion at 1012 North Dearborn. It was one of the first buildings to be built in the neighborhood after the great fire of 1871.

Early supporters of the organization included: Charlie Russell, Alphonse Mucha, William Merrit Chase and George Bellows. Walter Ufer, Victor Higgins and Martin Hennings began their art careers at the Palette & Chisel and later became famous in the West as painters in the Taos School.

Meet the Manager

William E.

Manager

William E. has been the Executive Director for the last 12 years. He oversees all business operations of the Palette & Chisel. This involves controlling a budget that exceeds $ 500,000 annually. William supervises any construction projects performed in the building. He is responsible for membership development and retention.

William oversees the school of the Palette & Chisel, which has more than 20 courses per semester. He is responsible for collecting information for and writing the newsletter, which has a circulation of 2,300. He heads all fundraising efforts, which includes organizing several events a year as well as grant research and writing. The Executive Director also acts as a liaison between the membership and the Board of Directors.