Bridgeview School of Fine Arts

My child attended here as a beginner. Perhaps I was flawed to assume this was an art school where children were taught. but from our experience it is a really expensive babysitter.
I understand that possibly the teachers don’t teach unless they see potential.. Or a passionate interest from the children. but even if that was what was lacking from the students, shouldn’t the teachers communicate that?
No communication, the teacher didn’t teach. instead. it was 2 hours of babysitting in a place with art supplies.
I had hoped for something much much more. Techniques, perhaps perspectives. . A small intro to art. nothing crazy. But we got nothing out of it. The teachers never spoke to anyone. didn’t say hi, bye. it was very disengaging and uninterested.
If you have a child and are considering this place for a beginning step, look elsewhere. I feel it’s more for those who are already great at art. and need a quiet place with supplies.

I’ve been a student in the (adult) Intermediate oil painting & drawing class at Bridgeview for almost a year now, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Like some of the previous reviews have said, if you’re looking for an art teacher that will coddle you, tell you you’re an amazing artist and that you don’t need any improvements, this is probably not the school for you. If you want to do abstract art and aren’t interested in anything representational, same story. But after taking art classes at 2 other art schools before this (one being the now-​defunct 3^rd Ward in Brooklyn), I have improved much more at this school than at any others.
The teachers use a very classical approach, meaning that even if you’re a beginner, the way you learn is to just start painting or drawing and go from there. The teacher doesn’t necessarily do demos, but would rather see where you start and correct you from there. This lets you develop your own, unique style, something I’ve struggled with in other art classes where it feels you’re being pushed in a certain direction. It’s also a very intense class — it really feels like you’re working hard. We work mostly from observation or from copying old masters’ paintings which trains the eye to better recognize proportion, color, & etc.
I’ve seen some of the teenagers’ work in our class as well and it’s pretty impressive (I wish I could’ve taken classes here in middle/​high school!). I agree with other comments though, if your student is really serious about art this is a great class for them. If they just want to play around with some arts & crafts and maybe aren’t that serious about art this place probably isn’t the right fit.
The short story is I feel like I’ve improved here more in a year than in any of my other art classes, and even though it feels like hard work at times, it’s the only way to get better. Bridgeview is awesome.

This is an update and response to the owner’s comment.
The owner may believe the center is «warm» and «friendly». We never went back nor do we know anyone currently there. We did not find it so but may be it’s changed.
Perhaps warmth and friendliness and a nurturing environment are perceived differently in their culture; I don’t know.
Regarding the curriculum itself we’ve had no complaints to begin with.
BTW — The retired Middle School NYC Art Teacher we hired as a tutor was not someone who taught copying animé or paper tigers. She taught middle school programs in the NYC public school system from which many students went onto LaGuardia, Art & Design or Sinatra. I personally think that her years teaching students of all backgrounds and temperaments made her a great teacher for my son.

If you are looking for a school that will coddle your child this is not the place. If you are looking for a school where your child will actually learn the foundational skills of art then you should send them here. The program is more of a classical art school and if you have a child that seems like they are drawn to the arts then this would be a good school for them. My daughter has a knack for art but this school gave her the tools she needed to be able to realize her innate ability.
I wouldn’t recommend this school for kids that are not interested in art and just want to do some arts and crafts but if you really want your child to learn to master the form then this is a great school.

The school has a strict classical approach (see the photos of student work posted here on Unilocal). The teachers focus on teaching you the fundamentals of light/​shadow, mass, colors, etc. by drawing from life.
If you like the abstract (like Jackson Pollock, Kardinsky, Klee), the Art Students League will suit you better.
There is painting and drawing and sculpture class.
The teachers have strong art foundation.
The school’s website is up to date and has detail information.
Classes are on the weekend or week night.
The class for adult is smaller (8 – 12 students) than children (up to 20 sometimes?).
For students preparing for an art school (college-​level or La Guardia high school of art), the teachers can help the student prepare for the portfolio.
Most classes are held at the studio in Long Island City.
There are some classes meeting in other places such as Central Park, the Met Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History.
I like the class at the Met Museum the best.

My daughter has been attending Bridgeview for over a year now, and she (and we) couldn’t be happier with her experience. Starting at the school at age 7, we were looking for a place where she could nurture her strong interest in art and of course enjoy herself at the same time… needless to say we found what we were looking for. Her instructor Boris is simply phenomenal… both in his teaching ability, and in the rapport he has established with his young students. If allowed, my daughter could spend hours in class… as she never wants to leave when class is over. Boris has established a supportive, relaxed and a creatively nurturing atmosphere in class that any young person would more than enjoy and thrive in.
Thank you Bridgeview and keep up the good work! :-)