Admissions

Developing Your Portfolio During this course, we will work one on one to develop or add to a body of work while applying to the design school of your choice. Your learning experience will be customized to building your skill sets and understanding creative concepts while you create new work. Our goal is to see you grow technically and creatively while producing your strongest possible portfolio. 

Branding and Design

Designing Brand Identity Are you looking to revitalize an existing brand identity or launch a new one? Want to increase your power of creativity to define, build and grow your client’s brands?

Good design plays an essential role in creating brands that fuel recognition and make big ideas and meanings accessible through a unified system. Good brand design connects to the intended audience’s emotions and touches their heart, prompting them to fall in love or take action.

In this exciting course, you will begin by learning how to identify brand attributes and create a map to build a brand’s design strategy through mission, vision, values, personality, corporate structure, and your intended audience - including the competition. You will then learn brand identity design basics, principle elements of design, creative development from research to problem-solving, conceptual development and ideation, design direction (typeface choices, colors, graphics), and how to refine logo ideas to arrive at a final brand identity. We will then discuss how to expand the brand to the deliverables and touch point experiences such as websites, packaging, publications, social networks, products, banners, environments, and blogs.

Our mission is to set you up for success and to help you make a positive impact that benefits you and your client.

Fashion Media & Photography

Fashion Media: Creating a Fashion Magazine in Print and Online

Do you want to shape fashion culture and influence people across your city, country or internationally? Then take your creative vision and turn it into a fashion magazine!

Whether creating a new business, producing a portfolio project for admissions/jobs or expanding your personal brand and raising visibility, there are a number of reasons for launching a fashion magazine. When so many magazines exist, paying equal attention to visual identity, written content and your audience is essential. How do you make a visually exciting magazine? How does its content speak directly to its audience? Whether influencer collaborations or exciting promotional events, magazines are increasingly turning to new ways of marketing themselves in the age of social media. In this course we will look at all of those possibilities as we take you from concept to production. In a step by step process students will learn to ideate, design, research and create their very own fashion magazine.

Fashion Photography: Creating, Planning, and Producing Fashion Images

Are you excited about a career as a fashion photographer?  Would you like to learn more about the fashion industry and how a professional fashion shoot is run? This class we will focus on the details that make the difference between a good and great fashion image. The course will give you an overview of the history of fashion photography as well as provide a working knowledge of; current trends in clothing, hair, make-up, styling, working with a model, and producing a fashion shoot. Working New York models, make up artists, producers, magazine editors, and wardrobe stylists will join us in class to discuss their role on set and give you insight into the fashion industry. 

Fashion Styling for Celebrities, Television, and Editorial

Working as a fashion stylist is a mix of creativity, personal style, and professionalism. You need to balance your creativity and personal vision with the needs of your client. Few do this as well as Cannon, an award winning celebrity stylist, fashion editor and creative director who has styled a range of clients including Michael Jackson, Angeline Jolie, casts of the Today Show and Project Runway, among many others. Learn the business and creative side of styling as you are taken step by step through the creative process, preproduction, and working on set, and post production. The process will include creating mood boards, pre-production, introduction to styliung, balancing a budget, & sourcing designers, managing a. client's needs, understanding sizing, & managing social media. A rare inside look into the world of styling from one of the best. 

Professional Practice: The Business of Fine Art & The Business of Photography

The Business of Fine Art

During this course you will learn how art galleries, not for profit spaces, museums, and auction houses find, market and sell artwork. We will also look at alternatives to galleries for exhibiting, promoting, and selling your artwork. By the end of the course you will understand how various art markets function, who collectors are and why they purchase certain types of art, and the steps necessary to build a career in the fine arts.

Thomas Werner, former owner of Thomas Werner Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea Art District, author of an upcoming book on fine art photography for Routledge Publishing, international curator, and exhibited fine art photographer who has been reviewed in the New Yorker Magazine, will share his experiences about these topics and much more. He will explain how to market and promote your art work, build a relationship with a gallery, and what happens when you get an exhibition. He will also help you identify realistic goals in the fine art world and how to maximize results based on those expectations. All while you create new images to build your portfolio or develop a body of work for exhibition.

Grant Writing

Grant writing is a perfect way for an artist to fund the development, production, and distribution of their work while building credibility and raising visibility within the artistic community. Despite the many benefits that grants offer only a small percentage of artists and others take advantage of them. There are a number of reasons for this including a lack of knowledge about the process, an inability to find an appropriate funding source, and the perceived difficulty of writing a successful grant application, among others. These need not be barriers to funding your work. In addition to an understanding of the process there are a few clear steps that can increase the possibility for success and demystify the grant writing and application process.

In this course we will review various sources of funding for exhibitions, events, research, and personal projects and the difference between writing for a grant, catalog, funding, blogs, and social media. To this end, students will conceive, develop, and complete a grant for a project..

Photography

Portraits: Developing Your Personal Style 

This workshop is designed to inspire you to execute the art of the portrait with your own unique style & vision from start to finish. 

How do you approach and interact with the subject and gain their trust and confidence? Will your shoot take place in the studio or on location?  What lighting techniques will you execute to achieve your goal?  How will you edit the image in Photoshop for your final presentation? 

Through my own experience and broad body of work, I want to share insights on how I've approached these problems both creatively and efficiently. Together we will discuss and dissect portraiture and I’ll give various demonstrations on lighting techniques and simple Photoshop methods. With over 25 years of experience in the industry I’ve worked with various personalities and have lots of insight on how to connect with and make your subject feel that they are part of the creative process. Students will have a blast and will come away with a fresh outlook on creating compelling portraits with impactful results.

e you interested in expanding your skills as a photographer? Do you want to develop a portfolio for fine art, commercial use, to apply for school or university, or to create photographs to show your friends? This course will help you learn more about the world of photography, and develop your skills as a photographer technically, conceptually, and visually. Learn new ways of seeing and creating as we work one on one or in a small group to expand your skill set and improve your photographs.

Social Media

Social Media for Creatives

Whether you are a photographer, designer, illustrator, art director, or working in another creative field a strong social media presence is an essential component for your success. Social media is a great place to share your new creative content, build your brand, network with other creatives, get your audience engaged with your work, and turn a profit. This course will bring clarity and simplicity to the process of building a strong media presence, and provide step by step methods for bringing your social media up to date. From building a targeted social media strategy to curating your feed, you’ll learn everything you need to build your following. This course will cover a variety of social media platforms including but not limited to Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Television

Creating and Pitching a TV Show for Streaming, Cable, or Network

This is a rare opportunity to work one on one or with Emmy award winning producer and program creator Maria Baltazzi as you learn the essential elements for a successful television program. Maria will walk you through a step by step process to create a strong show concept and then write and present an effective pitch. Learn what movie studios, streaming services, cable stations, and TV channels are looking for when they receive and review a pitch for a new program and how the process really works. Upon completion of the course you will have a finished proposal.

If a mentee presents a strong pitch for their final presentation that fits Maria’s slate of projects and is appropriate for the marketplace, Maria will personally take it to a studio or production company for consideration. Please note this is not a guarantee, projects will be considered based on their merit, and the needs of the marketplace.

Preparing and Completing Your Portfolio and Application The process of applying to a design school can be daunting. While completing applications for your university(s) of choice, you will receive individual instruction throughout the process. This course includes curating your portfolio, preparing your statement of purpose and supporting documents along with other application requirements.

Fashion Media: Writing for Fashion Magazines and Digital Media

Do you write to write about fashion but don’t know where to start? 

Writing for fashion media is a unique opportunity. You may cover runways, review collections, work with editors, interview fashion designers, stylists, influencers and celebrities. At the same time, your work will help shape public opinion about life style and important issues of the day – think gender, culture, politics, and identity. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of fashion writing by exploring various fashion stories and formats. In the age of social media, fashion writing has also expanded its platforms providing a number of options for you to work with various publications or build and expand your brand. Whether writing about trends, fashion events or reflective articles, we will provide practical guidance and skills to understand what makes an interesting well-written piece that will engage your audience. If you want to write for digital magazines, websites, or branded Instagram stories, the course provides a head start to developing a unique point of view while also being a part of the fashion industry dialogue.

Fashion Accessories: Creating A Statement

In the ever changing and multifaceted world of fashion accessories are the statements and accents that complete a look and let the world know who you are. They are the difference between an outfit, photograph, or fashion film that looks average and one that makes a statement to the world. In this class you will explore a range of fashion accessories, handbags, shoes, jewelry and millinery are but a few.

The course will begin with overview of the accessories industry including trends, materials, cultural environment, consumer concerns and available technology. You will then choose one specific category, such as handbags, to develop into a three-piece collection of your own.

Your Career as a Fine Art Photographer

The world of fine art photography is transforming as rapidly as the commercial marketplace. Creating and properly marketing a body of fine art work is instrumental in building a career as a fine artist, and diversifying your revenue streams while at the same time keeping your vision fresh and alive. Learn how art galleries, museums, and the secondary art market select, exhibit and sell work. 

What is a fine art photograph? What is the correct market for your fine art work and how do you reach that market? How should you present your work to galleries, and create marketing materials and a Website? What expectations does a gallery have, and what does a gallery contract look like? Thomas Werner, former owner of Thomas Werner Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea Art District, author of an upcoming book on fine art photography for Routledge Publishing, international curator, and exhibited fine art photographer who has been reviewed in the New Yorker Magazine, will share his experiences about these topics and much more. He will explain how to build a relationship with a gallery and what happens when you get an exhibition. He will also help you identify realistic goals in the fine art world and how to maximize results based on those expectations. All while you create new images to build your portfolio or develop a body of work for exhibition.

The Artist As A Producer

This course will explore the role of the photographer, fine artist, designer, as a curator, collaborator, project producer, blogger, author, and speaker. The class will help students develop an understanding of the role of the curator, and how to define and execute the concept of an exhibition. Students will also acquire a working knowledge of the multiple facets of producing a panel discussion, lecture, creating artists collaboratives, and exploring the role of new/social media and how these skills apply to a creative career.

Various sources of funding for exhibitions, events, research, and personal projects will also be discussed. We will also review the difference between writing for a grant, catalog, funding, blogs, and social media. To this end, students will conceive, develop as well as produce projects, and manifest them in the public space.

Photography

Are you interested in expanding your skills as a photographer? Do you want to develop a portfolio for fine art, commercial use, to apply for school or university, or to create photographs to show your friends? This course will help you learn more about the world of photography, and develop your skills as a photographer technically, conceptually, and visually. Learn new ways of seeing and creating as we work one on one or in a small group to expand your skill set and improve your photographs.

Imagining Shoot Concepts: Creating Impactful Images 

Whether you are producing your own photo shoot or working as part of a creative team, coming up with a strong idea for your shoot is the first step in bringing a great photograph to life. In this class you will learn how to develop your ideas, help your creative team understand and execute your vision, and produce innovative photographs.

Being a good art director for your own shoots requires a lot of preparation. You will review the importance of research, where to find inspiration, how to create mood boards, the importance of themes, pre-photo shoot preparation, acting techniques for inspiring models, methods of observation, thinking outside the box, and understanding your client and their needs. Developing these skills will make you a much stronger photographer.

If a mentee presents a strong work ethic and portfolio that fits Mia and Irk Magazine’s slate of projects and is appropriate for the marketplace, Maria will consider the work for publication in IRK Magazine or on the IRK web site. Work will also be considered for the upcoming IRK Gallery in Arles, France. Please note this is not a guarantee, projects will be considered based on their merit, and the needs of the marketplace.

Social Media for Small Businesses

A strong social media presence is an essential component of any small business’s success. According to Sprout Social, social media fuels bottom line growth and brand awareness. In fact, 89% of consumers buy from a brand that they follow on social media! In this class, you will learn how to grow your brand’s social media presence with the goal of increasing your store sessions, brand awareness, and brand trust - all of which lead to increased sales. From developing a targeted social media strategy to building your target audience, you’ll learn everything you need to grow your business.