SACI was founded in 1975 to create a complete program in Florence for students seeking excellence in studio art and liberal arts instruction at the United States university level. In 1999, after twenty-four years of activity and growth, SACI had the extraordinary good fortune to acquire as its permanent home the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, a Renaissance building right in the center of Florence. This advantageous location provides highly dynamic surroundings for art education.

The palazzo was dedicated in the seventeenth century to the scientist Galileo Galilei by his pupil Viviani. On the façade there are large scrolls which describe the extraordinary achievements of Galileo. The 29,000 square foot palazzo surrounds a large traditional Italian garden. The spacious light-filled interiors have been conserved in their original baroque magnificence, including the painted ceilings and frescoed walls.

SACI provides a stimulating educational experience that draws upon the rich cultural resources of both past and present Italy. The inspiring and well-equipped facilities of the palazzo and separate Graduate Center are located a few steps from Michelangelo's Medici Chapel, the Laurentian Library, the Duomo, the church of Santa Maria Novella, and the bustling activity of Florence's central market.

Studio Art Centers International is recognized as one of the leading overseas institutions in the areas of studio art, art history, art conservation and Italian language and culture. Our long experience in the field of overseas education has led us to develop five programs which are fully described in the following links. Separate materials are available which give more detailed information about our Two Year Diploma, Post-Baccalaureate, and MFA programs.

It is part of our goal to make Italy's abundant resources available and pertinent to studio art, art history and art conservation students through field trips and course work. Rome, Milan, Lucca, Arezzo, Bologna, Carrara, Assisi, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Faenza, Urbino, and Pietrasanta are visited over the course of the year by classes in SACI's programs, as well as the major museums, churches, and monuments of Florence.

In addition, courses in studio art, art history and art conservation make use of field trips to artists' studios, private collections, galleries, art fairs, professional designers' studios, and manufacturers of Italian design products. SACI students have access to modern art collections and contemporary art museums, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Prato, the Marino Marini Museum in Florence, and the Contemporary Art Museum of the Papesse in Siena. For students of art conservation, there is the unique opportunity to participate in the conservation of works housed in the Conservatorio di Santa Maria degli Angioli, a special cultural arrangement by SACI with the city of Florence.

SACI's growing library has over 7,000 schoolwork related titles in English to choose from, as well as a good selection of art periodicals and works of fiction. As the library is specifically designed for use by students enrolled in SACI classes and research projects, this is an invaluable resource. The library is open seven days a week and hours are posted each term. Books may be checked out for one week at a time. Students can sign out video cassettes from SACI’s video library and use the VCR in the aula magna. Complete art history bibliographies are also available to help students locate books and materials in other Florentine libraries, to which our students have access. For example, all of our students can also use the documentation center at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Prato and the British Institute library.

SACI has a Visiting Artist Program, and also holds important exhibitions in its Gallery, including a series of exhibitions, in collaboration with Florence's cultural offices, which feature emerging and established artists. Many visiting artists are members of the SACI Artists Council, a group of internationally renowned artists who support SACI and its mission. The school also hosts an evening lecture series to complement curricular offerings. Our speakers include artists, art historians, conservators, museum directors, curators, critics, and scholars specializing in art, art history, conservation, and other aspects of Italian culture and life including politics, music, literature, and history. Additional evening activities open to students include life drawing classes, film screenings, and introductory courses on Italian culture and food.

SACI's extensive language program includes unique features. In our Italian Language Partner Program, students are introduced to a selected group of Italian students and young professionals who accompany their SACI partners to interesting local events and activities. This encourages SACI students to practice their language skills and has proved an extremely rewarding experience for many of our students.

In addition to the many site visits which are part of our courses, optional trips are usually offered to Naples, Pompei, Herculaneum, and Venice. Over mid-term break, optional week-long trips have been offered to Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne, or, as graduate workshops, to Geneva and London. Information regarding a wide range of travel, sport, and cultural activities is available through SACI. For more than twenty-five years, SACI has proved to be a stimulating environment for the serious student of art, design, art history, and art conservation. Many of our alumni attribute their professional success to their time at SACI. If you are seeking a creative, challenging, and rewarding Italian study program, SACI may be the right choice for you.


Studio Art Centers International (SACI) is a program administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE, www.iie.org). IIE is the world’s most experienced, nonprofit global higher education and professional exchange agency. SACI’s United States offices are headquartered in the IIE New York building at 809 United Nations Plaza. Along with SACI, IIE administers such programs as the US Government’s Fulbright Program, The Humphrey Fellowship, The National Security Education Program, and over 200 others. SACI is proud of its affiliation with the Institute. By working closely to strengthen and encourage international education we can “open minds to the world.”

 

SACI offers five different programs of study to meet the diverse needs of students. One of those described below should be ideal for you. Detailed individual program descriptions follow these brief introductions.

Year/Semester Abroad Program
Designed for US undergraduates and independent students, this program provides an in-depth study abroad opportunity. A wide variety of academic and studio subjects are offered, many at multiple levels. Although students can apply for either one or two semesters, a full academic year is recommended to maximize this foreign study experience.

Late Spring & Summer Studies
These short terms at SACI are designed to meet the needs of both US university-level students seeking credit and independent students looking for a thorough and well-structured program. These terms encourage students to take full advantage of the varied cultural, artistic, and social events that Florence and Italy offer during May, June and July.

Two Year Diploma Program
Designed for all students with a US high school diploma, or the international equivalent, this provides a clearly structured studio art, art history, or art conservation program in Italy. Many international students have found this program to be the doorway to serious US university level study. A sequential curriculum leads the student through progressive levels of study in the disciplines of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, video, design, art history, and art conservation. Students successfully completing this program are granted a diploma and may apply their course-work towards a US Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Those who complete this course of study will find that this thorough and intense program will provide a solid base for their future careers whether within the context of American or European education or practice.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program
This program offers an intensive and personalized year of study in art, art history, and art conservation to college or university graduates who want to immerse themselves in a Major Discipline. It requires, encourages, and fosters a high degree of seriousness, self-discipline, and independence.

The program is especially well-suited to students preparing for application to advanced degree programs (MFA/MA). It also meets the needs of people who have some prior training but who decided too late in their undergraduate careers that they wanted to concentrate in the visual arts, art history, museology, or art conservation.

Master of Fine Arts Programs
These programs are offered in conjunction with Bowling Green State University in Ohio and Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania and are designed for students who want to complete up to a year of graduate study in Florence. Students enrolled in these programs are required to complete their studies at BGSU in Ohio or Marywood University in Pennsylvania.

The BGSU/SACI MFA is offered in the disciplines of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography and design.

The Marywood University/SACI MFA is offered in the disciplines of ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Two-Dimensional Area

Drawing

ART103 Drawing Foundations
ARTS(D)400 Intermediate Drawing
ARTS414 Advanced Drawing
ARTS(HS)400 2-D Honors Studio

Painting

ARTS221 Beginning Painting
ARTS(P)400 Intermediate Painting
ARTS424 Advanced Painting
ARTS400 Fresco Painting
ARTS(HS)400 2-D Honors Studio

Printmaking

ARTS(E)231 Beginning Etching
ARTS(E)333 Intermediate Etching
ARTS(E)435 Advanced Etching
ARTS(L)231 Beginning Lithography
ARTS(L)334 Intermediate Lithography
ARTS(L)435 Advanced Lithography
ARTS(S)400i Beginning Serigraphy
ARTS(S)400ii Intermediate Serigraphy
ARTS(S)400iii Advanced Serigraphy
ARTS231 Printmaking Workshop-Beginning
ARTS400 Printmaking Workshop Intermediate
ARTS435 Printmaking Workshop - Advanced

Design Area
 Media Facilities.pdf

Architecture and
Environmental Design

TE490 The City and Its Edges
ARCH(ARC)495 European Architecture Seminar
ARTD(ED)495i Beginning Environmental Design
ARTD(ED)495ii Intermediate Environmental Design
ARTD(ED)495iii Advanced Environmental Design

Graphic Design

ARTD201 Beginning Graphic Design
ARTD302 Intermediate Graphic Design
ARTD401 Advanced Graphic Design
ARTD(DW)495 Design Workshop
ARTD(IL)495 Illustration

Interior Design

ID117 Beginning Interior Design
ID219 Intermediate Interior Design
ID319 Advanced Interior Design

Italian Studies Area

History

MUCT412 History of Opera
ITAL261 History of Italian Cinema I
ITAL470 History of Italian Cinema II

Literature

ITAL361 Italian Renaissance Literature
ITAL488 Modern Italian Literature
ENG209 Creative Writing Workshop

Italian Language Area

ITAL101 Beginning Italian: Level I
ITAL102 Beginning Italian: Level II
ITAL201 Intermediate Italian
ITAL351 Advanced Italian

Craft Arts Area

Batik

ARTS(B)251 Beginning Batik
ARTS(B)352 Intermediate Batik
ARTS(B)454 Advanced Batik

Jewelry

ARTS281 Beginning Jewelry Design
ARTS383 Intermediate Jewelry Design
ARTS485 Advanced Jewelry Design

Weaving

ARTS(W)251 Beginning Weaving
ARTS(W)353 Intermediate Weaving
ARTS(W)454 Advanced Weaving

Three-Dimensional Area

Ceramics

ARTS271 Beginning Ceramics
ARTS372 Intermediate Ceramics
ARTS474 Advanced Ceramics

Sculpture

ARTS291 Beginning Sculpture
ARTS401 Intermediate Sculpture
ARTS495 Advanced Sculpture
ARTS392 Stone Carving

Media Area
 Media Facilities.pdf

Computer Art

ARTC400 Applications of Computer Art

Photography

ARTS241 Photography I
ARTS342 Photography II
ARTS444 Advanced
Photographic Techniques
ARTS343 Photography III:Color
ARTS400 Advanced Color Photography

Video

TCOM263 Video I
TCOM364 Video II
TCOM468 Video III

Art History Area

Art History

ARTH449 Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Art History
ARTH451 High Renaissance, Mannerist, & Early Baroque Art History
ARTH(OS1)495 Field Trips (co-requisite)
ARTH(RS)495 Renaissance Art History Survey
ARTH(S)495 Advanced Art History Seminar
ARTH456 Modern European and Italian Art
ARTH457 Contemporary European and Italian Art

Museology

ARTH(M)495 Museology
ARTH(AM)470 Museology Internship

Art Conservation Area

ARTH(PC1)495 Beginning
Painting Conservation I
ARTH(PC2)495 Beginning
Painting Conservation II
ARTS(PC)400 Conservation Law, Business, and Management
ARTS(PCON)400 Painting Conservation:Conservatorio of Santa Maria degli Angeli
ARTH(DTC1)495 Diagnostic Techniques for Conservators I
ARTH(DTC2)495 Diagnostic Techniques for Conservators II
ARTS(AD)400 Artistic and Drawing Techniques for Conservators
ARTH(CO)495 Computer Applications for Conservators
ARTS(ARCH)400 Conservation of Archaeological Objects
ARTH(ET)495 Etruscology

Graduate Courses

ARTH582 (Fall) Seminar
ARTH602 (Spring) Seminar
ART692 Research Techniques

Founded by a group of artists who graduated from the Art Academy of Florence, Accademia d’Arte AD’A, offers courses in art and culture for a wide variety of students, both foreign and Italian, who are interested in understanding and, or, deepening their knowledge of specific artistic disciplines.

Accademia d’Arte AD’A is open year-round and is located in the historic center of Florence which is home to many important museums and a place of study for artists from all over the world.

The courses are composed of lectures by visiting artists, museum visits and lessons taught by professional artists. The faculty of Accademia d’Arte ADA strive to facilitate the comprehension and insertion of students into the variegated art world.

The length of the courses vary and is determined by the possible length of stay of the students interested in specific programs.

In addition to its academic curricula, Accademia d’Arte AD’A offers services which are especially helpful for foreign students including various types of housing arrangements, an extracurricular program with both cultural and recreational activities and other services to ensure that the students’ period of study is both interesting and profitable.


 

Ancient painting techniques   

The course introduces to the students the painting techniques practised between 1300 and 1500; also the study of the major works of the period from Giotto to Leonardo and Michelangelo. The knowledge gained will be put into practice by the copying of two paintings in order that the student may learn the fundamental techniques used; such as egg tempera, gold leaf, up to an including oil colours. The entire process for the realization of complete paintings will be put into practice, from the preparation of the supports to the final glazing.

The theoretical part of this course envisages the introduction to the painting techniques from 1300 to 1500 by the reading of the "Libro dell'arte" (Book of Art) of Cennino Cennini, 14th painter and theoretician and also lessons in base material, preparation of gesso, the composition of colours and paints. 

The practical part starts with the preparation of the base material and finishes with the completion of a copy. A series of conferences and guided visits to museums will round off the course.

Contemporary painting   

The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the use of new art languages by the study of new materials and contemporary art techniques.

In the theoretical part, besides dealing with the historical and aesthetic aspects of visual perception, through works of critics, philosophers (Gombrich and Arnheim) and artists (Klee, Kandinsky) we introduce students to the artistic avant garde from the early 20th century until the latest trends, until the point is reached where the student can analyze the newest materials available and the new technologies for base materials, the composition of artistic colours and industrial colours. 

In the practical part of the course, from the study and use of base materials ( canvas, wood, metals, plastic materials) , traditional and industrial colours, the student is introduced to the use of mixed techniques, such as sponging, printing,natural and industrial materials, with the aim of encouraging the development of a personal language.

Photography 

The aim of this course is to transmit the techniques necessary to solve the problems of the image by studying the main specialities of photography, such as "photoreportage" , still life, landscape, the portrait, the reproduction of works of art, fashion and artistic photography, thereby enabling the student to develop a personal style and an individuality., thus preparing him for the profession.

The course caters for two levels, basic and advanced.

Amongst the themes which will be developed in the Basic Course are:- the initial use of the camera (diaphragm, timing, depth), framing ( composition and perspective), use of natural light, interiors and exteriors , and the different types of film. 

Amongst the themes developed in the advanced course are:- depth of field, the controls and the effects of natural light, the techniques of artificial illumination, flash, use of a set of lenses, the dark room, and colour. Both these courses are reinforced by history lectures and analysis of photography.
      
Drawing 

The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the use of various materials such as charcoal and "sanguigna" in order to enable him to recognize form and graphite ( pencil) in order to deepen his work by the technique of chiaroscuro. 
These techniques will be put into practice by studying the forms of still life and of live models. During the course, pen and ink will be utilized and the use of colour will be introduced by the addition of pencils, chalks and pastels.

The course includes theory and a series of interesting visits to museums and collections of drawings and graphics.
       
Art History  

The course consist in a route through the artistic movements from Middle Age to Nineteen century.
A particular reference will be done at the artists of the florentine school, from Giotto to Masaccio, from Leonardo to Michelangelo and Raffaello, until Fattori and Signorini, contemporaries of French impressionists.
The course will be integrated by visits in museums, where will be possible to admire the masterpieces   


Etching  

During the course the teacher will furnish the basis of the most known etching techniques and the printmaking.
The printing is the result of an impression.
This is what distinguish an etching from a drawing or a painting. It's also the reason you can reproduce the printing in more exemplary.
There are various materials for etching and various are the techniques: from dry point on zinc to acquaforte on copper until xylograph on wood (xylem=wood).

Sculpture  

This course allows the student to choose between a wide variety of techniques and media, including clay modelling, marble sculpture and wood cut.
According to the student’s level of study and course selection, the student may choose to concentrate on a specific technique or may choose to diversify techniques and materials.
 At the beginning of the course there will be an introduction to functional drawing for sculpture used in connection with the various techniques.

Fashion Design 

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the world of fashion. Following an initial project in which they research visual materials, the students will design their own personal collection.
Close attention will be given to the sketches for designs of accessories, purses, backpacks and shoes, as well as to the overall presentation of collection plans.
The students must realize a prototype, they will be introduced to various techniques of artisan and industrial production of myriad items of clothing and accessories. In addition, the students will study the different typologies of materials used in production. 
     
Ceramic

The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the use of the fundamental techniques of the ceramic manufacturing, such as the bas-relief and the three-dimensional techniques; to the study and execution of the different painting and decoration techniques of the ceramic, besides to the analysis of the composition with the different kinds of the ceramic mixing.

With the knowledge acquired during the course, the student shall have the basis to create autonomous pieces that stimulate their own creativity and the personal style, combining together different techniques.

The theoretical and practical development of the lessons will be held with by bibliographic texts, photographies, visits to the main museums of Florence and with the possible visits to some ceramic factories to observe the production process.

Established in 1980 by a group of professionals, ISAD has the purpose to give an alternative chance to who attends the University of Architecture and wish to study in the field of Interior Design.

After 20 years of experience, the school is involved in a constant evolution and changing process which allows it to bring up to date whether the address of the didactics or the teachers who are presently young professionals actively engaged either in the freelance profession or into the critical or editorial field.

A changing which in any case has not injured the original spirit of the school which goes on to be founded on the work groups, on the presence of the teachers, on the students' social life, on the interchangeable of the experiences and of the teachers as well.
The spirit of community, where a good competition does not exclude the collaboration and the mutual exchange.

interior design: biennium course

ISAD's biennium course is proposed as a formation for the profession of interior design. Revolved to high-school graduate students, the course having university characteristics, is divided in two years. To the didactic activity are integrated during the year guided visits to exhibitions, cultural activities, worksites and firms as well as historic buildings of interest to the topics being studied.

interior design: master

The course is dedicated to graduate students in Architecture and Design who intend to deepen their own qualification up to the level of details and in interior architecture. Each project is organized with the collaboration of a client (firm, public administration, private client) who feign a real professional condition with the presentation of a precise project program and a final verification of the workshop results.

interior design: one year course

The course is revolved to everyone who has a personal interest in interior design and wants to deepen its principal characteristics, its working field, its new trends, through a methodological approach of project development supported by drawing and composition techniques necessary to the final presentation of an interior design project layout.

garden design:

One year specialization course The course is articulated in studies and projects during which students are trained to design and organise spaces such as private parks and gardens as well as public parks and gardens, and green spaces to special destination uses such as: parking, golf fields, sports fields, hanging gardens and interior-scaping. The course will also train students to take part in the management and maintenance of a project, as well as the restoration of historical gardens.

UpToDate Materials – materials around design: master course

The course of one year explores the use and characteristics of all materials, from traditional ones to innovative ones, applied to all design fields: fashion, interior, furniture, yacht, product and architecture. The course also includes the participation of important firms of that field.

Restoration of Antique Furniture:

a real school lab workshop where students have their own personal work-bench and a complete set of tools to facilitate the learning process of the sensitive and difficult Art of Restoration, and this, under the experienced guidance of professors and experts.

ATELIERS

A series of short-term courses that complete ISAD’s didactics programs. The varied workshops themes respond to the requests and needs of the market place.

yacht design: the course affronts the interior design project of a yacht with its opened areas comparing it to the domestic interior design project. Within the seminar are included meetings with yacht designers, yacht constructors and editors of yacht books and magazines. The course begins with a visit to a working Shipyard.

lighting exhibition: the course is particularly referred to the lighting design project implant of exhibition spaces, commercial spaces, showrooms, malls, displays, stands, museums, temporary exhibitions and lighting for visual communication.

golf course design: The course’s target is to examine a project culture that’s not just exploited by studying manuals but also includes and makes explicit some key topics that are not usually taken into consideration on institutional field. So, even if also analyzing geology, sole movement architecture, system technologies and representation techniques, topics are also regarding the “project thought” with an overview on interpretation of territories and their transformation into golf course.

CAD design: Intensive courses of 3D Autocad and Rendering 3D Studio Viz.

Scenography – Set Design for Television: the project of scenography, thinking & conceptualizing the stage: confronting it with theatre, movies and other types of scenography stages. Studying the Production, the Authors and the Scenery Direction. The importance of the light and its fundamental relation with the Photography Director: spot-lights and the stage. Construction techniques: the structures of a stage, the materials…

Model Techniques: the course is dedicated to students, designers & architects and presents the varied methods of designing a model showing the difference between a study model and a final model of a project presentation.


 

Master in Accessroies Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
The evolution of the Fashion System demands for the designers not only to be able to design collections, but also to be professional characters with growing multi-disciplinary competences, capable of managing and communicating with the various sectors involved. Today the fashion designer needs to be manager and art-director at the same time, and must be able to manage the project up to the product, the communication and the retail aspects.
Only in Italy and only in Milan it is possible to study at the centre of a Fashion System that is unique in the world and internationally recognized; Where the creativity of the fashion designers integrates with the production capacity, with the quality of fabrics and confection, with entrepreneurial abilities as well as with retail and communication innovations, allowing a direct contact with this world, its protagonists and events.

Master in Business Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
In Design driven firms, managers must be able to combine managerial skills, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, within a perspective able to embrace at the same time design and production, tradition and innovation, reality and vision, everyday life and future. The modern manager is a figure that gets trained and thrives in a border area where designers, managers and entrepreneurs, experts in enterprise and corporate organizations, in information technology, communication, marketing, contribute to the creation of new operative codes and a new strategic language for the companies and the market.

Master in Car Desing & Mobility
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
The Design department of Domus Academy arises from the awareness that today the design world needs more complex design solutions, able to integrate different disciplines and particular research perspectives, in order to properly answer to the current vision of the global and delocalized production world.
Designing, producing, promoting and marketing a product or a service in the post-industrial society of information, requires designers with very specific skills, able to dialogue with different players and to handle the market following non-conventional rules.

Master in Fashion Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
The evolution of the Fashion System demands for the designers not only to be able to design collections, but also to be professional characters with growing multi-disciplinary competences, capable of managing and communicating with the various sectors involved. Today the fashion designer needs to be manager and art-director at the same time, and must be able to manage the project up to the product, the communication and the retail aspects.
Only in Italy and only in Milan it is possible to study at the centre of a Fashion System that is unique in the world and internationally recognized; where the creativity of the fashion designers integrates with the production capacity, with the quality of fabrics and confection, with entrepreneurial abilities as well as with retail and communication innovations, allowing a direct contact with this world, its protagonists and events.

Master in Interaction Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
Designing, producing, promoting and marketing a product or a service in the post-industrial society of information, requires designers with very specific skills, able to dialogue with different players and to handle the market following non-conventional rules.

Master in Interior And living Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
The Department was born with the objective to work on the whole universe of urban experience. In this perspective, the department has created a training project of excellence able to reflect on the changes and transformations of the built space, promoting a permanent research activity for design models and solutions that are appropriate and innovative.

Master in Product Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
Nowadays, skilled designers can make it in the design world of the post-industrial and information era only if endorsed by a complex and sophisticated professionalism, which can autonomously master very dynamic and multi-disciplinary competences. A designer’s activity in fact, doesn’t only involve the design and production of a service or a product, but it implies its promotion and marketing, as well as the aptitude to keep a constant dialogue with different actors and the handling of market rules which are often unconventional.

Master in Urban Management And Architectural Design
Validated and awarded by the University of Wales
The Department was born with the objective to work on the whole universe of urban experience. In this perspective, the department has created a training project of excellence able to reflect on the changes and transformations of the built space, promoting a permanent research activity for design models and solutions that are appropriate and innovative.