Our Vision
At the Georgia Fine Arts Academy, our goal is to offer exceptional education in the arts for learners of all types. We achieve this vision by being knowledgeable and present for our students as they progress, responding to what we learn about what people want us to provide in a changing landscape. All Georgia Fine Arts Academy instructors are trained in fine arts and art education because we believe it is crucial for artists to be trained by artists. In the spirit of John F. Kennedy’s call to action from the 60s, we want no talent in Georgia to be wasted.
Our Mission
- To teach students of all ages the fundamentals of fine and performing arts in a supportive environment
- To instill creative confidence in each of our students
- To challenge the creative process
- To build self-esteem through positive instructional feedback
- To develop and refine fine motor skills and spry minds, no matter the student’s age, honoring the body as an instrument
- To introduce students to a variety of art mediums and disciplines
- To build students’ vocabulary of art terms, definitions, concepts, and tools
- To introduce students to art history and develop an understanding of different artistic styles and movements, both past and present
- To help students build a portfolio and market themselves
- To introduce students to career possibilities in the arts
- To foster life-long artists, including providing opportunities for them to teach on a professional level
- To honor the legacy of the Georgia Fine Arts Academy students and instructors who have gone before us by having everything we do somehow make the world a better place
The Georgia Fine Arts Academy began in 1980, established on the mission of our esteemed founder William Bray to make the world a better place by providing accessible arts appreciation and enrichment. Based in a state brimming with gifted artists and leaders, we have provided a unique, professional resource that thoughtfully connects academic insights with artistic engagement in creative writing, theatre, film, music, dance, media arts, and visual arts.
The Georgia Fine Arts Academy aims to be a continual active participant in the networks of scholarly associations, institutions, and academic centers providing the infrastructure that encourages nonprofit arts education organizations in Georgia, across the Southeast, and beyond.
Members of our growing alumni network have assumed significant leadership roles in many of the most acclaimed professional arts, cultural, educational, social service and numerous nonprofit organizations and institutes of higher learning, both nationally and internationally, because of their experience with the Georgia Fine Arts Academy.
Our growing organizational capacity and coalition-building further propel the missions of our collaborators and enhance the body of knowledge that informs working and aspiring artists everywhere. We also are passionate about providing the opportunity of the arts to our underserved populations through outreach programming. We work each day to ensure no talent goes wasted in our state.
I invite you to join the Georgia Fine Arts Academy’s innovative students, alumni, instructors, and Academy members as we continue to research, discover, and build educational programs and models to increase professional creative effectiveness in Georgia and beyond. Kindness and hopefulness for a bright tomorrow crown our core values.
We are your option for professional arts education and opportunities. We welcome your creative spark!
Joy Ovington
Creative Director
Georgia Fine Arts Academy