11 Top Art Schools in Ontario-Programs & Websites

Art plays a vital role in changing how people think about the world and relates to people around them. By creating art, there is a relation with our senses through inquiry, dialogue, and analysis. 

You can be a great art professional If you acquire the proper knowledge and are taught the appropriate skills and techniques.

Every aspiring artist in any field should know that a masterpiece cannot be rushed and that quality artwork takes time and patience. To do great in your art craft you need to get trained in specialized art institutions.

The List of Art Schools in Ontario

Results speak for themselves in Ontario art schools. This article provides a list of top reputable art schools in Ontario and the programs they specialize in.

Dundas Valley School Of Arts

Dundas Valley School of Art (DVSA) is an independent, not-for-profit art school founded in 1964. At DVSA they provide high-quality, accessible and affordable visual arts education for children and adults.

Dundas Valley School of Art is a thriving hub for artists and art instruction, With an exciting studio environment where students learn from art experts and each other.

This school is an exciting option for those interested in studying fine art.

Courses:

DVSA majors in Visual arts and design to fine art and graphic design.

They offer courses, lectures and workshops that bring together artists of all ages and from all walks of life

These programs include:

  • Pottery
  • Sculpture
  • Printmaking
  • Photography
  • Artists’ Connection Program
  • The Advanced Studio
  • DVSA Art Fundamentals Certificate Program

Contact Details:

  • Address: Dundas Valley School of Art, 21 Ogilvie Street, Dundas, Ontario, L9H 2S1.
  • Phone: 905-628-6357
  • Fax: 905-628-1087
  • Email: info@dvsa.ca
  • Website: www.dvsa.ca

Richmond Hill Art School

Richmond Hill Art School is one of the most notable and largest art schools in Ontario. They offer a high-quality Fine Arts Program, Camps, and Art Workshops for kids and teens ages 6-17 years old. 

This school is focused on skill-building, creative self-expression, and creating outstanding final works of art.

Fine arts programs are designed for students who want to build upon their creativity and improve their artistic techniques. 

Art instructors are well-trained professional artists, who keep students engaged and entertained throughout each session. 

Contact Details:

Woodbridge Art School

Woodbridge Art School is a recognized art school in Ontario and the York Region’s largest and most renowned Fine Art School.

The school has fully equipped art studios that inspire and motivate artists of all ages, the studios also host a collection of artwork by students as well as by the Founder.

Classes are structured with detailed instructions and guidance on creating realistic drawings and paintings. 

Woodbridge Art School offers a wide variety of different classes to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules. 

They also offer Specialty Classes such as Portfolio Preparation courses. 

Contact Details

Toronto School of Art 

Toronto School Of Art is one of Toronto’s longest-running independent art schools.TSA has provided a positive environment for aspiring artists to attain a quality visual arts education for years.

TSA offers students a unique opportunity for hands-on studio learning and exposure to artistic trends in drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, mixed media, digital and photography. 

At TSA, a faculty of professional artists/educators teach students of all levels with both traditional and contemporary approaches, 

TSA also offers art workshops and group events as team-building activities to boost employee morale and encourage creativity.

Programs:

PAINTING

  •  Painting Media Techniques, Styles Levels, and Subjects

CERAMIC ARTS

  • Technical skills in wheel throwing & hand-building to create functional, decorative and sculptural forms in clay.

PRINTMAKING

  • Print Techniques 

MIXED MEDIA

  • Collage Assemblage Image Transfers and Book arts.

FIBER ARTS

  • Techniques in fiber arts Surface Design
  • Weaving and Experimental Embroidery.

SCULPTURE

  • Portrait, 
  • 3-D Anatomy
  •  Animal
  • Imaginary and Experimental Sculpture and Installation.

DIGITAL ARTS

  • Photography
  • Digital Sculpting
  • Video Editing
  • Animation
  • Digital Painting and 
  • Adobe Creative Suite.

PORTRAITS

  • Traditional and Contemporary Techniques in wet and dry media.

INTERDISCIPLINARY

  • Art Composition and Design
  •  Art History and Craft.

With other professional development programs.

Tuition And Fees: https://tsa-art.com/pages/general-info/tuition-and-fees

Contact Details:

5. Etobicoke School of the Arts 

Etobicoke School Of arts is a specialized, public arts-academic high school in Ontario. Founded in 1981, Etobicoke School of the Arts has the reputation of being the oldest, free-standing arts-focused high school in Canada.

The school’s academic curriculum offers a full range of subject selections in the areas of mathematics, science, languages (English, Math And French) and social sciences, geography, and history while providing flexibility to be fully engaged in an arts major. Students graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Fine art programs in Etobicoke for young people (students)include:

  • Dance 
  • Drama 
  • Visual Arts 
  • Film 
  • Music Band or Strings Music 
  • Theater or Contemporary Arts

ESA’s learning environment is vibrant, engaging, welcoming, and extremely busy and this encourages students to explore and develop their artistic abilities.

Contact Details:

Ottawa School Of Arts

Ottawa School of Arts is an art school in Ontario, they stand out as one of the best art schools and offer many art and design programs.

Programs:

Ottawa School Of Arts offers a 3-year fine art diploma and 1-year portfolio certificate.

Fine Arts Diploma

This covers: 

  • The history of art  
  • Canadian Art History
  • Contemporary Art History.
  • Art and Criticism
  • Media Studies and the Business of Art, and 
  • Advanced studio courses  with apprenticeships with artists
  • Cultural context

1-year Portfolio

This covers:

The fine art tradition of drawing, painting, and sculpture.

OSA improves students’ confidence and an understanding of what a professional portfolio contains.

Fees And Schedule: https://artottawa.ca/diploma-certificate/current-students/current-schedules-fees/

Contact Details:

Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts 

The Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts was established in 1989. This school offers an enriched Arts program in dance, drama, visual arts and music. It also offers a complete academic curriculum alongside educational activities in the arts.

Lester B. Pearson school of arts has various facilities for their programs, some include:

A Pottery Studio, Dance Studios, Theater, and even more. They also offer studies in languages such as French and English.

Contact Details:

Haute Couture Academy Of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design

Haute Couture Academy is a fashion, Fine arts, and design school located in downtown Toronto.

It was founded in 1998 and has over 20 years of expertise in instructing, inspiring, and mentoring youths and students of all ages.

Haute Couture Academy is considered to be one of the best art schools in Toronto.

Their services include:

  • Elements of Design
  • Rome Fashion Week Tour
  • Cartooning & Animation
  • Fashion Design
  • Portfolio Preparation
  • Sewing
  • Pattern Making
  • Pencil Drawing
  • Pastel
  • Prismacolor

And they offer Specialty programs in:

  • Visual & Fine Arts
  • Makeup & Cosmetics
  • Interior Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Fashion Art & Design
  • Semi-Private Classes
  • Portfolio Art & Fashion Design
  • Portfolio Design & Sewing
  • Pattern Making Design & Sewing Accessories
  • Tailoring
  • Fine Arts & Prismacolor

Contact Details: 

Vaughan Art School

The Vaughan Art school is committed to establishing a professional level of teaching its students. They have courses for people with absolutely no experience as well as courses for artists who might want to improve their skills.

Students enjoy working with a wide variety of media like Pencils, Charcoal, Gouache, Oil and Acrylics.

Programs And Courses:

They offer Diploma and Advanced Diploma Programs where you can specialize in:

Animation and Digital Media Arts

Printmaking

Painting & Drawing and more.

KIDS ART CLASSES

This program teaches children to use a wide range of media; -pencil, -charcoal, -Pastel, – Acrylic. 

The program focuses on

  • Color Theory
  • Mixing colors
  • Composition
  • Basic fundamentals of art Such as shape, line, and texture.

PORTFOLIO PREPARATION &TEEN

  • Graphic Design
  • Animation Architects
  • Illustration  and Education
  • Still-life Art Landscapes and 
  • Abstract Drawings
  • Sculpture

ADULT ART CLASSES

This program is designed for teens and adults, who are interested in personal improvement and preparatory art study. Here students receive one-on-one attention in a creative learning 

Tuition and Fees: http://vaughanartschool.com/rates_and_fees

Contact Details:

Art School Nadia Segal

This is one of the notable art schools in Ontario. The school’s curriculum is built on the finest tradition of the Russian schools of visual art.

The school was founded in 1992 and students learn a variety of techniques and mediums: some of which include:

-Graphic Art, Watercolors, Gouache, Oil Paint, Acrylic, Ink, and many more.

Their program of study includes:

  •  Life Drawings
  • Composition
  •  Sculpture
  •  Ceramics
  •  Batik
  • -Mixed Media.
  • -Decorative graphics.

Tuition And Fees: https://www.russianart.ca/styled-5/

Contact Details:

Max The Mutt College Of Animation, Art, and Design

If you are seeking a rewarding career as a traditional 2D or 3D Animator for TV and Film, Concept Artist for AAA games or animation, or Illustrator for storytelling, comic books, graphic novels, and marketing design then Max the Mutt College is the right choice.

Max the Mutt College was founded in 1996 and has created a strong reputation as an art school in Ontario for training capable professionals.

It is a top Career College for Animation, Concept Art & Illustration

They offer a variety of digital, animation, and art workshops and give students an extensive education and the freedom to expand their artistic skills.

Courses: 

  • Animation Diploma
  • Illustration and storytelling for sequential Arts Diploma
  • Concept Art Diploma 

Contact Details:

Do I really need an art degree?

You don’t need a degree in art to be a fine artist. Unlike other specialties like medicine or engineering, an art degree is not too necessary for you.

Unless you’re getting into education at certain types of schools, the art degree does not determine how skilled you are.

Conclusion:

Programs offered in Ontario art schools provide an opportunity for personalized mentoring, individual critiques, and portfolio preparation.

So if you are a lover of art in search of Top Art Schools in Ontario, carefully go through the list and make a choice.

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