New Art Institute, Founded by Artists for Artists, To Open In Raleigh

Pre-registration for inaugural classes will be held in December.

November 16, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – The Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art (RICA), an atelier school founded by artists for artists of all levels in the Triangle area, will hold its first pre-registration on Friday, December 4, from 5-9 p.m. at 300 Blake Street in downtown Raleigh’s City Market complex.

The event will include an exhibit of works by RICA instructors.

The brainchild of well-known Raleigh artists Mia Yoon and Jason Craighead, RICA’s mission is “to provide an affordable, high-quality institute for art education that will give all aspiring artists a place to reach their greatest potential,” said Yoon, who attended both the Pratt Institute and Art Students League in New York. “We want RICA to be a community of artists who come together to teach and learn, very similar to my experiences at the Art Students League where both new and very successful artists can take a variety of courses to expand their horizons and grow.”

RICA’s instructors are all regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized professional artists with a contemporary perspective. The inaugural roster of instructors includes: Marty Baird, Lope Max Diaz, Bill Koeb, Dave Green, Gayle Stott Lowry, Gerry Lynch, David McConnell, Jonathan Peedin, Shaun Richard, and Derek Toomes, as well as Yoon and Craighead.

Examples of each instructor’s own work will be on display during the December 4th pre-registration in City Market.

“By design, our instructors bring a range of artistic philosophies and approaches to the educational process,” said Craighead, an accomplished artist and active member of the North Carolina arts community. “We all share the belief that education is the foundation of great art communities. We also believe that on-going education is the foundation for great artists.”

RICA class sessions will span six weeks with one three-hour session per week. Each six-week session is $250. Individual courses range from a Youth Class taught by Derek Toomes and Mary Baird’s Basic Drawing class to Lope Max Diaz’s Advanced Painting and Jason Craighead’s Freeform Drawing classes.

Yoon and Craighead noted that new instructors will be added in the future.

Scheduled to open January 18, 2010, the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art is located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue. For more information, go to www.ricanc.com or call 919-800-0208.

About the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art:

Located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue in Raleigh, the art institute offers a wide variety of art classes taught via six-week sessions with one three-hour class per week. All instructors are regionally, nationally and internationally accomplished artists who believe in the need for on-going education for all artists, regardless of skill level. Classes are available from Youth and beginner to advanced. For more information, go to www.ricanc.com.

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