Online Foundation Program

Foundation Online: Pathway to Paris The Paris College of Art Foundation course is built on the philosophy handed down from a century of artists, designers, and educators that there are common skills and approaches to all fields of art and design that are dynamic when taught together.

In the Foundation course, we teach students to be constantly looking for creative solutions to unexpected constraints.

In this spirit, we developed the ‘Foundation Online: Pathway to Paris’ course in response to the current world situation, as a way to engage first year students in the Foundation experience remotely.

Following the success of the program in Fall 2020, we decided to continue offering the Pathway program on a permanent basis.

Whether in-person or online, Paris College of Art brings together students from all over the world to work across disciplines and collaborate: imaginations combine in a sort of laboratory for future creativity.

Eyes and minds are opened up.

The online course establishes and maintains these essential student connections through allocated time for peer-to-peer exchange and collaborative work.

Going between hands-on, independent work and the intense virtual sharing of projects, the Pathway to Paris program recreates the energy that we generate in-studio classes at home.

Students will be expected to use basic tools that are to hand and to work predominantly with recycled materials, in keeping with our commitment to ecological responsibility.

The course begins with guidelines and inspiration about how to set up art school at home.

Foundation Online is structured around weekly assignments that parallel those offered in face-to-face classes.

The program follows a recurrent weekly structure: each week a new challenge is announced, and students tackle it first through drawing, then experiment in 2 and 3 dimensions, and finally translate it digitally.

While similar in intent and purpose, the curriculum of the Foundation options is slightly different.

Paris College of Art is a dynamic forum for exchanging ideas, methods, and professional experience. Our students and faculty combine curiosity, experimentation, and enthusiasm in the pursuit of learning.

At Paris College of Art, we believe that finding a design solution, creating a work of art, and facilitating the production of a creative team are intellectual processes of undeniable value. Developing critical awareness through hands-on research and discussion is essential to professional maturation and individual growth. Artistic practice demands a high level of personal commitment and discipline, and we expect our students to participate actively in class so that they can explore differing points of view and engage our creative resources.

Paris College of Art is rooted in a city of primary art and design production. Experiencing the uniqueness of the Parisian metropolis provides a rich source of visual inspiration. Sharing this experience with individuals from over 40 different countries gives our students a unique perspective on the variety of expressions existing throughout the world.

Paris College of Art is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment, and prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any student, applicant, employee, or community member because of race; color; national or ethnic origin; age; religion; disability; sexual orientation; gender; gender identity and expression; genetics; veteran status; and any other characteristic protected under applicable law. We expect all PCA employees, students, and community members to join with and uphold this commitment.

The legacy of Paris College of Art and its successful graduates is something to be proud of and to contribute to in the years to come.

Mission

Paris College of Art, a new name for a college with over 30 years of experience, promotes the artistic and intellectual maturation of promising students into exceptional artists, art historians, photographers, designers, and design managers.

Grounded in the Parisian landscape, informed by the European art and design world, nourished by a faculty of leaders in the creative industries from the world over, and replenished by students from over 50 countries, Paris College of Art is a truly international college.

Paris College of Art was established as an independent degree-granting institution with the mission to:

• Provide the highest international standard of art and design education taught within an American pedagogical paradigm while being influenced, informed, and drawing from our French/European environment;
• Open up French educational opportunities to the world and international education to the French.

Vision for 2023

Paris College of Art serves a multi-national student body that enriches the educational experience by bringing the values and experiences of their respective traditions to the studio/classroom and assures that each graduate will understand herself in a global context and be prepared for the contemporary professional marketplace in art and design.