A Note from the Director

The Long Island Academy of Fine Art was unofficially started in 1999, when I began teaching a drawing class in the basement of the First Congregational Church on Main Street, in downtown Riverhead. Before too long, the class outgrew that space and we moved to Griffing Avenue, a few blocks away, where in 2000 LIAFA was officially founded. After a year or so, the studio on Griffing was too small to accommodate a growing number of students, so we moved to a three-room studio on Main Street, and worked and grew there for about six years. In early 2008, in order to gain better classroom space, grow in quality, and make the resources of LIAFA more accessible to a greater number of students throughout Long Island, the school moved to an even larger space, and significantly expanded its class offerings and faculty.

The Long Island Academy of Fine Art was the first school for classical art studies on Long Island, and since its founding it has established itself as the finest. At LIAFA we uphold the highest standards of classical academic drawing, painting, and now sculpture. The Academy closely adheres to the strict program of study that I experienced as a student at some of the best art schools both here in the U.S. and in Europe. At the very core of the program is our primary objective: training a student’s eye to see accurately and with sensitivity. The whole program centers on this task, following a progression of classes to help the student achieve this step-by-step. Beyond this, the Academy offers an array of classes dealing with an assortment of other disciplines, such as anatomy, color theory, and composition. These classes are taught by thoroughly trained professional artists, many of whom commute to LIAFA from New York City and beyond.

I invite you to call and set up a time when you can come and visit the school. While you’re here, be sure to view the exhibition in our gallery.

Robert Armetta