Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art

What Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art does

Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and NASAD-accredited atelier founded in 2002 by renowned artists Nelson and Leona Shanks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The institution operates from a 13,000+ square-foot north-lit studio facility in the BOK Building in South Philadelphia, delivering classical realist art training that combines Renaissance draftsmanship principles with Impressionist color theory (particularly Henry Hensche's color temperature approach). Its core deliverable is a four-year Advanced Fine Art Program (AFAP) leading to a Diploma of Fine Art comprising 99 credit hours (33 drawing, 66 painting), supplemented by a Bachelor of Fine Arts pathway via a partnership with Rowan University, eight-week Continuing Education evening and weekend courses, multi-day workshops, and a Summer Pre-College Intensive.

The school operates an application-based admissions model requiring a $25 fee, a statement of purpose, and 10 portfolio images, followed by faculty interviews and a $500 registration deposit. Tuition is set at $9,875 per semester ($19,750 annually, $79,800 total for the four-year program). The institution is authorized to accept F-1 international students through SEVIS, approved for Veterans Education Benefits, and is recognized as an ARC Approved Atelier by the Art Renewal Center. Revenue derives from tuition, application and registration fees, workshops, continuing education, and donations/grants from a network of foundations (Betty Wold Johnson, Maguire, Connelly, Henry M. Rowan Family, Princeton Area Community Foundation, Ahmad Butler, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Brian Communications, Silverbrush).

The school is augmented by a two-year Fellowships Program for graduates, an Open Studio with live models, the on-site Betty Wold Johnson Gallery, and the Bennett Prize exhibition partnership. Roughly 32 employees support operations; 85% of graduates work in the arts and 54% teach. The student body draws from five continents. Strategic partnerships include Rowan University (BFA), Doane Academy (high school emerging artists), and the Art Renewal Center, alongside community partnerships with Project HOME, Federation Housing, and CIS Building an Inclusive Workforce.

Name

Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art

Legal name

Studio Incamminati

Website

https://studioincamminati.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio Incamminati is a Philadelphia-based, NASAD-accredited 501(c)(3) atelier founded in 2002, offering a four-year Advanced Fine Art Program in classical realist techniques alongside a BFA pathway with Rowan University, continuing education, workshops, and pre-college programs for aspiring professional artists globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art & Design Teacher Education Colleges (Art Education, Music Education) (EDAHAJAJ)

Keywords

• Classical art education
• Realist art training
• Fine arts programs
• Atelier instruction
• Representational painting

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Full-Time Programs: Full-Time Advanced Fine Art Program and Bachelor of Fine Arts tuition at $9,875 per semester, totaling $19,750 annually. Payment is due 30 days before the first class day of each semester. An installment payment plan is available for students in good standing beginning with the second semester.
2. Workshops: Multi-day intensive art workshops taught by Studio Incamminati instructors and vetted visiting instructors. Workshops run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day consecutively, held on-site in Philadelphia or at selected locations around the United States.
3. Continuing Education: 8-week evening and weekend courses for part-time students pursuing artistic development while maintaining professional and personal commitments.
4. Application Fees: $25 non-refundable application fee (fully refundable before signing enrollment agreement) and $500 registration deposit upon acceptance.
5. Donations and Scholarships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Studio Incamminati receives donations, grants, and corporate gifts. Named scholarships are available for donations of $3,000 or above. The school awards eight partial scholarships annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Studio Incamminati is an accredited nonprofit art school that teaches contemporary realist art through a four-year Advanced Fine Art Program, a BFA degree with Rowan University, continuing education 8-week courses, multi-day workshops, and a summer pre-college intensive. It delivers this training in Philadelphia using a proprietary curriculum that combines Renaissance draftsmanship with Impressionist color theory, supported by over 13,000 square feet of north-lit studio space and life-drawing instruction.

Product overview

Studio Incamminati is an accredited Realist Art Academy offering a portfolio of interconnected educational programs. The core offerings are the four-year Advanced Fine Art Program (AFAP) leading to a Diploma of Fine Art, and the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in partnership with Rowan University. Supporting programs include Continuing Education 8-week courses, multi-day workshops, and a Summer Pre-College Intensive. Additional services include the two-year Fellowships Program for graduates, weekly Open Studio sessions with live models, and the Betty Wold Johnson Gallery for exhibitions. The institution focuses on classical realist techniques combining Renaissance draftsmanship with Impressionist color principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Fine Art Program (AFAP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of graduates are working in the arts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Doane AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Incamminati instructors teach students drawing and painting skills using the human figure as well as still life at Doane Academy in Burlington, NJ. The program strengthens critical thinking, problem solving, and communications skills needed across the curriculum. This is part of Studio Incamminati's Local Emerging Artists Program for high school students.
• Rowan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows students to earn a comprehensive Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rowan University while receiving rigorous fine arts training in a studio setting at Studio Incamminati. The program includes three years of intense training in humanist realism skill development including drawing, painting, sculpture, and design with live models.
• Project HOMEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership supporting formerly homeless artists through the Prestigious Rittenhouse Art Festival. Studio Incamminati supports educational programs in partnership with community service organizations serving specific segments of the local Philadelphia population.
• Natural Lands Trust, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit land conservation organization hosting the exhibition 'Gregory Blue and the Landscapes of Stroud Preserve' at Studio Incamminati. The 570-acre Stroud Preserve in Chester County has been permanently protected by Natural Lands.
• The Bennett PrizeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bennett Prize awards $50,000 to a woman artist to create a solo exhibition of figurative realist paintings that travels the country. Studio Incamminati hosts the exhibition featuring winners and finalists in the Betty Wold Johnson Gallery. The prize was created in 2018 and has grown from 647 entries in 2018 to many more in subsequent years.
• Art Renewal Center (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Incamminati is a member of the Art Renewal Center and is an ARC Approved Atelier and School. ARC is a private, not-for-profit foundation composed of classically trained artists, art historians, and scholars that establishes standards for reviewing and approving schools, artists, and ateliers that foster the classical tradition in art.
• CIS Building an Inclusive WorkforceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting inclusive workforce development through arts education at Studio Incamminati.
• Federation HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing support for housing-related community programs in partnership with Studio Incamminati's outreach efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Emerging players

• New Masters Academy: Online classical art education platform offering video-based instruction from professional artists in drawing, painting, and anatomy. Functions as a partial substitute for atelier-style training at lower price points, representing the digital channel that could pressure Studio Incamminati's workshop/CE enrollment.

Direct peers

• Watts Atelier of the Arts: California-based atelier teaching classical drawing and painting with a structured, sequential curriculum modeled on traditional European training. Comparable in methodology (progressive skill-building from fundamentals), program offerings (full-time and workshops), and target market (aspiring professional realist artists).
• Grand Central Atelier: Long Island City-based atelier teaching classical and traditional representational art through full-time and part-time programs. Directly comparable as a small atelier-style school focused on rigorous draftsmanship and painting from life, with similar full-time multi-year curriculum and faculty-practitioner model.
• Lyme Academy of Fine Arts: Connecticut-based fine arts college emphasizing traditional and contemporary realist training, now part of the University of New Haven. Comparable as a small specialized BFA-granting institution focused on representational drawing, painting, and sculpture with similar mission and pedagogical approach.
• Florence Academy of Art: Classical realist atelier offering multi-year programs in drawing, painting, and sculpture with similar Renaissance-based methodology. Operates U.S. branch in Jersey City and main campus in Italy, making it one of the closest direct comparables to Studio Incamminati in pedagogy, program structure, and target student.
• New York Academy of Art: New York-based graduate school offering MFA and certificate programs in figurative painting, drawing, and sculpture with a strong classical-realist orientation. Directly comparable as a specialized fine arts institution prioritizing traditional techniques and offering structured multi-year programs.
• Art Students League of New York: Historic New York atelier-style art school offering open-enrollment studio classes and certificate-track programs taught by working artists. Comparable as a long-established traditional art institution with atelier roots, workshop-style instruction, and a similar tuition-light, multi-class enrollment model alongside Studio Incamminati's diploma structure.

Regional players

• Royal Drawing School: London-based non-profit drawing school offering open-access short courses and a selective drawing year program focused on observational drawing from life. Comparable pedagogical philosophy (drawing from life, working-artist tutors) and nonprofit governance model, but serves the UK market rather than directly competing in the U.S.
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA): Philadelphia-based historic fine arts college offering BFA and MFA degrees with a traditional figurative emphasis. Regional peer sharing the Philadelphia market and overlap in figurative/contemporary realist training, though PAFA operates as a degree-granting college rather than an atelier-style academy.

Broad incumbents

• Academy of Art University: Large San Francisco-based for-profit art school offering AA, BFA, and MFA degrees across a broad range of fine and applied arts. Broad incumbent with overlapping BFA offerings and an online division, competing in the same student pool but lacking Studio Incamminati's atelier specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheStudioIncamminati/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/StudioIncamminati
• Instagraminstagram.com/studioincamminati
• TikToktiktok.com/@studioincamminati
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-incamminati-school-for-contemporary-realist-art

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art