The best art schools in St. Petersburg for 2024

A person savvy in the field of art and culture always commands respect and admiration. This is especially true for St. Petersburg, which has long been considered the cultural capital. The city has a huge number of art schools, studios, courses, where everyone, regardless of age, can get an elementary classical and academic education. After graduation, you can become, if not an artist or sculptor, then acquire the skills of professional painting, graphics, modeling. However, not everywhere is taught equally skillfully and efficiently. Below is a ranking of the best art schools in St. Petersburg for 2024 with a description of the characteristics and benefits of studying in them.

How to choose an art school

Many dream of learning to draw professionally, sculpt, paint pictures. To make this dream come true, you need to choose a good art school.

What art schools are there

The main types of art schools:

• state (budget): exist only in our country, basic primary academic education is given completely free of charge, upon graduation, graduates receive state diplomas for admission to secondary and higher educational institutions of art; Many schools are becoming self-sufficient when the state partially finances them, but the bulk of funds spent on repairs, salaries of employees, the purchase of materials and equipment comes from the introduction of paid courses and classes.
• private (copyright): institutions of a commercial nature, provided paid services.

Art schools can be roughly divided into two types:

• for children and adolescents: curricula are designed for a children's audience, most often these are classical methods in budgetary art schools. In private copyright institutions, classes for children and adolescents are also opened, but on a paid basis.
• for adults: private schools, studios, courses that involve short-term training in individual techniques, styles of drawing and painting.

Main selection criteria

To get into a good art school, it is advisable to study the following criteria:

• Teaching Staff;
• learning programs;
• professional equipment;
• workshop;
• promotion and development of students.

Teaching Staff. Creative natures are often too vulnerable, touchy, impulsive. First of all, it is appropriate to study the reviews of students, graduates of the art school about teachers. When choosing, it is important to take into account not only the qualifications, but also the human qualities of the future mentor.

The ideal ratio is:

• passion for the subject;
• Teacher Education;
• high level of artistic excellence;
• work experience with a specific age group;
• benevolence, attentiveness;
• the ability to create a friendly, calm creative environment in the group;
• delicate attitude to the personality of each student.

It is better for a child to study with a teacher with many years of experience, who loves children, is passionate about his subject. With such teachers, students are engaged with great pleasure, not burdened by heavy loads.

For a teenager who dreams of purposefully hone artistic skills, a specialist in a narrow focus is suitable: painting, painting, drawing from life, graphics.

For an adult who wants to get an art education, the personality of the teacher is important, finding a common language with which it will be comfortable and easy in the learning process. If communication is burdensome, classes will not bring pleasure and results.

Simple advice: whenever possible, you should definitely go to trial classes, Open Days, to see if the teaching staff is suitable for the future long-term learning and communication process. The school should be comfortable, interesting, pleasant to study.

Training program. When entering an art school, it is imperative to take into account the curriculum: is there a holistic sequential program or only courses on teaching individual techniques of painting and drawing. In the latter case, the institution is likely to specialize in short-term courses in acquaintance with techniques of artistic skill, copying works. Usually a description of the curriculum, its goals, stages, teaching methods is indicated on the official website.

Professional equipment. It is appropriate to carefully consider the presence and condition of easels, tablets, sketchbooks. The art materials used in school are important: whether they are the most inexpensive paints, inexpensive brushes, erasers, pencils or expensive materials from the best manufacturers, whose work brings the best result and pleasure. The list of necessary equipment is supplemented by:
comfortable ergonomic furniture for comfortable placement of students and maintaining posture;
good lighting so that students do not spoil their eyesight.

Workshop. When choosing an art school, you should pay attention to the presence of a workshop. If instead of it there are ordinary classrooms where students work, sitting at tables, and not at easels, then it is hardly necessary to choose such an institution. In the most popular art schools there is a spacious, light workshop where you can draw, standing behind an easel, having the opportunity and a place to step aside, inspect the work from the side. A workshop is not just a beautiful attribute of an art school, it allows you to competently and professionally develop skills and foundations of mastery.

Promotion and development of students. An art school should not only give students theoretical knowledge in the field of fine arts, develop skills in mastering various techniques and styles of drawing. It is important to fully develop students. This is facilitated by:

• holding regular plein-airs, providing drawing from nature in the open air;
• organization of exhibitions of students' works on our own and third-party art sites to see their creations from the outside, in the exposition;
• foreign art travels for immersion in culture, the style of local masters.

Recommendations when choosing an art school

Let's highlight a list of recommendations, what to look for when choosing an art school:

1. Choose a school with many years of experience, awards for contributions to the education and aesthetic education of the younger generation: the older it is, the more stable its curriculum, the stronger the teaching staff, the stronger the knowledge and skills students acquire.
2. Give preference to a school whose teachers are active artists: a practicing professional will be able to give more quality skills in mastering artistic skills.
3. Avoid a sharp change in the technique and style of drawing, teaching methods: long addiction inhibits the development of skills.
4. To study the schedule of classes: a big plus is the availability of separate classes in composition and drawing.
5. Choose a school with a minimum set of groups (no more than eight people), otherwise it will be difficult for the teacher to carry out an individual approach to each student.
6. Find out from the teacher what methodology is used for training. According to graduates, it is important to have a specific methodology, and not chaotic classes at the discretion of the teacher.
7. Study the reviews of students, graduates about the art school. From them, you can glean a lot of necessary information about the cost of training, the arrangement of classrooms, the comfort of classes, the professionalism of teachers.

The best art schools in St. Petersburg for 2024

We will conduct a small overview of the best art schools in St. Petersburg for 2024, based on student feedback, official information from sites, independent open sources. For each institution, consider:

• Contact details;
• advantages and disadvantages;
• how to proceed;
• what are taught;
• what the cost of studying.

Children's art schools

St. Petersburg Children's Art School No. 1

Established: 1963
Address: nab. Fontanka river, 18 A
☎+7 (812) 273-6642
Website: http://art-school-1.ru/
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 13.30 -20.00

The school occupies the third floor of a three-story historic stone mansion with a portico in a beautiful old town. A strong teaching staff has graduated more than two thousand students, many of whom later became professional painters and sculptors. For participation in numerous exhibitions in Russia, France. In Japan and other countries, students are awarded with diplomas, certificates, gifts. The nine-year training program for children from 7 to 18 years old is carried out in four departments:

• pictorial and graphic;
• theatrical and decorative;
• ceramic;
• painting of fabrics.

On the school's website in the Questionnaire section, you can leave feedback about the services received. Education is completely free, there are no scholarships or material incentives for students. The school has nine equipped classrooms, requisite, teachers' room, library. In the lobby and corridors, gallery exhibition equipment for students' work. The school is equipped for teaching disabled children of the following categories:

• disabled people with intellectual disabilities;
• disabled people with visual impairments;
• hearing impaired persons;
• disabled people with musculoskeletal disorders.

The issue of the accessibility of all premises to disabled people moving in a wheelchair is being addressed.
Convenient location of the establishment: within walking distance from metro stations Gostiny Dvor, Chernyshevskaya, Nevsky Prospect. The nearest intersection is equipped with a traffic light, a pedestrian crossing.

• good basic education;
• free education;
• strong practical skills in the chosen specialization;
• caring benevolent teachers;
• democratic environment;
• convenient location;
• good equipment;
• regular exhibitions of students' work;
• concern for accessibility for the disabled;
• participation in international exhibitions.

• overhaul of the premises is required.

Children's art school. B. M. Kustodieva

Established: 1973
Address: Side alley, 1
☎+7 (812) 234-1395
Website: http://kustodiev-school.ru
Opening hours: daily 12.00 - 20.00

The school is located in a detached old wooden building on Kamenny Island, not far from the Chernaya Rechka metro station.Equipped with facilities for disabled people:

• meeting and accompanying a disabled student upon a preliminary call;
• handrails in bathrooms;
• tactile navigation and information signs;
• ramp on the rapids.

Preparatory classes are organized for those entering the school, where children learn the basics of creativity, develop spatial imagination, and perform simple tasks. Plein airs are held on the school grounds - in a picturesque ecologically clean arch with alleys of ancient trees. Inside the building, the atmosphere is as comfortable and calm as outside: clean, spacious classrooms, rows of graduates' works on the walls of corridors and shelves along the walls of the hall, an abundance of indoor plants, decoration in calm pastel colors. The school staff are united by years of joint work, students note professionalism and tact, the ability to find a common language with any child. Some teachers are engaged in practice in the field of fine arts, regularly exhibiting at the city, regional, national levels.

• a solid foundation for elementary art education;
• a lot of positive feedback from alumni;
• pleasant atmosphere;
• friendly qualified teaching staff;
• participation in numerous exhibitions;
• low occupancy of groups;
• plein airs in a picturesque park;
• preparatory classes for applicants;
• accessibility for the disabled.

• inconvenient location.

St. Petersburg Children's Art School No. 13

Established: 1976
Address: Sveaborgskaya st., 23
☎+7 (812) 241-3494
Website: http://art-school13.ru/
Working hours: Mon-Fri 15.00 - 20.00

The school is located in the Moscow district of the city, not far from the Elektrosila metro station. Here, during 9 years of study, children learn arts and crafts, painting, printed graphics, sculpture. School traditions are passed on from year to year:

1. sightseeing excursions to cities in Russia and the CIS on vacation;
2. New Year's festival with making decorations, costumes;
3. annual alumni evenings.

The school has its own puppet theater, the characters for which are made by students from papier-mâché and plastics themselves under the guidance of teachers. The average cost of tuition on a paid basis is 3000 rubles per month. The rest of the guys study on a budget. At the end of the school, state diplomas of elementary art education are issued.

• strong teaching staff;
• classical educational system;
• interesting extracurricular life of schoolchildren;
• school traditions;
• prize and first places in exhibitions and competitions.

• many premises require major repairs.

Children's art school. I.P. Sautova

Established: 1988
Address: Pushkin, Moscow highway, 4
☎+7 (812) 466-9300
Website: http://artsautov.ru/
Opening hours: daily 10.00 - 20.00

More than 400 children of different ages study at the Pushkin Art School: according to the preparatory and academic programs of children's art schools. Classic subjects are taught here:

• painting;
• composition;
• picture;
• sculpture;
• history of art.

Attention is also paid to the study of arts and crafts and folk art. Primary academic education for children is provided by highly qualified caring teachers with many years of pedagogical and creative experience. The best traditions of the national school are implemented by teachers with the highest category and long work experience. This is evidenced by the success of students in city, all-Russian, international exhibitions. Many children become winners and laureates of numerous creative competitions. More than half of the school's graduates enter universities for art specialties. Upon admission, the commission takes into account:

• compositional rhythm;
• tonal range;
• coordination of movements;
• creative potential;
• mixing colors;
• features of perception;
• personal qualities (emotionality, perseverance, sociability).

Training is carried out on a budgetary and on a paid basis at a price of 3700 to 4500 rubles per month. After successfully passing the exams at the end of each class, transfer to budget is possible. Each group has 10 to 15 students.

• classical system of academic education;
• a high percentage of admission to art specialties in universities;
• successes in competitions, at exhibitions;
• experienced teachers;
• equipped workshops;
• accessibility for the disabled;
• the possibility of switching to budget education.

• numerous groups.

St. Petersburg Children's Art School No. 2

Established: 1964
Address: Nekrasov st., 10-12
☎+7 (812) 272-5567
Website: http://hudozhka2.ru/
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 13.20 - 20.00

A school with rich traditions, a strong methodological base, in which caring creative teachers work. Here they are able to reach out to the heart of every child, reveal their creative potential, instill a love of artistic activity, foster aesthetic taste, teach to work. The school is equipped with classrooms for the following subjects:

• art history;
• weaving;
• batik;
• printed graphics;
• sculpture;
• drawing and painting;
• old Russian painting.

At the service of students:

• library;
• showroom;
• methodological fund;
• two medical kits in the foyer and corridor;
• cooler with drinking water.

Holidays, travel, city events, competitions and creative projects make school life rich and interesting. In addition to the main educational program, there is an additional general developmental program, which is implemented at the expense of students. Tuition fees range from 4400 to 6600 rubles per month, depending on the number of training hours. Since the 2018/2019 academic year, a paid group has been opened at the school for teaching drawing and painting to adults over 18 years old.

• high level of education quality;
• good material base;
• spacious equipped workshops;
• own showroom;
• rich methodological fund;
• highly qualified teachers;
• creative comfortable atmosphere;
• busy school life.

• not identified.

St. Petersburg Children's Art School No. 16

Established: 1985
Address: nab. Bypass channel, 46/2
☎+7 (812) 812-273-6642
Website: http://art-schkola16.ru/
Work schedule: Mon-Fri 10.00 - 20.00

A popular art school in the city with a nine-year program of education for children from 7 years old is conveniently located a three-minute walk from the Obvodny Canal metro station. There are budgetary and self-sustaining branches. Paid educational services are affordable, of high quality and guaranteed. For admission on a budgetary basis, you must pass entrance tests: an interview and a creative assignment. You can apply to the paid department if you have creative homework. It employs professionals in their field, creative teachers who love and understand children. Confirmation of this - numerous certificates of honor, diplomas, gratitude at exhibitions and creative competitions. Good technical equipment contributes to interesting classes, a comprehensive presentation of educational material, and the development of practical skills among students.

• quality educational services;
• caring professional teachers;
• fresh renovation;
• good material and technical equipment;
• large showroom;
• numerous awards at exhibitions, competitions;
• inexpensive paid services;
• convenient location.

• not identified.

St. Petersburg city art school named after G. N. Antonova

Established: 1918
Address: Rimsky-Korsakov st., 18/12
☎+7 (812) 314-3153
Website: http://spb-artschool.ru/
Opening hours: daily 11.00 - 20.00

The oldest art school in the city is included in the list of "50 best art schools", organized on behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Conveniently located in the city center, within walking distance from the Rimsky-Korsakov Prospekt stop, Spasskaya, Sadovaya metro stops.The passage to the school is equipped with regulated intersections, traffic lights with timers and sound signals, and lowered curbs to facilitate the movement of students with disabilities. Inside the school, within the framework of the state program "Accessible Environment", devices are equipped for the comfortable finding of disabled people.

Professionally and creatively strong team, loyalty to the traditions of the national art school determine the popularity of the institution, which has repeatedly been awarded the title of the Best Educational Institution of the Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg. The school implements additional pre-professional and general developmental programs for children from 6 to 18 years old. Pupils successfully participate in competitions in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, all-Russian and international competitions for young talents in the field of fine arts. The school has good technical equipment for full-fledged theoretical and practical classes in all subjects, including a computer with Internet access, multimedia and projection equipment, workshops for painting, a muffle for burning sculptures and stucco moldings.

• rich methodological traditions;
• strong teaching staff;
• successful participation of students in competitions and exhibitions;
• high awards from the Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg and the Russian Federation;
• good material and technical base;
• spacious equipped workshops;
• sincere, homely atmosphere;
• equipped for disabled people;
• convenient location;
• friendly staff.

• not identified.

Art schools and studios for adults

Hummingbird

Address: Turistskaya str., 30/1
☎+7 (950) 000-0921
Website: https://vk.com/artshkolaspb
Opening hours: daily 10.00 - 22.00

A popular studio school for children and adults in St. Petersburg. For each student, an individual program is drawn up, which is based on age, personal characteristics, level of artistic training, and the goal of training. General developmental programs are drawn up in the following areas:

• preparation for admission to educational institutions of art;
• graphic arts;
• watercolor painting;
• oil painting;
• painting with gouache and acrylic;
• composition in painting and drawing;
• batik;
• modeling;
• drawing and painting courses;
• copying;
• calligraphy;
• color science;
• academic drawing;
• doodling and zentangle.

A modern, technically equipped, cozy studio school for everyone who wants to learn the basics of fine arts. Students are accepted from 3 children. Teachers work in small groups (no more than six people), individually. Despite the expensive training, classrooms and workshops are always full. This is due to a flexible system of discounts, including the necessary materials and tools in the cost of classes and master classes. You don't need to bring anything with you. The teachers are artists with a pedagogical education, great experience and great creative potential. Therefore, the classes are interesting and rich. Their duration for preschool children is 60 minutes, children from 7 years old, adolescents, adults - 90 minutes. A single visit will cost 700 rubles, with the purchase of a subscription - from 545 rubles per lesson.

From May to September, teachers conduct open-air plein airs, for younger groups - on the Glukharka River, for older ones - a trip to Elagin Island. The cost of a single visit to the open air is 1100 rubles, by subscription - from 900 rubles per lesson. Drawing materials are provided by the school. It is necessary to register for classes in advance. You can join any group at any level of study, subject to availability.

• adequate prices;
• high quality of education;
• individual approach;
• small groups;
• system of discounts;
• convenient working mode;
• all materials and tools are provided by the school;
• spacious workshops.

• inconvenient location.

Artika

Address: Karavannaya st., 1
☎+7 (812) 961-8807
Website: http://artica-school.ru/
Opening hours: daily 9.30 - 21.00

The drawing school for adults is located in the very center of St. Petersburg, near Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor metro station. It offers everyone over 14 years old to undergo training in the following areas:

• intensive courses in drawing and painting;
• mastering different drawing techniques;
• drawing a portrait, a figure of a person from nature;
• preparatory courses for admission to art universities;
• academic drawing;
• sketches, sketches.

Here you can master the skills of classical drawing, get acquainted with modern techniques, the art of portraiture. During the warm season, open air trips are practiced. The training system is simple: study the schedule on the site, select the lesson of interest, sign up by phone. Groups are made up of 3-5 people, each student performs a personal task, receives individual advice from a teacher - a professional artist. The lesson lasts 90 minutes. The cost of a single visit is 800 rubles. When buying a subscription, the cost of training, depending on the number of classes, varies from 3000 to 13000 rubles per month.

• free schedule;
• individual approach;
• solid academic knowledge;
• teachers with higher art education, practicing artists;
• comfortable atmosphere;
• comfortable workshop;
• professional artistic training;
• affordable prices;
• convenient location.

• not identified.

School of drawing "Aivazovsky"

School of drawing and painting "Aivazovsky" provides training in drawing for adults from scratch. For 2.5 years of work at a young school, more than 1000 paintings were painted.

You yourself choose what you want - to master the technique of the Impressionists or, for example, to make a spectacular interior painting with gold, paint a portrait of your cat or a reminder of a vacation, learn how to convey sunlight or fog over a river.

You can also choose any picture or photo from the Internet, and the teachers of the school will help you easily learn those painting techniques that will allow you to recreate the picture with your own hands.

Teachers from the Academy of Arts and the Mukhinsky School work with the students. The work is supervised by a professional art critic, an employee of the Russian Museum.

The school offers convenient free attendance, no need to fit into a month or walk only on certain days of the week.

It is worth noting that a relaxed creative atmosphere reigns in the lessons, free tea, coffee, goodies. There are no more than seven people in the classroom, and individual work is done with each student. All teachers are great masters of their craft with vast teaching experience, so learning is easy, fun and understanding the problems of beginners.

• low prices;
• the term of use of subscriptions is not limited;
• free schedule - sign up for the day when it is convenient;
• independent (or with the help of an artist) choice of any subjects;
• experienced mentors from the Academy of Arts and the Mukhinsky School, members of the Union of Artists of Russia. The head of the studio is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and the International Association of Art Critics, an employee of the Russian Museum;
• paints, brushes, thinners are included in the cost of subscriptions and trial lessons, canvases can be purchased in the studio or bring your own;
• studio on Vasilievsky very close to the metro;
• comfortable friendly atmosphere;
• free photography after completion of work;
• small groups up to 7 people;
• both studios have parking.

• you need to go up to the 4th floor on foot;
• for adults only, children are not accepted;
• studio on Petrogradskaya far from the metro.

ASHBE

Established: 2017
Address: Moskovsky Prospect, 22
☎+7 (812) 914-2903
Website: http://arthb.ru/shkola-risovaniya/
Opening hours: daily 10.00 - 22.00

A relatively young, promising art school in St. Petersburg, operating on the basis of a perpetual license to conduct educational activities. Every year he recruits different age groups:

• children;
• adolescents;
• adults.

It is located in the Admiralteisky district of St. Petersburg, within walking distance from the Tekhnologicheskiy institut and Pushkinskaya metro stations.It occupies the entire first floor of the building, with spacious classrooms, workshops, a wide corridor, and a foyer. Classes are conducted by practicing artists, graduates of the best art universities in St. Petersburg and Russia. Teaching children involves visual literacy, mastering the initial skills of the visual arts. Adults take courses combining classical fundamentals and accelerated hands-on sessions. Educational programs are based on the methods of the academic system of Russia, which is the best in the world. The cost of training depends on the programs chosen, for younger groups it ranges from 3000 to 6500 rubles per month, for adolescents and adults - from 5800 to 9500 rubles.

In the framework of cooperation with the Russian Academy of Drawing and Painting in Italy, everyone can take art courses, internships in Florence. The school provides visa support, selects accommodation options.

One of the main activities of the school is teaching design. As a partner of the Artfuture St. Petersburg School of Design, the institution provides the necessary preparation for admission and training in the design specialty.

• affordable prices;
• high level of teachers' skill;
• the possibility of teaching adults;
• courses and internships in Italy;
• preparation for admission to the Artfuture St. Petersburg School of Design;
• convenient working hours without days off;
• good material and technical base;
• convenient location.

• not identified.

Everyone decides for himself in which institution it is better to study painting. The given rating, which includes the best, proven public and private art schools for children, adolescents, adults in St. Petersburg, will help to avoid mistakes when choosing, so that practicing your favorite hobby will bring true pleasure.