New President at AiNYC!

Tad Graham-Handley officially became our new President as of August 30, 2010. Tad comes to us with more than twenty years of Campus President experience and strong skills in higher education administration.
Tad is ready to take AiNYC to the next level, including helping us move forward to become a baccalaureate degree-granting college, as was his previous institution.
Tad will be a hands-on President, who will care about the success of each student at our school.
“I am tremendously excited to be part of the Art Institute of New York City. From my first visit I could sense the passion of the students and the dedication and professionalism of the faculty and staff,” he says.

Fashion Merchandising & Marketing Program Launched!

The entire school is excited about the new program in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing being offered beginning in October.

The Fashion Design program at The Art Institute of New York City has long been the most popular program offered at the school. Now it is joined by Fashion Merchandising & Marketing, created for prospective students who love fashion, but don’t have an interest in such subjects as garment construction and patternmaking.

This program is part design and part management, focusing on the business side of the industry. It begins with an intensive foundation in fashion; then it’s on to such exciting topics as Trend Forecasting, the History of Costume, the Sociology of Dress & Consumer Behavior, Fashion Design Concepts and Specialty Markets, and Branding.

Students will be in the right place to get an inside view of the world of fashion merchandising and marketing in the heart of New York City.

Career Opportunities

On August 17, Career Services Advisor Jason Matthews facilitated a mini-job fair. Representatives from Make Meaning, a Pottery Party destination group was looking to make immediate hires. They specialize in corporate events and children’s parties, and have multiple locations throughout the city.

Congresswoman Visits AiNYC

On August 18, 2010, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Congresswoman from Brooklyn’s 11th District, paid a visit to The Art Institute of New York City. She was given a full tour of the college, noting the student art work displayed throughout, as well as the gallery, and technology facilities.

Interim President Janet Day greeted Rep. Clarke, presenting an overview of areas of study, career-oriented degrees, and facilities. She visited three classes in progress, taking great interest in projects students were working on: Concept Design, Advanced Typography, and Advanced Drafting, taught by Daniele Imperiale-Warner, Simona Prives, and Bill Gates, respectively. Congresswoman Clarke later said she was impressed with the level of our student body, and asked questions about their courses of study, wanting to hear details about their projects.

Following the tour, Rep. Clarke joined the President, Dean Dave Moughalian and other key employees in the conference room, where she discussed her work on the House Education & Labor Committee, listening to the group’s concerns about the “Gainful Employment” legislation now before Congress.

According to President Day, “Rep. Clarke seemed to understand the valuable contribution The Art Institute of New York City makes in offering quality education to an often under-served population.”

Little Black Dress Competition a Creative Success!

Under the direction of Amanda Lovell & Vikki Nulman, over 20 Fashion Design students participated in the “Little Black Dress” competition. Students were given 2 tee shirts, plus their choice of closure or trim. The task was to create a dress out of these raw materials, one that was finished, sewn and ready to wear, showing the Ai logo somewhere on the garment. They had one weekend to complete the creation. All agreed that the finished products were amazing!

Prizes were awarded:

1st place – Travis Oestreich, Juki portable sewing machine
2nd place - Diedra David, $50.00 gift certificate
3rd place - Mayra Naviraez, $25.00 gift certificate and pattern tube
4th place – Jessica IhnatFashion Book

Instructor Diane Orr summed up the general feeling about these creations - "I thought they were spectacular... what creativity. Hooray!"

67 Livingston Written up in Crain's!

Crain's New York Business, in both the print and on line editions, wrote about our school's new student housing at 67 Livingston. It is a very favorable article, and good publicity for the school.

Art Institute leases up Brooklyn Heights building

School will take over 41,500-square-foot property; plans to consolidate under a single roof dorm space currently scattered across multiple locations in two boroughs.

August 10, 2010

By James Comtois

A private art and design school is consolidating its dormitory space under a single well-positioned roof in Brooklyn Heights.

The Art Institute of New York has signed a five-year lease for the entire 41,500-square-foot building at 67 Livingston St. in Brooklyn. The 26-story Glory Capital-owned building, built in 1987, will allow AiNYC to consolidate at one location student housing that is currently scattered across Brooklyn and Manhattan. Although there wasn't any posted asking rent, schools typically charge students the equivalent of roughly $75 per square foot for such dorm rooms.

The building—features include newly carpeted and painted rooms, a new fitness center and flat-screen television sets in every room—will accommodate 182 students, all of whom are scheduled to move in by mid-August. New York University had used the building for housing prior to AiNYC taking occupancy. NYU recently moved out.

"Being able to provide student housing in a safe and convenient area helps bring in additional students. Housing gives also gives the students a connectedness to the city and to the institution," said Neil Lipinski at Cassidy Turley who, along with his colleague Tim Kucha, represented the tenant in the transaction. "We had looked at other opportunities in Manhattan but the price point of this location was compelling."

He added that in addition to the building being able to accommodate all AiNYC students seeking housing, its location was also convenient to its main TriBeCa campus, being close to multiple subway lines that offer service straight to the lower Manhattan neighborhood.

"As we enter the fourth year of school-sponsored housing, it’s exciting to have this new facility that will house our students exclusively," said Joe Pirrello, Dean of Student Affairs at The Art Institute of New York City.

Founded in 1980 as The New York Restaurant School and renamed in 2001, the Art Institute of New York City offers its students career preparation in graphic design, web design and interactive media, digital filmmaking, fashion design and interior design. It is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

Campus Apartments will be managing the property on behalf of landlord GC Livingston LLC. Jason Cohen, regional property manager of Campus Apartments negotiated terms of the lease on behalf of the landlord.

Successful Career Services Week!

From August 2 through August 6 during the lunch hour, under the leadership of Director of Career Services Marc Scoleri, the Gallery was filled with great ideas and great speakers to help jump start students' careers.

On Monday, Regina Pokidaylo spoke about Fashion Week.
On Tuesday, Donna Holder introduced a speaker who showcased internship opportunities at MTV.
On Wednesday, Marifrances Boccia introduced Joey Kilrain, an Ai Philadelphia alumnus who is a self-employed Graphic Designer.
On Thursday, Donny Bridgemohan presented a graduate of Ai Atlanta who is the founder and Executive Producer for his company, Second Look TV who discussed opportunities for employment at the September Fashion Week.
On Friday, Carmen Reynal and Jason Matthews got down to basics about How to Get a Job!

Each quarter, attendance at Career Service Weeks increase, because students find the information valuable and entertainingly presented.

Summer Baseball Outing!

On August 5, students, faculty, and staff enjoyed a evening at the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game in Coney Island. Approximately 35 Ai participants were in attendance. The outing was arranged by Joe Pirrello, Laurie Vesalo, and the Student Life staff. All agree the evening was a hit!

Designer Donates Swatches to Fashion Students

On July 28, 2010, evening wear Designer Melinda Eng generously donated several bags of fabric swatches to the Fashion Resource room. Luxurious fabrics such as 100% silk and chiffon were included in the donation and are perfect for presentation boards. One fashion design student has already deemed it “swatch heaven.” Ms. Eng is a long-standing client of Career Service Advisor Regina Pokidaylo and consistently has the highest praise for the AiNYC interns Regina places with her.