Fleisher Art school holds forum on changes

Last year the Fleisher Art Memorial celebrated its 100th year of providing tuition-free art instruction in Philadelphia. This year, the school is trying to figure out how to keep that going in the face of fiscal challenges.

Last year the Fleisher Art Memorial celebrated its 100th year of providing tuition-free art instruction in Philadelphia. This year, the school is trying to figure out how to keep that going in the face of fiscal challenges. The school is caught between providing good education and being available to everybody.

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[audio: 091106pcfleisher.mp3]

The administration of the Fleisher Art Memorial recently held a town-hall style meeting with students to discuss the culture of the organization. Many students have become disgruntled with the school pulling back its free, drop-in classes in favor of classes requiring pre-registration and tuition fees.

Director Matt Braun says the drop-in classes have become popular to the point of overcrowding.

Braun: We are now taking a harder look at how we offer our free programming, because we are needing to focus on the quality of the experience for the student. If you have to set up your easel up in the hallway, that’s not the quality of experience we want to offer at the Fleisher.

At the town hall meeting a student advisory committee was established for the upcoming spring semester.