Via De Vellutini: at left, the door to Studio della Statua, and at the end of the street on the right, the life-sized statue of Saint Mark carved in marble by Jason Arkles in 2008 for St. Mark's English Church. Larger pictures of the statue can be seen here.

Studio della Statua is located in the of the heart of the Oltrarno, in the historical center of Florence, Italy. The Oltrarno - The part of Florence south of the River Arno - is known worldwide as the artisan's quarter of Florence, where for centuries master craftsmen of all stripes have maintained their workshops and studios. Today, this tradition continues, with furniture makers, makers of musical instruments, shoemakers, framers, as well as painters and sculptors all within a minute's walk from each other. Studio della Statua is itself located between the studios of a woodcarver and a goldsmith.

The facility of Studio della Statua on Via De Vellutini is a studio/workshop comprised of a life modeling room and two shops for technical work. The atelier has acquired an additional studio just steps away on Via Maggio, used by the advanced students for large scale work.

Location

Via De' Vellutini, 7r mailing address Studio della Statua Via Maggio 16/18 Firenze (FI) 50125 Italia phone (currently Jason Arkles' cell phone) (+39) 348-332-6610 E-mail info@studiodellastatua.com or jason@jasonarkles.com

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Application for study

Please download, fill in on your computer, save, then e-mail the application form and accompanying materials to info@studiodellastatua.com. If necessary, materials may also be mailed (address is on the application form), but e-mail is preferred.

Please keep e-mail attachments to less than 10 MB in total.

Use either format:

• Word (.doc) format (14 KB)
• PDF/Acrobat form (69 KB)

In addition to the application form, please include:

• A statement of interest and intent (why you wish to study at Studio della Statua, for how long, your expectations, and your goals. This need not be more than a few paragraphs.)
• At least three examples of work either as a student or autonomously; work in two or three dimensions which display draughtsmanship are encouraged, such as cast drawings or figure sketches.

Answers to frequently asked questions -

Fees: Each of the three terms of the 2010-2011 academic year cost 3,000 Euros (see the curriculum page for term dates). Shorter term students will pay prorated fees - 300 euros per week, for example, which works out to 10 euros per classroom hour. Each term is either ten or eleven weeks long. Fees include use of tools, materials,and nude models. Students pay for their own portrait models when portraits are practiced, in the second and third term, and cost 50 Euros a week. Raw materials such as clay and plaster, armature materials, safety gear, etc. are included but students will need to purchase certain personal tools and moldmaking materials as needed. On average, a student will spend 100 Euros per term on their own tools and supplies.

All classes are taught in English, and Italian students can be accommodated. The majority of the students come from the UK with a portion from the United States as well.

Accommodation: Florence is a city that handles a large student population, and accommodation is easily available. Studio Della Statua has a list of accommodations in a variety of price ranges that is available to enrolled students. Students can rent a room in a larger apartment or house, choose to live in the center or outside the city proper (excellent bus and train service is available, and bicycles are a common option for students). A student sharing an apartment or renting a room may expect to pay 3-600 Euros per month in the city center.

Cost of living - The cost of living in Florence is not inexpensive, but one's point of view depends upon where one is coming from. One resource that will give insight into student life in Florence, as well as provide further resources, is the bi-monthly English language newspaper The Florentine, whose website you can find here.