This school can be different for everyone's need but it was truly not for me. For those who have…read morespecial learning needs and lack creativity, closer guidance is needed. The school will not cater to those needs and for that reason, I strongly do not recommend this school due to my experience. As a former Toronto Art student, l still lack creativity, especially drawing by hand, even after leaving the school.
I realize that most portfolio schools run on a business system and would take your money. A good example would be this school. As an unhappy client leaving the school, I am now with an art teacher who is preparing me for next year's submission (2021), as I was not able to beat the challenge. I felt mentally unconfident and physically exhausted from being at this school.
I was recommended by both the directors to attend the school daily in order to improve my artistic and creativity skill set. However, as my experiences were settling in, the classes did not help me improve despite already increasing the classes prior for the submission. I spent more than a year with this art school believing they would guide me and ease the stress to prepare me for Ryerson's Architecture Science program in 2020. I was wrong. I thought this school would be the best fit for my and sister's needs since we really lack with drawing creativity. I found it was hard to absorb information by the art director, as his style of teaching was to show the person rather than explaining how the technique works.
Sometimes I felt that I was forced to do art in a way that was not my style and asked to do something else but ended up being rejected due to the director's standards. As a result, I was making a portfolio for someone else instead of my own, but the purpose of me attending the school was not only to fix my drawing skills but to show a story of my own personal art pieces. I believe that a portfolio should contain one's own style and art of a storytelling book. In every portfolio made by an artist should tell the viewer who they are as a person, their identity, their style, and how they express their creativity to the audience. For me, I did not feel the atmosphere of my portfolio was portrayed that way.
As for every portfolio class, I thought payment went towards you getting help, inspiration, and importantly, confidence. I left the school with doubts, but I have learned how to draw and paint essentially. I am merely missing the essential part of creativity, which I thought the school would have provided me. Overall, I felt my bad experience with Toronto Art outweighed the good.
There was favoritism that played a role in the group classes for those who are more advanced, around the director of the school. It should be natural that instructors would pay more attention to those who are struggling, rather than helping those who are most likely to
I wish I withdrew out of the class 5 months prior to the submission because now I wasted time and money while not getting what I want realistically. There were times where I was not able to attend some sessions due to conflicts with scheduling from personal events but I would tell director's wife in advance. I rather tell someone in advance than not show up and say nothing. I understand it is hard running on a portfolio business when a student is not able to attend the class but it is unprofessional for director's wife to sigh or give a signal of attitude. What I do not understand is that I was told not to ask for help frequently, as the wife's director said that it would scare and annoy the art assistants and they would be more likely to quit. I rarely asked for help and truly if I do ask for help, I try not to rely heavily on the assistants, as I am fully aware that I was unhappy when she told me since as I found that this was very unprofessional and rude to tell me this. I was not happy during times when I needed the director to help but he left early due to family or personal commitments. I do respect his private life but as someone who runs an art school, he should be more dedicated and passionate with his students, rather than leaving them with art assistants. From a client perspective, I am paying the school to get the help I need. I find that this school only runs on a money-grabbing system, rather than being passionate to help those who strive success.
Nevertheless, I found this school is not best fit for me and will not come here again as I have not achieved my goal. I will not recommend this school to my friends who share similar difficulties as me. The school left a bad impression on me, resulting in a struggling mental state of confidence within art.
From an unhappy client
DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL as I was threatened by the school after posting my google review. I was not only mentally but physically damaged by this message. I really find this school very unprofessional and rude especially to those who are not happy with their service.
