I graduated from The San Francisco Academy Of Art University in 2009. My major was sculpture and I graduated with honorable mention. So ask yourself “why would this guy slander his department? Wouldn’t that hurt him?” Let me be clear, I would rather ruin the reputation of my alma mater, than be associated with that place.

The San Francisco Academy Of Art University’s sculpture department just cut lose one of the only redeeming qualities they had. They just allowed Erik Blome to leave…(circumstances to remain vague yet deliberately emphasized). They let the wrong sculptor part ways with them. Peter Schifrin is the one who needs to go out to pasture.

For 3 years I put up with intimidation and emotional abuse from Peter Schifrin. He even openly mocked my religion in front of a class of students (I have 2 statements from students of the class to prove this). When I first pitched my Thesis to Peter, he told me to “dumb it down”. It was about the failure of the masculine paradigm, which he said he was not familiar with. I hope more Academics are aware of the Masculine and feminine paradigms, particularly the contemporary artists.

However, those things are no big deal in the long run. What matters is the fraud being perpetrated by Elisa Stephens’ Academy Of Art University, against its students and the American taxpayers.

The claim that the school is run by “artists for artist” that “professional” teach there was not true in the sculpture department (Erik Blome was one of very few exceptions to that). I was disgusted at the time that most of my graduate school professors in the sculpture dept had less experience, and smaller resumes than I did. The reason I went to the school was I was willing to go to a school with a lesser brand name, for a better education.

He was the reason I have not openly expressed my feelings about the school. He was the reason I have never approached the bloggers and journalists I have found who have a bone to pick with the Academy.

Let me give an example of the incompetence of the Sculpture department faculty. Each year the Academy has a career night, they invite top students, and each department invites industry professionals to meet the students.

I went 4 years ago, and the sculpture faculty invited a few students, but had invited NO industry people for us to meet. We literally sat around waiting for people invited by other departments, to wander over to us. When I confronted the faculty of my department about this, one of them told me “we didn’t know who to invite”. So they were aware that no one was there for us to talk to, but asked us all there so that they would not look incompetent to administration.

If they were capable of being professionals themselves, they would know whom to invite there. Let me put it this way, Google the name “peter Schifrin” in quotes, and see what comes up. Is anyone talking about him besides self-posts and the Academy?? Exactly. Now, try that with each person teaching in the sculpture dept.

This little truth needs to be in a New York Times piece. These people charge students $100,000 to learn from inferior “professionals” and they let go anyone who threatens Peter’s ability.
So they bring students into this department knowing they won’t be able to pay back student loans

This is a disservice to the students of the sculpture department, and it is a total rip off to students looking to come to the Academy to make something of themselves as sculptors. I also think it should be criminal. You see, most students take out loans for school. The government pays for some of that, they do so with our money! The Academy cranks out ill prepared graduates, who cannot get jobs paying enough to pay ANY of the money back, much less retrieve the wasted years at the Academy.

I lucked out. I came to school as a professional sculptor and Internet marketer. My degree is WASC accredited (you can buy anything in this world with money). I was also fortunate to learn from Wanxin Zhang and Erik Blome. Erik WAS the reason I have not been outspoken against the Academy. However, most other people will not be as fortunate as me, 3 years at the Academy’s sculpture department will ruin some people’s lives!

If you are looking to go to art school in sculpture DO NOT GO TO THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY.

Please listen to the warning voice of someone who has nothing to gain from discrediting this school. OR, listen to the people in the links below.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=177169

http://www.yelp.com/biz/academy-of-art-university-san-francisco-2

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