Pursuing a Love of Art in London

Although there are many art schools in the United States, Lisa felt the pull of a place far from home. “New York has always felt like the place to be for art, but I wanted to experience something new. I want to be exposed to different things.”

Since arriving at UCL’s Slade School of Fine Art, Lisa has been acclimating not only to college but also to life in a new country. “It’s been more of a learning curve than I expected, in a good way,” she says. “Although people in London are more reserved, they will talk for a long time even if they don’t know you.” 

It also helps that she is surrounded by students who share her passion. “This is the first time I’ve been in a community of artists. That’s really good for creating friendships.”

Embracing Feedback for Growth 

UCL takes an experimental approach to art education, which is what drew Lisa to the school. Students are self-directed, receive guidance from tutors, and take part in weekly group critiques called “crits.” Lisa, whose focus is painting, is able to create for many hours each week. She loves the level of attention from professors and the feedback from artists in other disciplines. “Students across all four years and from different specializations critique each other’s work,” she explains. “In the real world, you don’t have just other painters looking at your painting, so it makes sense. Having people discuss your work is intimidating, but it’s a big opportunity for growth.”