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About AEA

Artful Edge Academy provides individualized portfolio mentorship for students applying to specialized arts high schools and BFA programs in New York.

Students receive one-on-one guidance tailored to their interests, skill level, and target schools. Projects are customized to meet specific portfolio requirements while supporting creative development and learning goals. AEA works exclusively with visual arts and design portfolios and supports students at all experience levels. Instruction includes professional documentation of artwork, portfolio presentation, interview preparation, and application guidance.

Our program supports artistic development and prepares students for the competitive admissions process. Students build technical skills, creative confidence, and professional portfolios aligned with what schools are looking for.

Your Instructor

Michelle Hinebrook is an artist and educator with over twenty-five years of experience in art and design education. She holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and is currently a Professor at Pratt Institute.

Her work with young artists includes extensive experience as a teaching artist and curriculum developer in NYC public schools. She has developed lesson plans aligned with the New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts and contributed to the visual arts standards currently used in NYC public schools. She also serves on portfolio review committees for several art and design institutions and as a juror for various art competitions.

Her approach is inspiring, structured, student-centered, and aligned with admissions requirements. She specializes in helping students develop strong portfolios and navigate the application process with clarity and confidence.

Our Services

Portfolio Development

We help students create, refine, and present cohesive bodies of work that reflect their personal vision and meet the standards of competitive art and design programs. Through mentorship and critique, students build portfolios that are technically and conceptually strong.

Creative Coaching

Through coaching, students gain clarity and confidence in their artistic direction. We help them articulate their journey through writing, interviews, and portfolio presentations.

Application Strategy and Materials

We help students and families develop a targeted school list based on their interests. We assist with assembling application materials, refining writing, photographing artwork, and filming video interviews that highlight each student’s individuality and creative vision.

Mentorship and Connections

Through AEA’s Art Experiences Program, students have opportunities to connect with NYC-based professional artists, designers, and educators for portfolio reviews.

In-School Portfolio Workshops

Portfolio-focused workshops delivered in NYC public middle and high schools in collaboration with art teachers. Workshops support classroom art instruction and help prepare students and educators for portfolio development.

Teacher Workshops and Curriculum Support

Professional development workshops for public school art teachers focused on portfolio development, admissions requirements, and classroom strategies. Teachers receive curriculum tools they can use directly with students.

Parent Workshops

Online sessions designed to clarify application timelines, portfolio expectations, and how families can support students at home.

Adult Education Classes

Advanced and Beginner one-on-one classes in Painting, Drawing, Design, Color Theory, Glass, Digital Media, Photography, Sculpture.