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About AEA

Artful Edge Academy provides individualized, one-on-one mentorship tailored to each student’s interests, skill level, learning style, and academic goals. Instruction is designed around portfolio development needs while supporting sustained creative growth and technical development. AEA helps students build portfolios for visual arts and design school applications.

Conceptual development and technical skills are taught in context with Art History. AEA students build strong, cohesive portfolios while developing confidence and clarity of creative voice, using a diverse range of materials and methods.

AEA excels in supporting students of all skill levels and provides application guidance and pathways towards future careers in the arts.

We offer expert art instruction within a professional art studio environment. Where students can develop their creative potential, work with new materials and techniques, while learning about art history.

Instruction emphasizes the relationship between conceptual development, technical skill, and exploratory studio practices. Students build strong, cohesive portfolios while developing confidence to express their unique creative voice and skillfully manipulate a wide range of materials and working methods.

Individualized classes in Art and Design

High School and Middle School Portfolio and Skill Development

Portfolio Development

We help students create, refine, and present cohesive bodies of work that reflect their individual creative vision while meeting the standards of competitive art and design programs. Through personalized mentorship, critique, and project-based learning, students develop portfolios that are both technically accomplished and conceptually strong.

Students receive guidance in portfolio sequencing, presentation, professional documentation of artwork, and the development of a compelling visual narrative that communicates their unique perspective and strengths.

Application Strategy & Portfolio Presentation

Applying to arts-focused schools requires more than strong artwork. We work closely with students and families to develop a targeted list of schools based on each student’s interests, goals, and aspirations.

Our program provides support with every stage of the application process, including portfolio development, artist statements, essays, professional photography of artwork, video interviews, and portfolio presentations. We help students assemble application materials that align with the specific requirements of each school while presenting a clear and authentic artistic voice.

Creative Coaching & Mentorship

Developing as an artist requires both skill and confidence. Through ongoing mentorship, students gain clarity in their artistic direction and learn how to articulate their creative process through writing, interviews, and portfolio presentations.

Through AEA’s Art Experiences Program, students have opportunities to connect with professional artists, designers, educators, and industry professionals throughout New York City for portfolio reviews, studio visits, and career-focused conversations that deepen their understanding of creative practice.

Expanding Access to Arts Education

AEA is committed to providing high-quality art and design education to aspiring artists throughout New York City. Our work helps address a growing gap in arts education, where many students lack access to consistent visual arts instruction, portfolio preparation, and guidance through the admissions process.

We are especially committed to supporting families who may need additional assistance navigating arts-focused educational opportunities, helping students develop the skills, confidence, and portfolios necessary to pursue their creative ambitions.

Adult Education & Creative Development

AEA offers personalized instruction for artists, educators, creative professionals, and lifelong learners seeking to deepen their artistic practice, expand technical skills, and strengthen their creative voice. Classes are tailored to individual goals and experience levels, providing a supportive environment for artistic growth, experimentation, and self-expression.

Skill Development & Creative Exploration

Students receive individualized instruction in drawing, painting, color theory, composition, material exploration, and creative problem-solving. Sessions may include demonstrations, critique, discussions of contemporary art, and guided experimentation that helps students build both technical proficiency and conceptual understanding.

Returning to Your Creative Practice

Designed for adults who have a background in art and want to return to making work, these classes provide the structure, mentorship, and accountability needed to reestablish a consistent creative practice. Whether you are returning after a few years or several decades away from the studio, instruction is tailored to your individual interests, helping you rebuild momentum, explore new ideas and materials, refine technical skills, and develop meaningful work with confidence and purpose.

Professional Artists & Creative Professionals

For practicing artists, classes can support portfolio development, exhibition preparation, artist statements, grant and residency applications, and the refinement of an existing body of work. Educators and creative professionals can develop new skills, explore innovative approaches to creative thinking, and gain fresh perspectives that enrich both their professional and personal creative pursuits.

Building a Sustainable Studio Practice

Beyond skill-building, our classes foster creative confidence, curiosity, and long-term artistic growth. Students are encouraged to establish a consistent studio practice, develop their unique visual language, and engage more deeply with the creative process through ongoing mentorship and constructive feedback.

Group Art Experiences & Private Events

AEA offers customized art experiences for organizations, schools, community groups, friends, and families. We host groups of 6–12 participants for creative workshops centered around a theme, medium, or artistic process of your choice.

These engaging, hands-on experiences encourage creativity, collaboration, and self-expression in a welcoming studio environment. Workshops can be tailored for team-building events, professional development programs, celebrations, community engagement initiatives, or private gatherings. No prior artistic experience is required.

Meet your Instructor

Michelle Hinebrook is a professional artist and art educator with more than twenty-five years of experience in art and design education. She holds an MFA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Design from the College for Creative Studies. She is currently an Associate Professor at Pratt Institute and a teaching artist with Young Audiences New York and UrbanGlass.

My teaching grows out of my own studio practice, years of classroom experience, and ongoing work with students in both secondary and higher education. I design curriculum informed by art history, portfolio-based learning, and the New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. I also serve on portfolio review panels for art and design schools and as a juror for visual arts competitions, which keeps me closely connected to current expectations in admissions and professional practice.

At the core of my teaching is a simple goal: to support real artistic growth. I want students to build confidence, develop technical skill, and create a body of work that feels focused, intentional, and authentic to them. I teach with care, curiosity, and respect for each student’s process, meeting them where they are while helping them move forward in clear, achievable steps.

I come to this work from my own experience of learning art without formal training in my early years. I taught myself to draw and built my portfolio independently in order to apply to art school. That experience continues to shape how I teach today. It’s why I care deeply about access, clarity, and making sure students feel supported no matter their starting point.