Institute for Visual Arts
Institute for Visual Arts, 3229 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039
About
Institute for Visual Arts offers an outstanding, comprehensive art education program in a community setting for children, teens, and adults. The program includes a core program of ongoing long-term academic art courses throughout the school year, a summer program for students of all ages, and rotating session classes for teens and adults. Students learn within a small, diverse, creative peer group, and the studio space also serves as an art gallery.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Institute for Visual Arts was founded in 2011. It is led by Founder/Director Shannon Rae Fincke, an artist, educator, administrator, curator, and gallerist with 30 years of art program leadership, curriculum development, and teaching experience. The IVA team includes staff and adjunct faculty such as Natasha Kassyutina (Special Projects Coordinator/Exhibition Designer), Raea Lee (Substitute Teacher/Administrative Assistant/Events), Lisa Carter (Administrative Assistant/Events), Sophia Gross (Art Gallery Assistant), Sabina Annis (Administrative Assistant/Events), Sophie Wallace (Art Education Intern), Delilah Lee (Art Education Intern), Harper Cline (Studio Assistant), Todd DePauw (Projects/Events/DJ), Skyler Lee (Administrative & Studio Assistant), and adjunct faculty Molly Segal (Figure Drawing), Casey Baden (Fibers+Mixed-Media), and Leslie Lanxinger (Drawing in Black+White). The curriculum is designed sequentially and provides deep and meaningful learning experiences in a broad array of multifaceted art concepts, styles, methods, and media.
Shannon Rae Fincke holds a Master’s Degree in Painting and Art Education from New York University, where she received a Gallatin School Dean’s Scholarship and studied intensively with artist Arnold Mesches. She completed undergraduate studies in Studio Art at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and The Marchutz School of Art in France, and was selected to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts in high school. Her teacher training was completed at New York City’s LaGuardia High School of Music & Art & Performing Arts and Hunter College Elementary and Secondary Schools for the Gifted & Talented, and she holds PreK–Adult Art teaching credentials in New York and California. Her experience includes serving as a Visual Arts Specialist for LAUSD for 8 years, a Visual Arts Examiner for the International Baccalaureate, an Art Instructor at Wildwood School and Windward School in Los Angeles, and a Project Arts Coordinator and Art Department Head in New York City high schools, as well as work as a Museum Educator and Teaching Artist for organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, the Albright-Knox Museum, Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center, and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Institute for Visual Arts states that the study of art is considered integral to a complete education and imperative in fostering creativity, self-expression, and independent and critical thinking skills. It describes the visual arts as containing a distinct body of knowledge and skills, and states that learning in the arts offers students insight into their own lives, families, experiences, communities, environment, history, and culture, and that of others. IVA describes its approach as using creative problem solving processes of arts-project learning through which students develop collaboration and organizational skills, self-confidence, empathy, and life-long pleasure in learning, and states that artistic abilities are nurtured and enhanced through in-depth training, exposure to, and experimentation in the visual arts. IVA is described as dedicated to inspiring and enriching the lives of students of all ages through the study of art and the advancement of visual arts in the greater community and society, and as providing an art education program in a community setting and an invaluable community resource.
One parent describes Institute for Visual Arts as “the most dynamic program of art instruction in Los Angeles,” taught in a supportive, warm environment by Shannon Rae Fincke, and notes that IVA offers a rigorous curriculum of study and practice for artists from beginners to experienced professionals, with annual art shows showcasing student work. Another parent notes that their family has been involved since the beginning of IVA, that IVA offers a strong technical foundation for all levels, and that classes are fun, creative, and challenging, with a nurturing and supportive atmosphere. A third parent describes their family’s decade-long involvement in children’s classes, adult workshops, and the Core Program, and highlights Shannon’s ability to teach all levels and age groups, as well as her enthusiasm, adaptability, and patience.
Last updated June 23, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Institute for Visual Arts was founded in 2011. It is led by Founder/Director Shannon Rae Fincke, an artist, educator, administrator, curator, and gallerist with 30 years of art program leadership, curriculum development, and teaching experience. The IVA team includes staff and adjunct faculty such as Natasha Kassyutina (Special Projects Coordinator/Exhibition Designer), Raea Lee (Substitute Teacher/Administrative Assistant/Events), Lisa Carter (Administrative Assistant/Events), Sophia Gross (Art Gallery Assistant), Sabina Annis (Administrative Assistant/Events), Sophie Wallace (Art Education Intern), Delilah Lee (Art Education Intern), Harper Cline (Studio Assistant), Todd DePauw (Projects/Events/DJ), Skyler Lee (Administrative & Studio Assistant), and adjunct faculty Molly Segal (Figure Drawing), Casey Baden (Fibers+Mixed-Media), and Leslie Lanxinger (Drawing in Black+White). The curriculum is designed sequentially and provides deep and meaningful learning experiences in a broad array of multifaceted art concepts, styles, methods, and media.
Shannon Rae Fincke holds a Master’s Degree in Painting and Art Education from New York University, where she received a Gallatin School Dean’s Scholarship and studied intensively with artist Arnold Mesches. She completed undergraduate studies in Studio Art at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and The Marchutz School of Art in France, and was selected to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts in high school. Her teacher training was completed at New York City’s LaGuardia High School of Music & Art & Performing Arts and Hunter College Elementary and Secondary Schools for the Gifted & Talented, and she holds PreK–Adult Art teaching credentials in New York and California. Her experience includes serving as a Visual Arts Specialist for LAUSD for 8 years, a Visual Arts Examiner for the International Baccalaureate, an Art Instructor at Wildwood School and Windward School in Los Angeles, and a Project Arts Coordinator and Art Department Head in New York City high schools, as well as work as a Museum Educator and Teaching Artist for organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, the Albright-Knox Museum, Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center, and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Institute for Visual Arts states that the study of art is considered integral to a complete education and imperative in fostering creativity, self-expression, and independent and critical thinking skills. It describes the visual arts as containing a distinct body of knowledge and skills, and states that learning in the arts offers students insight into their own lives, families, experiences, communities, environment, history, and culture, and that of others. IVA describes its approach as using creative problem solving processes of arts-project learning through which students develop collaboration and organizational skills, self-confidence, empathy, and life-long pleasure in learning, and states that artistic abilities are nurtured and enhanced through in-depth training, exposure to, and experimentation in the visual arts. IVA is described as dedicated to inspiring and enriching the lives of students of all ages through the study of art and the advancement of visual arts in the greater community and society, and as providing an art education program in a community setting and an invaluable community resource.
One parent describes Institute for Visual Arts as “the most dynamic program of art instruction in Los Angeles,” taught in a supportive, warm environment by Shannon Rae Fincke, and notes that IVA offers a rigorous curriculum of study and practice for artists from beginners to experienced professionals, with annual art shows showcasing student work. Another parent notes that their family has been involved since the beginning of IVA, that IVA offers a strong technical foundation for all levels, and that classes are fun, creative, and challenging, with a nurturing and supportive atmosphere. A third parent describes their family’s decade-long involvement in children’s classes, adult workshops, and the Core Program, and highlights Shannon’s ability to teach all levels and age groups, as well as her enthusiasm, adaptability, and patience.
Last updated June 23, 2026.
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