Inter-continental art education

For Dennis Power, it really is all about who you know.

Power, the president of the Laguna College of Art & Design, turned a chat at an art reception into a whirlwind plot involving two renowned art schools, a trans-Atlantic flight and a real princess.

It culminated last month, when college officials announced a new partnership with the Florence Academy of Art in Italy.

Power had spoken with colleague Robert Emmons, a past president of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art board of trustees.

He is also the Florence Academy board’s vice chairman.

Emmons mentioned that the Academy was seeking to partner with a certificated US-based art institution.

The fit was perfect, as Laguna College of Art & Design is one of only six art and design colleges to hold dual accreditation by both the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Founded in 1961, the college serves about 360 undergraduate students. It added a graduate MFA program in 2006, with 17 graduate students enrolled.

Power flew to Florence almost a year ago, where he attended the Academy’s first alumni exhibition, held in the renovated stables of one of Princess Georgiana Corsini’s Florentine palaces.

Since then, the school’s officials and legal teams have been crafting a partnership between the institutions.

“It all finally came together several weeks ago,” Power said.

The Florence Academy of Art was founded in 1991 by Daniel Graves. His first home for the school was a studio in Corsini’s gardens.

About 100 students now study at the school, which focuses on classical realist drawing, painting and sculpture, which Power said dovetails nicely with LCAD’s focus on figural art.

The Academy is located in central Florence, and is comprised of five studios with north-facing light.

It received 200 applications last year for four available positions, and recently opened a second campus in Sweden.

Initially, due to this demand, Laguna College of Art & Design students will be able to attend the Academy’s summer program for transferable credit.

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Interested Laguna College of Art & Design students who attend the college’s June 2007 summer abroad trip to Florence and Rome will have a first glimpse of the school, and will visit the academy’s third alumni exhibition in the palace stables.