In July 2004, the Art Galleries at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with state-of-the-art lighting and exhibition facilities became available for visual arts projects within the academy as well as public rental by proposal. The galleries are visible along busy Bencoolen Street and provide an impressive showcase for artistic endeavours, adding colour and vibrancy to the community at large.
To date the galleries have hosted a variety of quality exhibitions, partnering both the international and local arts organisations and artists. A mainstay of the gallery’s programming features regular exhibitions of key works from the Academy’s art collection by artist luminaries such as Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee, Cheong Soo Pieng, Wee Beng Chong and Lim Hak Tai.
Art Galleries at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is a member of the Art Galleries Association Singapore (www.agas.org.sg)
As an organisation, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts has pioneered arts education and championed the development of the arts in Singapore since its establishment in 1938
It has over the past seven decades grown from strength to strength to transform itself into Singapore's premier arts institution renowned for its high quality curricula, innovative teaching, artistic creations and community outreach. As a comprehensive multi-disciplinary arts institution, NAFA offers a diverse range of well-designed, industry-relevant diploma courses covering 3D Design, Arts Management & Education, Design & Media, Fine Art, Fashion Studies, Dance, Music and Theatre. Opportunities are available to students keen to pursue further education in the arts through various degree programmes conducted in partnership with reputable overseas universities, notably from the UK. They include, among others, the Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree course jointly conducted with the Royal College of Music, London (RCM), making NAFA the first private arts education institution to launch a government-funded degree programme. It also marks the first time that RCM is conferring its degree outside the UK.
The Academy achieved a significant milestone in April 1999 when the Singapore Government upgraded NAFA's status to that of a tertiary institution and for the first time, it received Polytechnic -level funding for all its diploma courses. The Academy achieved another important milestone when in 2011 it became the first comprehensive arts education institution in Singapore, to receive the Edutrust certification for four years by the Council for Private Education in recognition of its robust academic processes and administrative systems and procedures that safeguard and protect the welfare and interests of its students. This is in addition to the People Developer Award received in recognition of its effective human resource practices and staff training and development programmes for its teaching and administrative staff.
NAFA has operated from its three purpose-built campuses at Bencoolen Street since 2004. Occupying more than 36,000 m2 physical space, the campuses are equipped with state-of–the art facilities and technologies that are tailored to the specific learning needs of different arts disciplines. Strategically located in the heart of a bustling art and civic district of the city, NAFA students have ample opportunities to interact with fellow art practitioners and to immerse in a wide range of artistic activities in a vicinity conducive for the study and practice of the arts.
The learning and research needs of students and faculty are supported by the resources and activities of the newly established Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA), the Tanoto Foundation Centre, NAFA Library and the Creative Design Space. Through research, exchanges, workshops, seminars, publications, exhibitions, etc, NAFA remains in constant dialogue with arts practitioners, educators and arts scholars from within and outside the region, participating in the development of the arts and culture of Southeast Asia.
NAFA's cosmopolitan and professional academia attracts the best budding talents from Singapore and the world over. As a testament to the calibre and artistic excellence of its staff and alumni, NAFA has produced 12 Cultural Medallion winners and 10 Young Artist Award recipients over the years. Each year, more than 100 students and teaching staff win awards and accolades at local and international competitions doing NAFA proud. NAFA graduates are widely recognised for their creativity and practical skills that stand them in good stead in an increasingly competitive creative arts employment market. They are well sought after by arts organisations and corporations in the creative arts industries with a majority of its graduates securing employment within six months of their graduation.
NAFA is well-positioned to play a greater role in Singapore's burgeoning arts scene with the growing support of the Government and the community at large. It is poised to grow exponentially to shape the future of arts education in Singapore.
