Department Facilities

Information about the Department of Performing and Fine Arts facilities at York College.

Students working a shoot in progress at the York College Television Studio.

A student uses a camera at the York College Television Studio during a shoot.

Communications Technology

Multimedia Lab

AC-4M03

The 4M03 Multimedia Lab is York College’s premier multimedia production and post-production facility. Consisting of 25 5K editing station and two private editing suites, students take advantage of this space to not only learn modern media production techniques but to produce high-quality audio, video and web content. Although this space is primarily used by the Department of Performing & Fine Arts, it is open almost year-round to the York College community. With college staff on-hand to assist students and faculty in the creation of stunning media and entertainment, almost anything is possible in the Multimedia Lab.

Television Studio

AC-4M04

The 4M04 live production television studio is home to Jamaica’s finest television production facility. This fully featured high definition live production studio consists of advanced lighting control equipment, three studio-quality HD production cameras, and a solid-state record and control facility. The studio is also home to a fully featured, 15 seat media lab and production space. Although the TV studio is focused on live television, it also serves as a space for photography, news content, and other media to be produced.

Multimedia Lab

AC-4M03

Makerspace and Fabrication Lab

The York College Makerspace and Fabrication Lab is home to an advanced workshop of hand-tools, 3D printers, computer controlled milling machines, woodworking equipment, and an advanced IOT programming facility. Home to York’s competitive robotics teams, this facility exists to build upon your dreams of becoming an inventor, artist, and maker. Staffed with knowledgeable faculty and assistants, the Makerspace facilitates the access of digital fabrication to the York College student body.

Fine Arts

Sculpture Studio

The sculpture program offers students the essential skills to create unique personal three-dimensional expressions. Through class projects, students will be encouraged and enabled to explore their own artistic visions and ways of incorporating them into objects that echo traditional ways of making sculptural art while exploring new methods and materials. The sculpture studio is equipped with a variety of basic hand and power tools in addition to a wood shop and plaster working area with ample natural light. For students wishing to work with digital media, the studio has Mac desktops containing appropriate software.

Painting Studio

In the painting studio, students are introduced to traditional oil painting mediums and techniques using natural and non-toxic painting practices. While learning to paint from the still life and figure model, students learn how to mix color, prepare canvases, and maintain safe painting and clean-studio habits. This immersive art experience offers students a thorough understanding of and practice in the long tradition of representational painting as well as exploring abstract and expressive painting compositions.

A student working in one of Prof. Buxenbaum's classes. Photograph by Laura S. Fuchs.

Drawing Studio

The Drawing studio has a full wall of windows letting in natural light that offers excellent lighting choices. Space provides ample room for students to work from still-life and live models using large-scale easels and on large format paper. Students learn to use all standard drawing materials from charcoal to hard graphite on paper surfaces of varying textures.

Printmaking Studio

Located in the A-Corridor on the 1st Floor of the Academic Core Building, the Printmaking studio is home to Introduction and Advanced Classes covering broad range methods including Intaglio-Etching, Plate Lithography, Silkscreen, Lino/Woodcut and Photo-based print techniques. Students are encouraged to combine digital, hand-drawing and, mixed-media Printmaking. The studio is well organized with materials and supply storage for student use to supplement the artwork and materials of an individual student. The facility complies with all health and safety regulations for Printmaking. Students have full use of surrounding critique display boards, ample table and inking space, a light table and an in-class computer. Screens and exposure materials and a 24X50 Charles Brand Etching press are in constant use in the studio.

Students working during a photography class at York College.

York College Arts Gallery

Located on the first floor of the Academic Core Building near the Liberty Avenue entrance, the Gallery first opened in 1989 and presents 3-4 professional exhibitions a year, ranging from solo shows to thematic group exhibitions. The Gallery also hosts student shows at the close of each semester. The Gallery space, approximately 1000 square feet, is equipped with LED lighting, movable walls, and state-of-the-art projectors and flat-screen monitors. The Gallery Director, Dr. Margaret Rose Vendryes, and Gallery Manager, Nicholas Fraser accept written proposals for professional exhibitions throughout the academic year.

A view of the digital pianos available for student use in LL03.

Music

Lower Level Computer Lab

AC-LL02

The Lower Level Computer Lab hosts 25 iMac workstations, each equipped with a 2-channel Focusrite Scarlett audio interface and a keyboard MIDI controller. In addition, the lab features two WhisperRoom sound isolation enclosures (a vocal booth and a larger instrumental booth) for recording projects, a master recording rig with Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 for 18 channels of simultaneous recording, front and rear stereo audio monitoring, AKAI pad controllers, a variety of dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, and a range of other gear for recording and production. iMac workstations have access to audio software including GarageBand, Logic Pro, Reason, and ProTools. The Lower Level Computer Lab is open to the general York College community during open lab hours, where a college assistant is on hand to assist users with the lab's equipment.

Music Practice Rooms

AC-LL03

York College students have access to eight Wenger practice modules in the Lower Level of the Academic Core Building (in the same area as the LL01 music classroom and LL02 Lower Level Computer Lab). The sound-isolating practice modules are equipped with Casio Privia digital pianos and one upright Steinway piano. The music practice rooms host the group piano classes (MUS 141 and MUS 241), and are open to the general York community for music practice.