Dr. Sofia Khunteyev left Moscow in 1991 at the height of her career development; she was a well recognized and commercially successful artist. It was a very difficult decision to immigrate to the US, but the communist system forced Sofia’s family to move. One of the many amazing things about Khunteyev family is that they were able to return to their creative art work in a new country. There are countless examples when talented immigrants are force to develop new skills and completely change their occupation. Following very difficult early years in the US, Khunteyevs were able to return to their true passion – art. Even more, they opened a traditional, classical-style art school.
Sofia Art Academy was founded in 1993 by Dr. Sofia Khunteyev and her son Igor Khunteyev, MFA. Using their many years of teaching classical art in the USSR and experience teaching art classes in private schools in USA, such as: Akiba Academy, Winston School, White Montessori School, Sofia and Igor developed a very unique and powerful program for art instructions.
These two accomplished artists created an art program so unique that no other exists in the US. The real key to success of Sofia Art Academy is a tailored approach based on age, skill level and personal ability. Each student is viewed as a unique individual with his or hers own talents, needs and desires. Another part of art instruction emphasis is based on the timeless framework of European art ateliers where students working side by side with accomplished masters.
Using the proven, timeless tradition of the art world’s training ground – the old European art atelier, Sofia’s classically trained master-artists employ the academy’s own successful version of this historical methodology, carefully endowing every art-loving student and providing with the ability to achieve a soul-satisfying level of classical performance; imparting the serious student with the wings to achieve their individual potential in any area of artistic expression. This is Sofia Art Academy's priceless contribution to our communities and our culture.
