WELCOME
The purpose of the not-for-profit Aesthetic Realism Foundation is to meet the urgent need for people throughout the world to see each other and reality fairly. Aesthetic Realism, the philosophy founded in 1941 by the American poet and critic, Eli Siegel, is a tremendous education in how to have that fairness.
Located in SoHo, NYC, the Foundation offers an exciting curriculum of classes—see the listing below—and individual consultations by video conference. When public events resume, there will be seminars and vibrant theatrical presentations. Through the principles of Aesthetic Realism, people of all ages understand themselves newly. Read more
Fall 2025 classes via video conference are now in session.
- The Aesthetic Realism Explanation of Poetry
- Anthropology Is about You & Everyone
- The Visual Arts & the Opposites
- The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method
- The Opposites in Music
- “If It Moves, It Can Move You”: Opposites in the Cinema
- Understanding Marriage!
Want to audit a class? Contact the registrar at 212.777.5055, Mon–Fri, 2–6 PM (ET) or submit this brief form. Be sure to make your request at least 2 days in advance of the class.
TWEET TICKER
BLOG UPDATE
“The Weighty & Light—in Ourselves & Art”
Aesthetic Realism associate Barbara Buehler writes: I think “Art as Simultaneous Heaviness & Lightness,” by Eli Siegel, is great! It takes us on an exhilarating and scholarly journey—from the Pyramids of Egypt to the classical painter Titian, from Chopin’s nocturnes to Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata and more.
Terrain Gallery
NEW EXHIBITION!
FIVE ARTISTS—& THE OPPOSITES
See Terrain Gallery website for more info.