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
Spring-Summer 2026 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.
BLOG UPDATE
"Yes, These Opposites Are Ours"
Nancy Huntting, Aesthetic Realism consultant, writes: What big, important meaning does a story by a beloved American writer have for us now? You’ll find out in “Yes, These Opposites Are Ours,” the new issue of TRO. The opposites referred to in that title are the Known and the Unknown—opposites that are in our lives in so many ways, some of which confuse and worry us. —Central to this TRO is a landmark essay by Eli Siegel on Washington Irving’s story “The Stout Gentleman.”…
Terrain Gallery
CURRENT EXHIBITION!
FIVE ARTISTS—& THE OPPOSITES
See Terrain Gallery website for more info.