ÀNI Art Academies - Thailand

The world’s first private resort collection, ÀNI does not only offer exclusive retreats in the most beautiful and far-flung corners of the earth.

January 2024

The world’s first private resort collection, ÀNI does not only offer exclusive retreats in the most beautiful and far-flung corners of the earth. The company, founded by philanthropist and arts patron, Tim Reynolds, is also behind the non-profit ÀNI Art Academies, which provides an intensive, multi-year art skills education to aspiring artists at absolutely no personal cost. Designed to promote creative freedom through logic and discipline, programs utilise the successful curriculum developed by artist, Anthony J. Waichulis, and graduates around the world have gone on to lead highly successful careers as sought-after artists and art educators, benefiting their families and communities alike.

Established in 2010, ÀNI Art Academies currently has six schools worldwide, two in the United States – in Pennsylvania and New Jersey – and four situated just minutes from ÀNI’s private resorts in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Anguilla and the Dominican Republic. While many luxury hospitality brands establish outreach programmes to support the communities in which they operate, ÀNI Private Resorts was founded at the same time as ÀNI Art Academies to support and grow the art organisation and help uplift the local communities of some of the world’s most beautiful natural destinations.

Co-founder of a thriving Wall Street trading firm and founder of the Tim Reynolds Foundation, Tim’s interest in art as a means of social upliftment began with his own artistic training. His fascination with Irving Stone’s argument that both Michelangelo and Van Gogh were more hard-working achievers than born geniuses sparked the idea that individuals could become artists through education, thereby offering opportunities to those who otherwise had none.

Through his teacher Timothy Jahn, Tim met Anthony Waichulis and, in 2010, The Waichulis Studio in Bear Creek Village Pennsylvania became the flagship of the newly-established ÀNI Art Academies project, aptly named after the Swahili word andjani, meaning the ‘journey ahead’.

Thailand has a vibrant history deeply rooted in art and cultural expressions. From ancient temples to intricate sculptures and murals, the country’s artistic heritage continues to captivate the global art community. ÀNI Art Academies Thailand, nestled in the scenic beauty of Koh Yao Noi, seeks to embrace this rich artistic legacy and encourage aspiring artists from across the nation to join their prestigious institution. With its strategic location, the academy attracts students not only from Koh Yao Noi but also from the provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and all over Thailand, eager to explore their artistic talents and learn from the local instructor Dan Christian.

ÀNI Art Academies Thailand is also a platform designed to empower individuals and uplift local communities through artistic expression. By attracting students from all over Thailand, ÀNI Art Academies Thailand is helping to revitalise and celebrate the country’s rich artistic heritage and is a testament to the power of art education and how it can pave the way for personal and societal transformation. ÀNI Art Academies Thailand also gives a limited number of full merit scholarships and offers apprentices national exhibition opportunities.

Says Tim: “The crossover between the resorts and our academies offers guests a truly enriching experience. The campuses are beautifully landscaped, with pavilions in which guests can enjoy the scenery, and perhaps the sunset, while watching the apprentices at work. This is often when art gets purchased, with all proceeds going to the artists themselves, as guests meet the apprentices and learn their stories while witnessing their incredible talent honed through years of hard work.”

Before an ÀNI apprentice even picks up a pencil, they are taught the discipline of how to set up and care for their tools, their easels and their space. Apprentices start learning fundamentals, like how to properly hold a pencil and competently draw a straight line. They progress to perfecting the execution of spheres, cones, cubes and other shapes, as well as understanding the principles of light, draftsmanship and visual perception. The level of competency in these fundamentals can take years to achieve, and this is the key to creating fine art to the level of excellence for which ÀNI Academies are known.

Over an approximate four-year period, apprentices are encouraged to develop their own creative voice and go beyond the rudiments of just being able to draw a good picture. They take the subject or the visual format and push it to a different level by evolving it, perhaps narratively or historically. Each artist decides what kind of story they want to tell, and each is mentored individually by the Academy’s Dean.

“When apprentices of ÀNI Art Academies graduate, the goal is for them to have a full toolbox of skills. From photorealism to abstract painting, they can paint anything, as their artistic development has been supported through learning,” says Tim.

When Tim started this initiative, he felt that placing some of the strongest artistic training into the hands of emerging artists around the world would give rise to a generation of creatives capable of contributing exciting new ideas, sharing robust cultures, and pioneering new means of connection and communication through expression on a scale previously unseen. Over the past decade, this vision has come to impressive fruition. Yet as Tim makes clear:

“The success of ÀNI Art Academies is not measured by revenues. Rather, it is and will continue to be, measured by how many people this programme has touched.”

If you are interested in joining our program or know someone who would be, you can apply online at: aniartacademies.org or send us an email.

Registration open:

Contact Khun Kedsneee Worayot, Administrative Assistant: [email protected]

Contact Mr. Jonathan Reutenauer, President: [email protected]