named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Architecture and You
Outreach talk series presented at libraries exploring architecture through Aesthetic Realism, taught by Dale Laurin and Anthony Romeo.
Critical Inquiry: A Workshop in the Visual Arts
Class examining visual art and aesthetics through Aesthetic Realism, taught by Marcia Rackow and Ken Kimmelman.
Film Studies: "If It Moves It Can Move You"
Course taught by Ken Kimmelman analyzing cinema through the Aesthetic Realism principle of opposites in motion and emotion.
Learning to Like the World
Class for children ages 5–12 teaching Aesthetic Realism principles to help children understand themselves and the world.
The Aesthetic Realism Explanation of Poetry
Course taught by Ellen Reiss exploring poetry through the lens of Aesthetic Realism, examining how opposites in poetry reflect self and world.
The Art of Singing: Technique and Feeling
Class taught by Carrie Wilson exploring vocal technique and emotion through the Aesthetic Realism understanding of self and art.
The Opposites in Music
Class exploring music through Aesthetic Realism, taught by Edward Green and others, examining how musical opposites relate to human feeling.
Understanding Marriage!
Monthly class for adults exploring relationships and marriage through the Aesthetic Realism framework, taught by Meryl Nietsch-Cooperman.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Architecture and Design Public Education Programs 1 activity
- Conduct outreach and community education programsHosts outreach initiatives including educational classes, anti-bullying workshops for youth, ESL instruction, and interactive talks on architecture at schools, libraries, and community centers in New York City, offered in English and Spanish for seniors and young people.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Operate the Terrain Gallery with art exhibitions and commentaryRuns the Terrain Gallery in New York City since 1955, hosting contemporary visual art exhibitions with commentary grounded in Eli Siegel’s Fifteen Questions about beauty; open to the public on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Produce and present dramatic and musical performances based on Aesthetic RealismStages theatrical and musical performances derived from Eli Siegel’s discussions of literature and music, including works based on Shakespeare, Molière, Ibsen, and American musical traditions, often accompanied by commentary on ethical and aesthetic meaning.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Provide Aesthetic Realism educational classes and workshopsOffers semester-based and monthly classes via video conference and in-person on subjects including poetry, visual arts, music, film, anthropology, marriage, and the Aesthetic Realism teaching method for adults, children, and educators. Includes interactive workshops for teachers with demonstration lessons and lesson planning.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Publish periodicals and reprint Aesthetic Realism writingsProduces and distributes a monthly publication, _The Rightness of Aesthetic Realism_, featuring essays, poems, and serialized lectures by Eli Siegel, and reprints articles and letters about Aesthetic Realism in print and online formats.
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Arts Education Professional Development 1 activity
- Train Aesthetic Realism consultants and associatesProvides professional training and capacity-building programs for individuals studying to become Aesthetic Realism consultants and associates, including coursework and teaching preparation.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Deliver individual Aesthetic Realism consultationsProvides one-on-one consultations based on Aesthetic Realism principles through in-person sessions, telephone calls, or video conferencing to help individuals understand personal life questions.
- Host public seminars and Saturday evening presentationsOrganizes regular public events including monthly seminars on topics such as marriage and self-respect, annual seminars on the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method, and Saturday evening programs featuring dramatic readings, reenactments of Aesthetic Realism lessons, and talks by artists and scholars.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$608K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$607K100%
Other revenue$945
expenses
Total expenses$134K
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead25%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$60K
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$3.83M
Cash$403K
Investments$3.08M
Liabilities$296K
Net assets$3.54M
Liquid reserves313.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +279.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Allen | Trustee | 3 | $43K |
| Carrie Wilson | Trustee | 3 | $35K |
| Ernest Defilippis | President | 10 | $35K |
| Jeffrey Carduner | Trustee | 3 | $146 |
board members · 6
- Anthony Romeo — Trustee
- Ellen Reiss — Trustee
- Jaime Torres — Secretary
- Joseph Spetly — Trustee
- Margot Carpenter — Trustee
- Robert Murphy — Treasurer
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Aesthetic Realism Foundation Network — Founded the educational framework later institutionalized by the Aesthetic Realism Foundation in 1973.
- Aesthetic Realism Foundation Partner — Collaborates with the Aesthetic Realism Foundation in promoting the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism.
- Aesthetic Realism Foundation, Inc. Partner — Funded recipient organization teaching the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism.
- Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company Partner — Collaborates with faculty members who perform and produce theatrical works based on Aesthetic Realism principles.
- Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company Partner — Collaborates with performers and associates in theatrical and musical productions.
- Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company Partner — Produces theatrical and musical performances in collaboration with the foundation
- All For Education Partner — Provides consultants who lead workshops on the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method.
- Barbara Allen Partner — Performs flute in special matinee events organized by the foundation
- Edward Green Partner — Performs piano or harpsichord and speaks about classical compositions in foundation events
- Eli Siegel Partner — Founded the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism in 1941.
- Galileo Partner — Historical figure whose contributions are compared to the significance of Aesthetic Realism.
- John Stern Partner — Collaborated with Faith K. Stern to create the website beautyofnyc.org.
- Keats Partner — Historical figure whose work is seen as parallel in value to Aesthetic Realism.
- Martin Luther King Partner — Historical figure associated with justice and accuracy, likened to the impact of Aesthetic Realism.
- Spinoza Partner — Intellectual figure whose work is aligned with the principles of Aesthetic Realism.
- Terrain Gallery Partner — Collaborates with the Terrain Gallery to present exhibitions and promote public access to art.
- Terrain Gallery Partner — Provided foundational philosophical principles for the gallery's mission and programming.
- The Aesthetic Realism Theatre Company Partner — Produces dramatic and musical presentations based on Aesthetic Realism principles as part of the Foundation's programming and outreach.
- The Terrain Gallery Partner — Gallery operated in connection with the Foundation since 1955, presenting art exhibitions with commentary based on Aesthetic Realism principles.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Aesthetic Oneness of Opposites as a Framework for Self and World Understandingmethodology: aesthetic-oneness-of-oppositesBy applying the principle that all beauty and meaning arise from the unification of opposites (such as sameness and change, freedom and order), the organization provides a method for understanding the self, art, and reality in a way that fosters integration, reduces inner conflict, and promotes ethical perception. This approach is used in teaching, therapy, and cultural analysis because it mirrors the structure of both art and consciousness.
- Aesthetic Realism Educationmethodology: aesthetic_realism_educationBy teaching the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism, which posits that reality is an aesthetic unity of opposites, the organization enables individuals to see themselves, others, and the world more fairly, thereby reducing contempt and increasing self-respect, justice, and learning. This framework is applied across education, self-criticism, and artistic interpretation because it addresses the root conflict between the desire to like the world and the impulse toward contempt.
- Art and Performance as Ethical Self-Educationmethodology: performance-with-commentaryBy combining theatrical and musical performance with commentary rooted in Aesthetic Realism, the organization reveals how art expresses the ethical struggle between liking the world and contempt, enabling audiences and participants to gain self-insight and emotional clarity. Music and drama are not merely aesthetic experiences but tools for self-education because they embody the same structural principles as the human self.
- Contempt as the Central Obstacle to Learning and Ethicsmethodology: contempt-as-obstacle-to-learningBy identifying contempt—defined as the desire to gain importance by lessening what is different—as the root cause of personal, social, and educational failure, the organization teaches that overcoming it through aesthetic self-criticism and accurate perception leads to greater justice, self-understanding, and emotional well-being. This theory underpins all educational and therapeutic efforts because resolving the conflict between contempt and the desire to like the world is seen as essential to human growth.
- Ethics as Accurate Perceptionmethodology: ethics-as-perceptionBy teaching that ethical living begins with the obligation to see reality—people, objects, situations—fairly and accurately, the organization fosters a worldview in which respect replaces contempt, leading to greater justice and personal happiness. Misseeing the world is not just an error but the source of harm, and correcting it through aesthetic realism is the path to integrity.