NEW YORK, NY.- School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents "Mentors," an exhibition of works by over 80 BFA Photography Department students inspired by their mentorships with key figures in the arts community. Drawn from the ranks of New York City's best-known photographers, curators, art directors, publishers, art dealers, critics and writers, SVA's mentors are paired with students based upon their field of expertise and the student's area of concentration. The 2009 - 2010 program mentors include picture editor Philip Gefter, critic Vince Aletti and photographers Tina Barney, Ryan McGinley, Platon and Taryn Simon, among others.

The Mentors program at SVA was established in 1992 to introduce new talent to the New York City arts community and to cultivate relationships between established and emerging artists. Stephen Frailey, chair of the BFA Photography Department and curator of the exhibition, explains, "Our mentors are from every corner of the photography community--they help to inspire our students to take their work to a new level and to grow as professional photographers."

The BFA Photography Department at SVA offers students a full range of options in the study of photography: commercial, fine art, fashion and documentary. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities; a faculty of nearly 100 professionals, including not only working photographers but photo editors, critics, publishers and photography dealers; and a curriculum that integrates photographic genres, identities and ambitions. SVA's diversity in curriculum and the faculty's professional experience offer students the freedom and support to explore different directions in photography.