Art school doesn’t need to drain your bank account. Visual Arts Passage offers the kind of mentorship and career-focused guidance you’d expect from a traditional program—without the price tag. Our courses are built to help artists grow and succeed in real careers.
Founded in 2017 by John English and Timmy Trabon, VAP was inspired by decades of experience in elite art education. It builds on the legacy of our sister program, The Illustration Academy, known for its top-tier workshops and legendary instructors. Passage brings that same caliber of mentorship online—so artists anywhere can access it.
John English was raised in the company of New York’s most talented illustrators. He is the co-founder and program director of Visual Arts Passage. He is also the founder and director of The Illustration Academy.
He has received numerous awards from organizations including New York Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Graphis and Print Magazine. John’s work has graced the cover of Newsweek, the pages of Esquire, Money, and Essence, and the publications of Penguin Books, Bantam Books, Hitachi, 7-Up, NCAA, Sprint Corporation, and the Knoll Furniture Group.
Timmy Trabon started his career as a commercial photographer and editor, working on projects including brands such as Levi Jeans, Wingstop, Ball Jars, Oakley, Patagonia, and more.
Timmy manages operations and the behind the scenes development at Visual Arts Passage as well as co-hosts livestream events. He helped develop Visual Arts Passage with John English with the main goal of disrupting and revamping traditional art education, making it wildly better and more accessible.
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Nate Sweitzer attended the Illustration Program at VAP. During his enrollment, Nate identified The Folio Society as his dream client. His instructors helped him prepare a portfolio and shortly after he was hired for their recently published edition of To Kill a Mockingbird. His illustrations were exhibited by the Society of Illustrators in 2025. He was also recently featured in Communication Arts', "Fresh Artists".
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Shortly after attending our Fine Arts & Gallery program, Erin found representation with RJD Gallery. Erin has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine (Jan/Feb 2023 issue), Artist Network Magazine, The Best of Drawing.
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Peter's work has been featured in top exhibitions like the LA and NY Society of Illustrators, 3x3, and American Illustration. His talent earned him a full-page commission from The LA Times for a Grammys feature on Adele and Beyoncé—an opportunity that followed a leap in skill after studying with Visual Arts Passage.
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Zack's work has won the Folio Book Illustration Award, the Gold Award from the Society of Illustrators, has been featured in Communication Arts, 3x3, Spectrum, American Illustration, ImagineFX, the Society of Illustrators, the Bologna Children's Book Fair Illustrator's Gallery, and is part of Les Maîtres de l’Imaginaire (“the Masters of the Imagination”) collection.
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Jeff was selected as the featured exhibitor at The Mezzanine Gallery. He also received recognition from the state of Delaware for his work, showcasing it on the state's website.
We can help you with any questions related to enrollment, portfolio development, and the student experience.