Barbizon Modeling and Acting School

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Barbizon Modeling and Acting School
Location
Barbizon Modeling and Acting School
Tampa, Florida
Coordinates 26°16′09″N80°14′58″W / 26.269141°N 80.249429°W / 26.269141; -80.249429
Information
TypeActing and modeling school
Established1939(86 years ago) (1939) in New York City, New York, United States
Website barbizonmodeling.com

Barbizon Modeling and Acting School is an international modeling and acting school headquartered in Tampa, Florida. [1] [2] [3] [4] Founded by Helen Fraser in 1939, the school has faced allegations of deceptive business practices. The school has trained numerous notable alumni, including Condoleezza Rice, Carmen Electra, and Ryan Phillippe.

Contents

History

Helen Fraser opened the first Barbizon School of Modeling and Acting in 1939 on Fifth Avenue in New York City. [5] The Barbizon name was developed from her trips to the French town of Barbizon, a village outside of Paris known for the 19th-century Barbizon school of painters. Fraser was a fashion model and teacher who also wrote the book Assignment in Modeling: A Guide to a Career in Fashion and Photographic Modeling. [6]

Programs and operations

Barbizon operates centers in over 200 cities across the United States, with international locations including Bangkok, Toronto, Santo Domingo, and Japan.

In 1992, Barbizon established a college scholarship program for students attending colleges and universities in the United States. [7] [8]

Controversies

In 2010, a group of Illinois parents filed a class action lawsuit against Barbizon School, alleging that the instruction that their children were given was "totally worthless" and that "only 1 percent or less" of the school's graduates actually get modeling jobs. [9] In 2016, another class action was filed in California. Plaintiffs in this suit accused Barbizon of engaging in an illegal advance-fee talent representation scheme. [10] Barbizon denied the claims of both the 2010 and 2016 lawsuits. While the cases were eventually settled, Barbizon continues to face claims that it operates as a "scam."

Notable alumni

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ thanked Barbizon in her self-help book
  2. ↑ named Miss Barbizon [13]
  3. ↑ in Elisabeth Bumiller's biography of Rice, Barbizon is referenced as one of Rice's early stepping stones [2]
Citations
  1. ↑ Jackson, Shaaron (2010). Teen Age Guide to Self-Development and Modeling: Start Working Toward a Better You. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN   978-1-4535-0439-0.
  2. 1 2 Bumiller, Elisabeth (2009). Condoleezza Rice: An American Life . Random House. p.  64. ISBN   978-0-8129-7713-4.
  3. ↑ Figueroa-Jones, Madeline. "Interview with PLUS Model Magazine Cover Model… Valerie Lefkowitz". Plus Model Magazine. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Barbizon Advantage". Pageantry Magazine.
  5. ↑ "Barbizon Modeling and Agency 1939 to Unveil Audience on Demand Crowd Placement Service". March 6, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ Fraser, Helen (1950). Assignment in Modeling: A Guide to a Career in Fashion and Photographic Modeling. Whittlesey House.
  7. ↑ Peterson's (August 15, 2012). Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 2012. Peterson's. ISBN   978-0-7689-3581-3.
  8. ↑ Houpt, Paige. "Allen Park: High School Student Earns $100,000 Scholarship". The News Herald .
  9. ↑ Freeland, Bridget (June 25, 2010). "Class Calls Barbizon School 'Worthless'". Courthouse News. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Acting School Accused of Targeting Kids with False Claims". Deadline. Hollywood. March 31, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  11. ↑ Claesson, Samuel (March 31, 2023). Top Models. Sequoia Press. p. 22. ISBN   979-8-8899-2180-6.
  12. ↑ "Karen Montell". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  13. ↑ Nolin, Gena Lee (October 8, 2013). Beautiful Inside and Out: Conquering Thyroid Disease with a Healthy, Happy, "Thyroid Sexy" Life. Simon and Schuster. p. 19. ISBN   978-1-4516-8722-4.
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