A new pool and spa design school will launch in May, with former Genesis 3 principal David Tisherman playing a key role.
Artistic Resources & Training was developed by Mark Holden, a landscape architect, with input from Tisherman, who will provide guidance and instruction.
ART is structured to reflect a university program, according to Holden. “ART’s taking hard-core, college-level classes and bending them ... in a manner by which they specifically apply to the day-to-day operations of any pool contractor,” he said.
Tisherman was a Genesis 3 instructor and founder, along with Skip Phillips and Brian Van Bower, but he and the other two parted ways when they were unable to resolve certain internal conflicts.
He also is principal of David Tisherman’s Visuals in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and a partner in Liquid Design in Cherry Hill, N.J.
Holden is principal of Holdenwater in Fullerton, Calif. He taught the history of water and architecture for Genesis 3 from its 1998 inception through last year. He also instructed at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, as well as trade shows inside and outside the pool and spa industry.
Several other instructors also hail from Genesis 3, including Milton Dorsey, Richard Lee, Larry Drasin, Judith Corona and Kevin Fleming, Tisherman’s Liquid Design partner.
ART’s classes will be divided into four subject areas: design, color, communication and history. “It’s the multiple facets of the world of art,” Tisherman said. “It’s not [about] construction. There are enough people who are doing construction, and they’re doing a good job. But no one has approached this from the artistic standpoint.”
The first courses, “ART: The Color of Water” and “Advanced Design Techniques,” fall under the color category. The eight-hour sessions will take place May 19-20 at the Pebble Technology facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. Professionals will learn to create custom colors for pool finishes and cementitious materials, managing factors such as oxides, pozzolans, calcium balance and curing.
“If we’re going to do artisan-based design, it’s going to be based upon the fact that color is not something that’s pre-prescribed,” Holden said.
Future classes in the same track will address color theory and texture, as well as working with lighting and tile.
The design track will include introductory and advanced design courses, with others addressing commercial projects and lower-budget installations. The communication heading will cover verbal presentation, three-dimensional computer drawing and perspective drawing. Under the history banner will be sessions on ancient waterscapes, Asian gardens and modern architecture, as well as a series of guided trips.
The classes will last at least eight hours each and be organized progressively. “The idea, just like it is in college, is one class feeds on another,” Tisherman said.
The group has conceived more than 25 courses, with at least two more planned this year. In summer, ART expects to partner with Hayward Pool Products for “Watershaping Over Distance,” a program about designing and coordinating international projects. Among other things, the class will discuss logistics and standards. Even abroad, Holden said, resort pools and spas should be designed to American commercial standards to protect against litigation by visitors from the United States.
A course on architectural photography and documentation is expected in late summer or early fall.
ART officials plan to handle manufacturer sponsorships differently than other programs. Rather than contributing directly to the school, sponsors may host courses on their properties, and some may offer scholarships to professionals who wish to attend.
“Partnering with these manufacturers allows them a direct connection to the students,” Holden said.
