Barbizon Modeling and Acting School

Helen Fraser opened the first Barbizon School of Modeling and Acting in 1939 on Fifth Avenue in New York City.^[8] 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.^[9]

By 1973, Barbizon reported 37 franchisees in 18 U.S. states.^[10]

Barbizon operates centers in over 200 cities across the United States. Most Barbizon locations serve students aged 8 to 19, with weekend instruction over six months totaling about 48 hours; the company also offers industry placement services.^[11]

In 1992, Barbizon established a college scholarship program for students attending colleges and universities in the United States.^[12][13]

In 2010, Illinois residents filed a class action lawsuit against a Barbizon franchise, alleging that its courses were worthless and that it misrepresented students' job prospects.^[7] According to the case record of the firm that defended Barbizon, the suit was resolved through a class-wide settlement.^[14] In 2016, a class action complaint filed in California accused the school of marketing its programs to children with false claims, citing the state's laws on advance-fee talent representation services and unfair competition.^[15] The case was settled.^{[citation needed]}

A 2022 Tampa Bay Times feature on the company noted its longevity and its mixed reputation.^[11]

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