The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts is the first and only school in the United States founded for the sole purpose of providing doctoral studies in philosophy and art theory for visual artists. The IDSVA academic year begins for first and second year students with a three-week May/June residency intensive at Spannocchia Castle in Tuscany. The Spannocchia intensive includes weekend study in Siena, Florence, and Milan. At the end of the Spannocchia intensive students travel to the Venice Biennale, where they work with curators, artists, and directors and engage in what is described as critical intervention.