Pre-college Summer Art & Design Programs: Catalysts for Creativity
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
by Patricia Boman
Art & Design Educational Advisors
For high school art and design students who are serious about becoming professional artists and/or designers one day, the investment of time, effort and money necessary to take one or more summer pre-college art and design programs is usually well worth it.
These programs are geared for art students to take the summers following their sophomore and/or junior years of high school. They help inspire the students by immersing them in a highly creative environment that encourages, motivates and teaches. For participating students, the many benefits of pre-college art and design programs typically include:
Strengthening conceptual and technical skills
Working with media, materials and processes that are new to them
Learning to see their work in new ways
Learning to objectively assess their work and that of others
Making friends with talented peers who have similar interests
Getting comfortable in a college environment
Developing new, more accomplished portfolio pieces
Increasing awareness of art and design career opportunities
Developing self-confidence
Many of these benefits tie directly to preparing students for the demands of college level art and design coursework. The most tangible advantage of pre-college programs, however, is students' creation of stronger, more mature, portfolio pieces that can be used for their art college admissions portfolio.
Selective art and design schools carefully review students' admissions portfolios to see if a student's skills are sufficiently developed to allow them to succeed at their particular college. To earn a scholarship, students' portfolios are reviewed even more rigorously against those of other applicants. Strong, creative, unique portfolios can be recognized with a merit scholarship, something many art students hope to be awarded. A sizable scholarship can help to reduce the financial burden of attending college.
How do you find pre-college summer art programs? Research the Internet. Many of them will be listed there. I have posted a list of programs under "Resources" on my firm's website at a link at the end of this article. Also, Teen Ink Magazine lists many summer art, design, photography and film programs. However, they are interspersed among other types of summer programs so you will need to sort through those listed. http://www.teenink.com/Summer/
You may also want to check with colleges in your area that have an art department, they may have a pre-college program or, alternatively, may offer art and design classes for high school students.
What should you look for in a pre-college program? Drawing should be a core component of the program. The ability to draw well cannot be overemphasized. In addition, drawings make up a significant part of a student's admissions portfolio. So instruction in drawing of all types: still life, figure, landscape, etc using different media (pencil, pen & ink, charcoal, graphite, pastels, etc.) will be especially beneficial to most students.
I would also look for a program that teaches 3-D art and design. This can take the form of sculpture, jewelry & metals, bookmaking, ceramics, glassblowing, etc. Students are often underexposed to quality 3-D art and design opportunities in their regular high school art programs. Attending a summer pre-college program can help.
Photography, digital imaging, video and filmmaking sessions are also beneficial.
Students are usually limited by time constraints to the number of areas they can study. As much as they might want to, they will not be able to take every class or area of study a program offers. They are typically limited to 3 or 4.
Lectures, field trips, visits to museums and galleries, visits to the workplaces of artists and designers are examples of other valuable enrichment activities a pre-college program may offer.
Students who participate in a pre-college summer art and design program should use the experience to try things they have not experienced before. They should be open to learning as much as they can and to trying to stretch themselves creatively. Students usually find the program's faculty and the other students to be very helpful, encouraging and supportive.
How do you apply for a pre-college summer art and design program? Programs vary in their requirements. Some require only a registration form and deposit. Other programs require a portfolio, one or more letters of reference in addition to registration and a deposit. You need to check with each program regarding their particular requirements.
The cost of pre-college art & design summer programs can range from fairly affordable ($200 or $300) to very expensive ($3,000 to $6000 or more). Some programs are just two weeks long, while others run six weeks. If you find a pre-college program in your area, you can save on room and board by living at home. Some programs do provide scholarships. And some programs provide college credit.
An alternative to participating in a pre-college summer art program is taking art or design classes at a nearby community college. The courses will likely be much less expensive and may provide students, in many ways, a similar experience. In addition, students can earn college credit.
If students plan to participate in pre-college summer programs for several summers, it is a good idea to participate in the summer program of your first choice or even your reach college the summer after your junior year of high school. You will gain valuable insights into that particular college, learn your way around campus and get to know some of the faculty. You will also likely benefit from specific guidance in developing your admissions portfolio for that college.
If you simply have no time or money available for a pre-college summer art program, I encourage you to create your own pre-college program. I recommend that you draw as much as you can. Buy a journal and draw in it several times a day. Be sure to draw from observation and not from photographs. Also buy a tablet of drawing paper to on which to make larger drawings. Dick Blick at http://www.dickblick.com or Utrech at http://www.utrechtart.com/ are good sources for art materials. Be sure to use drawing pencils and not regular No. 2 writing pencils. The book, Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson, is a well-regarded, helpful resource. It is available on Amazon.com and may be available at your local library as well.
Also visit museums and galleries and carefully observe what you see. Go to bookstores and libraries to look the art history, art, design, photography and architecture sections. You will find a world of information and inspiration there. Challenge yourself to expand your creative parameters and to learn as much as you can by using those free or low cost opportunities and resources available to you. Lack of money is not a barrier to creativity, learning or making art.
http://www.artdesignea.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)A list of residential pre-college summer art & design programs is now listed on the Art & Design Educational Advisors, LLC website under "Resources."
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