Pre-College Program Dates:
5 Week Program: June 24–July 27, 2012
3 Week Program: June 24–July 13, 2012
Earn Up to 5 College Credits!
Shape your own artistic direction by exploring a wide range of media. At SMFA we recognize that disciplines converge and influence each other, and that contemporary art is truly interdisciplinary. We encourage all students to build solid foundations and acquire skill sets in numerous disciplines in order to create new possibilities and forms of artmaking. In the Pre-College Summer Studio you will explore painting, drawing, printmaking, video, digital photography, sound art, installation, sculpture, and performance. This core curriculum will encompass basic skills, experimentation, conceptual thinking, collaboration, problem solving techniques, critique and discussion. The program will also include presentations, resources, and one-on-one guidance in regard to portfolio building, career paths in the arts and the college application process.
Curriculum
2D: Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking
This two-dimensional area will emphasize both traditional foundations and contemporary issues of drawing, painting, and printmaking. Experimentation with diverse materials, methods, and techniques will enable you to develop a fundamental understanding of each medium. You will also develop a high level of technical proficiency in your work through structured investigations and challenging training. As a group, we will explore problems and possibilities of the two-dimensional image through art history as well as contemporary art discussions. Individually, you will have the support and focus to create an independent body of work.
3D/4D: Sculpture, Installation and Performance
Sculpture introduces both subtractive and additive methods as ways to create form and meaning through materials. From traditional carving to found object and light construction, you will be encouraged to explore new relationships between viewer and object. You will learn the proper and safe use of the woodshop along with all the tools it has to offer. Installation focuses on the creation of environments as a way to communicate with viewers. We will examine strategies for the design and execution of an installation through discussion and presentations. You will learn how to incorporate various media and create work that is site-specific, public, or environmental. Combining these skills with collaboration and performance, students will learn about contemporary artists engaging in site-specific performance. Through a series of structured games, exercises, and team-building activities, students learn new ways of generating material for any medium. This course presents an opportunity to truly embrace the interdisciplinary methodology of the program.
Digital Studio: Video, Digital Photography, and Sound Art
Digital Studio will provide you with opportunities to explore digital art using video, digital photography, and sound art. We will examine how digital images and sound art have become a dominant force in our society, and you will interact with and hear presentations by artists working in digital media. You will learn how to use digital still cameras, mini-DV video camcorders, and sound recording instruments. You will also learn how images and sounds transform and morph using software such as Adobe Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, and Protools.
These unique features differentiate the SMFA Summer Studio experience from other summer programs:
Additional Programming
Art in Context
We begin and end each week by bringing together the entire Summer Studio community: all students, faculty, teaching and resident assistants, graduate mentors, and program staff. These sessions include discussions, activities, and presentations that explore how art affects and interacts with the wider community.
Visiting Artists Program
Each week, visiting artists are invited to present their work and workshop with students. Visiting artists have included Mary Ellen Strom, Leon Johnson, Gerry Bergstein, Joyce McDaniel, Jim Dow, Chantal Zakari, Ahmed Abdalla, Matthew Nash, Hannah Barrett, Carla Herrera-Prats, Hiroko Kikuchi and Raul Gonzalez.
Professional Practices
During the final week of the program, the SMFAs Admissions staff and Artist's Resource Center provides presentations, resources, and one-on-one guidance in regard to portfolio building, career paths in the arts, and the college application process. Local visual arts professionals will also be invited to discuss career options in the arts.
Our Neighbor, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
In addition to unlimited access to the MFA's permanent collections, you will also enjoy presentations by Museum professionals working in conservation and exhibitions, as well as behind-the-scenes tours of special collections such as rare books and prints.
Studio Time
Each student is assigned a studio space to pursue independent work and class projects during evenings and on weekends.
Evening and Weekends
Students will participate in organized outings that complement the program. Sample outings include: gallery openings, Jim Dow's off-beat city tour of Boston, performance events, film screenings, thrift store shopping, and daytrips to nearby Singing Beach, Old Salem, and Provincetown, Cape Cod. You will also have free time to relax and enjoy your studio!
Final Exhibition/Review
Pre-College Summer Studio programs will culminate in a final exhibition or review of student work depending on the program you choose.
Our 5-Week program gives you an opportunity to completely immerse yourself in an artists' community. Four weeks of intensive classes culminate in a fifth week that is dedicated solely to the installation of a professional final exhibition. Faculty and staff work with you individually as the entire community comes together to produce a show of 200+ works. Skills in curating, marketing and installation are built as you develop your portfolio and deepen your sense of community. This program awards 5 college credits upon successful completion.
Our 3-Week program provides a challenging and fun experience dedicated to creativity and the development of your own vision. Toward the end of your third week of instruction, there will be a final review of your work. This will be an important opportunity to receive feedback from faculty, staff and fellow students on the progress you have made. Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn 3 college credits. Please note: All elements of the 5-week program description above is included in this option, with the exception of a fourth week of instruction and the final exhibition process.
