Pre-College Program Dates: June 27- July 30, 2010 Earn 5 College Credits! Shape your own artistic direction by exploring a wide range of media. At the 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, nstallation, sculpture, and performance. These core courses 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. Every student engages in the following courses multiple times a week, fostering our belief in an interdisciplinary approach to artmaking: Curriculum 2-D: 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. 3-D: Sculpture and Installation 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. The course presents an opportunity to truly embrace the interdisciplinary methodology of this 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. Artists in Action: Collaboration and Performance This course offers an unconventional approach to generating work through diverse modes of collaboration. We will draw strategies from the work of contemporary artists working together, building these into a series of investigations. The class draws inspiration from experiential teambuilding activities, everyday life, re-interpreted games, and performance practices, and folds these into a structured series of projects designed to spur new thinking about how we make art. 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! Exhibition and Reception Pre-College Summer Studio will culminate in a final exhibition and screening of your work, and a reception on Friday, July 30 from 4-7 pm..