Art of Summer immersion program in the studio arts

ART OF SUMMER 2010

Open House: Sunday, May 2, 2-4 pm, at The Drawing Studio
Meet the master teaching artists, tour the facilities, register for programs, submit scholarship requests.

The Art of Summer is The Drawing Studio’s series of art immersion programs for youth, ages 9-12, and teens, ages 13 – 18. Students learn how to see and observe through studio practice in a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Participants interpret visual information with an assortment of tools and techniques in the context of drawing, painting, sculpture (clay, paper, mixed media, steel), printmaking, narrative and comic illustration and more. Classes are taught by TDS master teaching artists aided by visiting professional artists. All students participate in a month-long exhibition held in August at The Drawing Studio. Full and partial scholarships based on need are awarded; deadline for scholarship application is May 21, 5 pm.   

New this year: Independent Internship Program for returning advanced students and college freshmen and sophomores.

Classes meet Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – Noon.

Junior Immersion Program :: June 7 – June 25
Three-week immersion in Drawing FUNdamentals, Painting on Paper and Canvas, Comic Illustration, and Sculptural Explorations. Two 1½ hour classes per morning introduce youth to the practice of sustained visual inquiry. Fee: $225

Junior Blitz :: July 19 – 23
A condensed, introductory version of the Junior Immersion program; students get a taste of extended hours of studio play, with two 1½ hour classes per morning, in Drawing and Painting Mixed Media and 3D explorations. Fee: $90

Teens, ages 13-18

Classes meet Monday through Friday, 9 am – 3 pm

The Blitz :: June 1 – June 10
An 8-day condensed fundamentals immersion that prepares students for elective intensives available in July, especially for new students who are unable to take the June Immersion. Provides each student with 40 hours of studio instruction and a solid grounding in Drawing Fundamentals, and introduces some Painting and Mixed Media Drawing. Fee: $250

June Immersion :: Friday, June 4 – Thursday, July 1
The signature program of the Art of Summer. Students receive 100 hours of visual arts instruction and practice intended to nurture the skills of observation by cultivating the ability to pay attention. An unprecedented opportunity in Tucson, participants in the Immersion are brought under the wings of the Studio’s master teaching artists. In the spirit of commitment and dedication to studio practice, students benefit from the experience of professional practice not found in the traditional school setting. Extended two to three hour sessions offer an expanse of time to focus on Drawing Fundamentals; Traditional and Mixed Media Painting; Figurative Clay Modeling; Portraiture; Printmaking; Experimental Sculpture; Architectural Studies; and more.  Fee: $475

July Intensives :: July 5 – 23
Students may sign up for one or more blocks; discount given for multiple blocks. To enroll, students must have completed one of the following: previous Art of Summer enrollment, 2010 Blitz, or 2010 June Immersion.   Each block focuses on a specialty topic. Fee: $175/any one block; $300/any two blocks; $375/all three blocks.

BLOCK 1: Painting :: July 6 – 10 (note: runs Tuesday through Saturday)
Explorations in Mixed Media painting on paper; Acrylic painting on canvas; Oil painting on Canvas. Subject matter varies from observational practice, to experimental and abstraction. Students study in depth: color mixing; sophisticating brush technique and paint handling; capturing light and form in space.

BLOCK 2: The Figure: Clay Modeling and Portraiture :: July 12 – 16
Students draw and model from the figure, creating full figure sculptures in the round, and head and shoulder busts in clay. Studies also include drawing the figure and portrait in a variety of media, all working from a live, costumed model.

BLOCK 3: Black and White: Relief Printmaking and 3D Experimental Sculpture :: July 19 – 23
Practice in Relief Printmaking creates dramatic imagery only possible in black and white. Sculpting in wire, board and a group fabrication in steel explore the interplay of positive form and negative space.

New : Interns: Independent Projects Class :: June 1 – July 30
For experienced and advanced students returning to the Art of Summer, or college freshmen and sophomores. Must be able to work independently on individual art projects throughout the summer. Students will set up their own ongoing individual workspaces, and meet with an advisor about projects on a weekly basis. Teaching experience acquired through assisting studio instructors with younger students. Exhibition practice learned through curating and installing the final exhibition. Fee: $350.

Art of Summer Exhibition :: July 31 – August 28, 2010. Reception: Saturday, July 31, 6-8 pm.