Pre-College Summer Studios

A Pre-College Studio Art Program for Students Entering Grades 11 & 12

Schedule

summer 2023

July 24 - August 18, 2023
Classes held Monday through Fridays: 8:30AM - 4:30PM

Summer 2023 Registration Period: January 5 - May 31

Registrations are accepted on a rolling, space available, basis.

For-Credit Application Deadline: May 8

About

MassArt’s dynamic and robust Pre-College Summer Studios program is for students who are considering higher education in the visual arts. For students entering grades 11-12, this program is a four-week intensive experience in art making and critical thinking. Students develop the practice and skills required to achieve excellence in their artistic endeavors and produce work for their portfolios. 

Pre-College Summer Studios is modeled after MassArt’s Studio Foundation year. Students attend three core courses – 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, and Issues & Images – to strengthen their foundational skills. Students also take one elective that begins the third week of the program and meets for the remainder.

The program is ideal for students:

• Interested in developing a portfolio
• Seeking to connect with other creative artists 
• Looking to spend the summer immersed in their creative passion
• Striving to develop technical skills and critical thinking
   

"The minute the class started until the end you are working rigorously…I didn’t want the days to end. I couldn’t wake up early enough for class."

- Past Pre-College Participant

For College Credit

Pre-College Summer Studios offers the option of taking the program for credit. Students interested in this option apply by submitting a portfolio. Students who are accepted and successfully complete the program receive three college credits from MassArt. Credits can be used toward MassArt studio elective courses if the student enrolls at MassArt in the future. Credits may also be accepted at a student’s high school at the discretion of the school.

Two Formats for Pre-College Summer Studios will be available in summer 2023:
VIRTUAL FORMAT or ON-CAMPUS FORMAT

On-Campus Format

Classes will take place on the MassArt campus. The on-campus format allows students to experience the college’s facilities and studio spaces, including MAAM, MassArt’s Art Museum. Located on Huntington Avenue in downtown Boston, MassArt is a neighbor of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Housing

VIRTUAL FORMAT

To participate, students will need access to a computer, laptop, or smartphone with video/camera capabilities, and a reliable internet connection.

Online studio offerings include:

• Live presentations from faculty and check-ins each class
• Time for creative art making, both independently and in class
• Break out sessions in small groups
• One-on-one and group critiques with faculty
• Online resources such as virtual museum tours, TED Talks, external demo videos, "visiting" artists, virtual collaborations, etc.

Every studio will utilize Zoom and Google Classroom. Zoom will be used for virtual meetings, and Google Classroom will be used to organize assignments and other class content. More information will be provided in your Orientation Packet.

Program Information and Cost

On-Campus Version:

• Program Fee (Non-Credit): $3,677
• Program Fee (For-Credit, if accepted): $4,262 (includes an additional $585 credit fee)

Virtual Version:

• Program Fee (Non-Credit): $3,342
• Program Fee (For-Credit, if accepted): $3,927 (includes an additional $585 credit fee)

Partial scholarships are based on financial need and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please indicate on your registration form if you would like to request a scholarship. To be considered, you will be asked to submit a copy of your most recent tax return (SSNs crossed or blanked out) with your registration form.

Cancellation Policy
MassArt reserves the right to cancel courses in the event of an insufficient number of registrations. Students will receive a full refund in the event that a course is cancelled for this reason. Classes with low enrollment will be cancelled at least two weeks before the start of the program.

Dropping & Refund Policy
Students will receive a full refund if they withdraw at least one week prior to the start date of the program. Students who fail to notify MassArt Youth Programs of their registration cancellation in writing, prior to one week before the start of the program, will not be eligible for a refund.

Covid Policy
Youth Programs will be following the Covid-19 Safety guidelines set forth by the Massachusetts College of Art & Design. Information on our safety policy can be found here: COVID Safety Requirements. For the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, class sizes will be limited to 12 students.

Contact: k12@massart.edu

To REGISTER

Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served, and space-available basis. All students will be enrolled in 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, Issues & Images, and one elective course (course descriptions below). Participants will choose the format: On-Campus or Virtual

When selecting an elective on the registration form, please select one choice only. If your preferred class is full, you will have the option to select a different class and be placed on the waiting list.

If the 2D, 3D and Issues & Images format you have selected is full, you will have the option to register for the waitlist. If you choose to register for the waitlist, you will not choose an elective. If a space in the program becomes available, you will choose your elective at that time from the remaining available spaces.

Required Materials

• A completed online registration form
• A one-page statement of purpose describing why you want to attend the Pre-College Summer Studios program
  This statement will be shared with your instructors prior to the start of the program.

Additional For-Credit Application Materials

• Portfolio
• Portfolio Description List
• One letter of recommendation

TO APPLY FOR CREDIT

Students applying for-credit will be enrolled in their elective prior to the application deadline. If accepted, students will then be enrolled in the for-credit section of 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, and Issues & Images. Students who are not accepted into the for-credit section will be enrolled in the non credit-bearing section of 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, and Issues & Images (unless stated otherwise on the registration form).

Students seeking the for-credit option must also submit the following application materials:

Portfolio
Submit 6-8 photographs of your strongest work, including two drawings from observation (not from a photograph):

• One observational drawing must be of a box in the medium of your choice on 18" x 24" paper
• The second observational drawing may be of your choosing

Portfolio Description List
All portfolios must be accompanied by a description list. Label each image with a number that corresponds to the description list. Each description must include dimensions, media, and date completed.

Letter of Recommendation
Students applying for-credit are required to submit one letter of recommendation in order to participate in the program. The letter must be from either a faculty or staff member at the student's high school, or an unrelated adult who is willing and able to speak of the applicant's maturity and readiness to participate in the Pre-College Summer Studios program. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload the recommendation letter to their registration form. However, if doing so will significantly delay the student's application, the recommendation letter may be submitted via email after the form has been completed. The deadline to submit recommendation letters will be May 31.

Deadline
The deadline to submit an application for the credit-bearing section is May 8. Applications for credit will not be considered until all requirements are submitted.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Portfolio images must be saved as a JPEG or PNG file. Label each file with the student's last name, first initial, and the image number that corresponds to the description list (Example: Van Gogh_V_Image1).

Portfolio images must be uploaded directly to the registration form as a condensed (.zip) file.

The statement of purpose and portfolio description list must be uploaded directly to the registration form. Students are strongly encouraged to submit the recommendation letter along with the registration form. Please save each document as a Word or PDF document with the student's last name, first initial, and document name included in the file name (Example: Van Gogh_V_Statement; Van Gogh_V_DescriptionList; Van Gogh_V_RecLetter).

Test your media before sending it in.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Required Classes

Pre-College core courses focus on the skills essential to the pursuit, study and practice of art: developing craft, provoking thought, and creating community.

3D Fundamentals
This course will explore the wide range of materials and processes that are fundamental in creating meaningful three dimensional artwork. Students will work on transferring drawings and plans into three-dimensional work as well as learn to work directly on sculptural forms. Some of the materials introduced include cardboard, wire, clay and found objects.

By paying close attention to space, objects and the materials that surround us in our own environments, we will work on developing an individualized exploration of space and how sculpture can emerge from it. Students will also be asked to complete projects on their own and hone in documentation skills so that they can work on building a portfolio.

Issues and Images
What is art? Why do we look at, and make art? What is the role of the artist in society? This class emphasizes critical analysis of art in terms of context, content, artists' intent, and social and personal significance. Students will gain more familiarity with artists and the meaning, impact and interpretation of artwork through research and discussion of a broad range of contemporary and historical work. Students will develop a fluency with the language of art as they discuss the content of other artists' work as well as their own work.

ElectiveS

All students attend one elective. Electives begin during the third week of the program. Electives are designed to introduce students to the techniques of the medium and the historical context of the field. On-Campus and Virtual sections of Pre-College Summer Studios will offer different electives.

ON-CAMPUS ELECTIVES

Animation
Express yourself through animation by telling a story. Students will explore numerous animation techniques, including drawn animation, flip books, paper cutout, clay animation, stop-motion, and more. Students will gain an understanding of film language, editing tools, and sound effects.

Illustration
Learn and experience what it is to be an illustrator, and the various markets in which illustrators work. Students look at the art of professional illustrators as examples of the range of media and styles used in visual communication. In a variety of media, students employ the techniques used by illustrators to convey meaning and tell stories.

Mixed Media
This course will use traditional and alternative materials and processes to explore the many ways artists combine media to communicate ideas and images. Students will work with materials that may include found objects, drawing, painting, and collage. The materials and media will guide the creative process as much as the creative process will inspire artists to use materials and methods of their choice. Looking at contemporary artists will deepen the discourse on mixed media art as students develop their own personal perspectives and styles

Printmaking
Learn about the transfer of imagery through the tradition of printmaking.This elective focuses on the monotype. Experiment with color and composition using a variety of techniques. Students are introduced to sustainable approaches to printmaking, and assist each other in this collaborative art practice.

VIRTUAL ELECTIVES