PRECOLLEGE PROGRAM AGES 16–18
JUNE 24– JULY 28, 2012
Cover: Photograph by Daria Krylova This page: Photograph by Lauren Dyer
HAVE YOU EVER IMAGINED A LIFE IMMERSED IN THE ARTS?
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WHY
2012 PRECOLLEGE
WAIT?
Installation Art group performance 3
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Student Carlos Villagomez in a painting studio
PRECOLLEGE PROGRAM JUNE 24–JULY 28, 2012 The San Francisco Art Institute’s PreCollege Program is a five-week, six-college-credit course of study for artists who have completed the tenth grade but haven’t yet started college. The program introduces participants to what it’s like to be in art school—to the broad range of techniques, concepts, and debates that make up the contemporary art scene. Here, you’ll study with practicing artists (many of whom teach in SFAI’s undergraduate program), experiment with new media, and meet other students who—like you—are driven to create. You’ll also visit museums and galleries, exhibit your work, and develop a portfolio that will help further your artistic goals. All this takes place in beautiful San Francisco, a city full of activity and inspiration.
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THE SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE
2012 PRECOLLEGE
With an innovative curriculum and a commitment to research, hands-on learning, and active dialogue, SFAI fosters an authentic artistic community engaged in interdisciplinary thinking and contemporary studio practice. Founded in 1 871, the school has been central to many of the country’s most notable art movements—experimental filmmaking, abstract expressionism, conceptualism—and home to such world-renowned artists as Ansel Adams, Richard Diebenkorn, Annie Leibovitz, Kathryn Bigelow, Kehinde Wiley, and Nao Bustamante. SFAI’s main campus is at 800 Chestnut Street, in the historic Russian Hill neighborhood.
SFA I courtyard
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SUMMER IN SAN FRANCISCO
Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill seen from S FAI's campus
2012 PRECOLLEGE
San Francisco's famous cable cars
Public art in the Mission District
Film shoot at the beach
Class photo in the Diego Rivera Gallery 9
COURSES
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Painting by Tucker Elkins
The PreCollege Program offers participants a well-rounded introductory course of study and an experience comparable to that of first-year BFA students at SFAI. Students choose two core studio courses (one morning and one afternoon) from the options below. M ORNIN G C LASSES Monday–Thursday 9:30 am–12:30 pm
AF T E R NOON C L ASS ES Monday–Thursday 1:30 pm–4:30 pm
Courses listed as morning and afternoon are offered twice, and are not full-day classes.
EXPRESSIVE LINE AND LIFE DRAWING (MORNING + AFTERNOON) Working with a model, traditional and nontraditional still lifes, and on individual projects, students will address issues of composition, the use of light and dark, and mark-making. One of the goals of the class is to interpret what you see while avoiding a “perfect product” mentality, allowing your drawing to reveal its history of “mistakes” and changes. Pencil, ink, ink wash, watercolor or gouache, and collage are all possible materials, but erasable media will be stressed in the planning stages.
PAINTING AND PERMUTATIONS (MORNING + AFTERNOON) Embracing risk-taking and experimentation, students will explore the limitless material and conceptual possibilities of painting. Using acrylic and oil paint, students will produce paintings that stress effective visual organization, originality, and craftsmanship, and synthesize ideas into a completed body of work. Formal course critiques assist in developing strong skills both in the evaluation of your own artwork and in analyzing formal composition principles. Modern and postmodern movements will be introduced as a means for contextualizing studio work.
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BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY (MORNING + AFTERNOON) Capture the magic of West Coast photography and the influence of artists such as Ansel Adams (who founded SFAI’s Photography Department), Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Lewis Baltz, and many more. Photographic field trips, extensive darkroom work, gallery and museum visits, and class discussions will form a dynamic environment for creating new work with technical and historical understanding of the medium. PREREQUISITE: Basic introductory course in photography. Students must provide their own 35mm SLR camera that allows manual control of shutter speed, aperture, and focusing.
COLOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (MORNING + AFTERNOON) This course will encourage you to explore, create, and experiment with the medium of photography. Using Adobe Photoshop CS5, students will learn how to correct photos as well as how to work with more complex adjustment features such as selections, layers, masks, and channels. Discussions and group critiques will provide insight into contemporary photography. By the end of the class students are expected to have a cohesive body of work and a working knowledge of color photography and color digital printing. PREREQUISITE: Basic introductory course in photography. Students must provide their own digital SLR, or digital camera with manual settings.
DIGITAL ANIMATION (MORNING) Digital animation is a fascinating blend of imagination, artistry, and technology. This course will introduce software such as Adobe Flash and After Effects as well as traditional animation fundamentals of illustration and motion. Students will first develop an understanding of digital animation tools through structured exercises and demonstrations, and move toward more complex concepts of storyboarding and interactivity. You will then apply all these techniques in the creation of a short animated movie.
EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA (MORNING) This hands-on course will demystify the mechanics of experimental filmmaking and introduce cinematic history and contemporary theory. Students will gain an understanding of super 8, 8mm, 16mm, and digital video camera operation and photographic principles, while also exploring techniques like hand coloring, scratching on film, and using found footage to create new meaning. Editing will be done using both analog and digital tools, including Final Cut Pro. 2012 PRECOLLEGE
Performance by Fiona Hoffer
Video installation by Manny Aguirre
Yoga warm-up before an Installation Art class
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INSTALLATION ART (MORNING) This course explores the poetic form and social history of conceptual and site-specific installation. Students will discover the importance of context, process, and time-based activities when working with materials and space, and also learn about project documentation. Studio projects will include work with architectural forms, performance, video, and lighting. Slide lectures will reveal the historical and political underpinnings of these forms and their contemporary manifestation worldwide.
VIDEO ART (AFTERNOON) Learn the art of digital video and performance as experimental, complementary mediums, along with the history and context of the art forms. Using hand-held video cameras, advanced computer editing systems, and lighting, students will create short videos, video installations, and performances that consider issues of physical and visual space. You will also develop professional video shooting techniques and technical proficiency with editing software such as Final Cut Pro. Students must provide their own video cameras.
SCREENPRINTING (AFTERNOON) Explore the expressive and technical possibilities of screenprinting as you learn how to develop a stencil and convert drawings, photographs, and digital output into a genuine print窶馬ot only on paper, but also on a variety of surfaces such as fabric and plastic. Projects will introduce the photo-emulsion process, color registration, and water-based ink mixing.
INVENTING THE FIGURE IN CERAMICS (AFTERNOON) Focusing on the figure with attention to anatomy, this course will explore the boundaries of the human form and physical features, and address the processes, techniques, and concepts at play in contemporary figurative ceramics. Working with a range of direct construction methods, students will address materiality, three-dimensional design, and functionality. As the course progresses, low-fire surface treatments and glazing strategies will provide students with tools to complete their projects.
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Sculpture by Valantyn Koziak
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CURRICULUM SUPPLEMENTS
REQUIRED ART HISTORY SEMINAR How do artists define a city? This course will look at artistic movements in San Francisco, from Beat poetry to the Mission School, to explore the role of artists and their relation to society throughout our city’s modern history. Through lectures, readings, group discussions, and field trips to world-renowned museums, students will gain an understanding of the connections between art history and their own studio practice. 2012 PRECOLLEGE
REQUIRED FRIDAY WORKSHOPS Through faculty-led workshops, students will experiment with new mediums, materials, and interdisciplinary methods. These sessions provide structured opportunities for students to work with the broader faculty team and learn about ideas and practices that will enhance their core class work. Workshops meet Fridays (June 29, July 6, and July 13) from 1:30–4:30 pm. Previous workshops include Cyanotypes, Pinhole Photography, Photoshop for Painters, Stop Motion Animation, Performing Gender in Art, Real Life Comics, and Plaster Casting.
SATURDAY PORTFOLIO WORKSHOP This workshop facilitated by SFAI's Admissions Office will assist students in developing a cohesive portfolio. Learn how best to select, document, and represent your artwork, including how to put together a portfolio suitable for admission to college art programs. Following the workshop, students will have the unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with an Admissions Counselor to receive individualized feedback.
EVENING STUDIO Every course in the program will require students to commit time and effort to their creative practice outside class. Students are required to work on their projects on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6–9 pm, during staff-supervised studio hours. Many studios and campus resources will also be accessible to students throughout the week.
CRITIQUE SEMINAR Critical feedback from peers and faculty plays an integral role in the study of visual arts. This workshop will provide students with tools to describe what they see and strategies to move beyond quick judgments toward deep and meaningful conversations that push artists to grow.
EXTRACURRICULAR In addition to arts-based programming, there will be opportunities to connect with classmates and relax at weekly events such as a beach bonfire, a dance party, movie nights, and more.
FINAL EXHIBITION A campus-wide final exhibition allows PreCollege students to show the work they have produced during the program and share their accomplishments with family, friends, and the public. A closing reception will be held on Friday, July 27 from 4:30–7:30 pm. 17
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
EVER GOLD GALLERY
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Andrew McClintock at an Ever Gold exhibition opening for artist Chris Ritson
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Drawing by Sophie Eichner
T 27 YEARS OLD, SFAI PreCollege
and BFA alumnus Andrew McClintock is not only a photographer, but also co-founder of the publication San Francisco Arts Quarterly and co-director of Ever Gold Gallery. In a pass-it-on moment, last summer
up and Andrew said that a lot of stuff
Ever Gold hosted a workshop for Pre-
[now] is mixed media. I’d already been
College students to learn more about
working with that, but helping out with
the relationship between artists and
crazy installations spurred on even
galleries, and the role that community
more ideas.”
plays in supporting artists. Two students, Sophie Eichner and Katie Pebenito,
Wearing the hats of both artist and
were so inspired by the workshop that
gallery owner, Andrew says, “I’m very
they volunteered to help install the
interested in the idea of a hybrid between
gallery’s exhibition of cut-paper work
good business practice and good art
by Tahiti Pehrson and learn more about
practice and keeping that kind of young
professional practices.
and energetic experimental nature.” And SFAI’s PreCollege program fosters just
“I really appreciate the time that I got to
those dynamic qualities in students, no
spend outside of class, either on trips
matter which facet of art they pursue.
to Ever Gold or workshops,” says Katie.
As Sophie recalls, “We had all of these
“It [helped] build an understanding of
big ideas, and it wasn’t like, ‘Oh no, you
how a gallery works, and in considering
can’t do that.’ It was, ‘How can we help
what you want to do in the future with
you make it happen?’ And the school
art.” Adds Sophie, “I was asking questions
would help you and the teachers would
about what kind of installation was going
help you and it was incredible.” www.evergoldgallery.com www.sfaqonline.com
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
TEEN ART GALLERY
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Audrey Banks and Sonja Tsypin (in black) with the Teen Art Gallery team
"YOUTH, IT TURNS OUT, IS NOT ALWAYS WASTED ON THE YOUNG." So declared the New York Times about an ambitious summer 201 1 exhibition of the Teen Art Gallery, organized and curated by 2010 PreCollege participants Audrey Banks and Sonja Tsypin. SFAI caught up with Audrey and Sonja, who also recently won a prestigious Scholastic Art Award, to learn how the SFAI experience contributed to their achievements.
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" SFAI SHOWED ME THAT I HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO DO BIG THINGS." AUDREY BANKS
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hen I came into the program I was completely, completely
different, not just as a painter but as a person. Before SFAI, I was a pretty average student. Being in the intensive atmosphere of SFAI showed me that I did have the capabilities to do bigger things, like put together a gallery, which led me to be able to think about the Teen Art Gallery. The idea of having a gallery started in 9th grade. I met Sonja and a bunch of other artists who were also thinking the same thing. All of us at some point in our lives want something to do with art, but it just seemed that we had to keep waiting and waiting to go through this process of college or going to art school; that we had to stay patient and just not do anything about it right now. The main idea behind [the exhibition] was to give kids, young adults, a chance to show their art now rather than later and to really devote themselves to it. About 300 people showed up to the opening. It’s reaching a lot of people, and I’m very happy about that. [Since SFAI] I’ve just been working really hard for things that I want to do and that I know I can do, because of that program. www.teenartgallery.org
2012 PRECOLLEGE
W
hat I really found at SFAI that I couldn’t find anywhere else was the
freedom and the conceptual guidance. The one teacher that really influenced me was Jeff [Eisenberg, Drawing faculty]. He talked to me for three hours or more about my ideas. I felt that I wasn’t only developing skill-wise but that I was developing as a real artist with my own message and my own voice. That was life-changing for me, because I realized that that’s what I love about being an artist—that I have my own identity in that world. And, you know, as a teenager, that’s what we’re all trying to find. I went from being someone who viewed art as a hobby to thinking of everything in terms of my next painting, or “that could be turned into a piece of art.” I communicate with artists so much differently because I understand myself as one. [The program] opened up a lot of things for me, and a new confidence in myself to feel like I can really create something. I don’t know if I’m going to go to art school, but I definitely know that I’m going to be pursuing art in one way or another.
SONJA TSY P I N
" I WAS DEVELOPING AS A REAL ARTIST WITH MY OWN MESSAGE AND MY OWN VOICE." 23
HOUSING Supervised housing provides SFAI PreCollege students with a convenient, affordable, and secure living environment that supports their artistic growth. A professional student housing staff as well as a team of enthusiastic full-time SFAI students committed to campus leadership live with the PreCollege students, helping to familiarize them with the school and its surroundings.
Residence Hall Amenities Community Kitchen Breakfast and lunch are provided on weekdays for students in PreCollege housing. For dinners and weekend meals, residents enjoy cooking and eating together in a community kitchen. The facility is equipped with everything residents need to prepare food, including a full-size oven, stove top, microwaves, and toasters. Laundry Coin operated washers and dryers are conveniently located in the residence halls. Residents may use quarters to purchase wash cycles for $1.50 and dryer cycles for $1.00. Internet Access and Computers The hall is equipped with wireless Internet throughout the building and in the rooms. Residents also share use of community computers located in the building. Cable Television Each student room is equipped with a color television, basic cable, and a DVD player. Recreation Room Residents relax and socialize in the fully furnished recreation room. The recreation room is equipped with a pool table and foosball table as well as a largescreen television. This popular community space is also used for hall programs, events, and activities. Check-in: Sunday, June 24, 20 1 2 Check-out: Saturday, July 28, 20 1 2
2012 PRECOLLEGE
PROGRAM EXPENSES AND FEES Tuition for two studio courses, art history seminar, and workshops: $3,000 (includes a $100 non-refundable deposit) Room and Board (does not include dinner or weekend meals): $2,000 (includes a $100 non-refundable deposit) Total for residents due to SFAI by May 31: $5,000 Total for commuters due to SFAI by May 3 1: $3,000
Art Supplies Students will be expected to have all of the supplies for their classes at the start of the program. Registrants will receive a supplies list prior to the program. When planning your budget for the program, please note that supplies for most courses cost approximately $250.
Living Costs Students enjoy the flexibility of selecting or preparing their own dinners and weekend meals. Please plan your budget according to your dietary habits.
Scholarships Scholarships for the PreCollege Program are awarded to students based on financial need. Scholarship application forms are available online and upon request and should be received together with completed application materials by April 1.
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HOW TO APPLY To download the application forms, please go to www.sfai.edu/precollege.
Application Checklist 1) A completed and signed application form 2) A disc containing five to eight examples of work that reflects your imagination and originality. For students pursuing time-based mediums such as video or film, please submit a DVD with five to ten minutes of your work. Images should be in jpeg file format, and be no larger than 2000 x 2000 pixels but no smaller than 640 x 640 pixels. Video, animation, and movie files should be exported to QuickTime format, and be at least 320 x 240 in pixel dimensions. Please no PowerPoint files. Important: include an image list on the CD in a .doc or .rtf file. 3) An artist statement
- Write a one-page essay about your primary interests in making art.
4) A letter of recommendation from a teacher who knows you and your work 5) A $65 application fee
Deadlines The application deadline is May 1, 2 0 1 2. The scholarship application and international student application deadline is April 1, 2 0 1 2. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply early in order to get your first choice of classes.
Send application to: San Francisco Art Institute PreCollege Program 800 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94133
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Student Layne McDonough in the screenprinting studio
Studio hours in the sewing loft
Final exhibition reception 27
CONTACT US SAN F RANC ISCO ART INST IT U TE PreCollege Program 800 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94 133 415.749.4554 precollege @ sfai.edu www.sfai.edu/precollege www.facebook.com/SFAIprecollege
2012 PRECOLLEGE
Bathtub installation by Amorette Muzingo
Photography by Tim Sullivan, Pauline Quintana, Grant Davidson, Sam Williams, JD Beltran, Joe Melamed, Todd Hido
Scavenger Hunt Workshop winning team
PreCollege Program 800 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94133 www.sfai.edu
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