The Junior Artist’s Center is designed for students 11–13 years of age who are interested in a focused intensive experience in the arts in an atmosphere which is responsive to the emotional and educational needs of young adolescents.
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Fashion Design, Art & More
Improv Workshop: No Script, No Plan, No Problem
Open to children ages 11–13August 5–18
Course # JATH Ø5-Ø6
Two-week session
Student Performance
Saturday, August 18, 9:30 a.m.
This wildly fun course is for anyone who has a sense of adventure and loves to perform. Come learn the art of improvisation,where there are no scripts and nothing is planned. You make it up as you go along! Students will work as an ensemble to create stories, places and characters made up on the spot. At the end of the two week session, students will perform an entirely improvised show based off a single suggestion from the audience. It is guaranteed to be a show never to have been done before and never to be done again. Throughout the course we will explore the “rules” of improv (and promptly learn how to break them) as well as various styles of improv comedy, including classic short form games. No experience or prior knowledge of improv is necessary. Simply bring your imagination, silliness and a willingness to play!
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Lab fee: $40
Enrollment limited to 10 students.
Cynthia Bangert
July 8–21
Course # CCMM Ø1-Ø2
Two-week session
Student Performance
Saturday, July 21, 9:30 a.m.
This fun, two-week course will incorporate singing, acting and movement in a musical theatre piece complete with live accompaniment. Auditions will be held for parts although the show is designed for group singing and performance. Students will learn acting techniques through fun theater exercises and improvisational games.
Tuition, room and board: $2550
Lab fee: $40
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Musical Theatre
Open to children ages 11-13
July 22–August 4Course # JATH Ø3-Ø4Two-week session
Student Performance
Saturday, August 4, 11:30 a.m.
This unique and exhilarating program is designed for talented actors, singers and dancers. Students get the chance to work on an original or adapted musical from it’s early stages of development to its first performance at the end of this two-week session. Rehearsals with the director, musical director, and choreographer take place from 9–5, Monday thru Friday, with additional rehearsals that may be held in the evenings or on the weekend. In addition to performing, students may be asked to assist in various technical aspects of the production-costuming, props, set construction, etc.
Students will audition on the first day of class. Auditions will consist of a prepared, memorized song of the student’s selection, a dance audition, and a read-through of the play. The original musical is generally an ensemble piece. Every actor will have a speaking part and every actor will sing, although some parts are more demanding than the others, and not every actor will have a singing solo. There will also be several dance solo opportunities. Students will receive a letter in late June with more specifics about the production and auditions.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Lab fee: $40
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
Saturday, August 18, 10:30 a.m.
This course is a fun, hands-on approach to the works of William Shakespeare. Students will learn about the life and times of Shakespeare and rehearse an adapted version of one of Shakespeare’s plays to be performed at the end of the two-week session. We will study the play in depth and see a live, professional production of that same play at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Students will audition for parts and learn basic stage and vocal techniques. Our production also may include basic stage combat, singing and/or dancing, depending on the talents of the individual cast members and the needs of the show itself. Additional rehearsal may be scheduled in the evenings and/or on the weekend. Time permitting, other activities may include Elizabethan mask making, sonnet writing and improvisational games based on Shakespearian verse.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
Saturday, July 21, 11:30 a.m.
Theater Adventures is a program that gives young actors a great opportunity for bold character development. Students will explore the art of storytelling through acting, improvisation, dance and vocal work. The program culminates with a short play based on various adapted stories, poems and styles or original work created by the faculty and class. Previous works adapted from Alice in Wonderland, Grimms Fairytales and even spoofs on Twilight and the Vampire Diaries have been student favorites. This is a fun two-week program for enthusiastic and motivated actors.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
Culmination: Student Art Exhibit
Saturday, August 18, 10 a.m.
Many ways of working with clay, glazes and firing techniques will be introduced and explored during this two-week course. Projects will be presented within which students are encouraged to branch off and realize their own ideas. Projects are built around learning various handbuilding techniques including coil and slab construction, as well as working in series and throwing on the potter’s wheel. Possible methods of firing will include gas, electric, raku and wood depending on students’ interests. This instructive and fun two weeks provides an excellent opportunity for individual instruction and group interaction for both the beginning and advanced student.
Students may bring their own tools, but studio tools are available for use. Old clothing is recommended for class.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Lab fee: $40 (Includes clay and firing costs.)
Enrollment limited to 10 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
Culmination: Student Art Exhibit
Saturday, August 4, 10 a.m.
From its inception, Animation has been the art of creating what Disney artists call the “Illusion of Life”. Over the years this art has been crafted and refined by imaginative storytellers at Disney, Warner Brothers, Pixar, Dreamworks and others. Computers have brought about an explosion of animation, not only in studio productions but also in television, on the web and in games for computers and mobile devices.
This workshop is for anyone who wants to learn how to animate and develop foundation skills for future work in film, video, or the web. We’ll explore the fundamentals of the art of animation and how to use Adobe Flash to create art and characters. No prior experience is needed–we only need our ideas and imaginations to create our own clips that can be uploaded and shared.
You’ll learn how to design and animate scene elements and characters, enhance and apply existing skills to animation, as well as learn the Flash tools that are used to create scenes, transitions and special effects. Your work will integrate storytelling, movement, sketches and life drawing; through guidance and observation of classic and contemporary art and animation, you’ll explore the tricks and techniques animators use and how to refine your own methods and style.
Throughout the process, you’ll be creating a portfolio that integrates your own sketches, action studies, reference materials along with your digital creations. During production, you’ll gain familiarity with story development and storyboarding, and you’ll explore how to use design and color palettes to define artistic styles. Animators are welcome to bring their own artwork of characters or scenes they’d like to animate.Have fun and bring your art to life!
Materials: Animators may wish to bring a USB thumbdrive. (CDs for archiving will be supplied in the workshop.)
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 10 students.
Open to children ages 11-13
Culmination: Student Art Exhibit
Saturday, August 4, 9:30 a.m.
If you love color and design, jewelry making, fashion design, fabric, yarn, tactile art and up-cycling then this is the course for you! Come prepared to indulge yourself in creativity as you spend two weeks completely immersed in designing and creating several projects using a variety of mediums. Each student will design and create an original, moveable, collectible mohair animal. You will learn how to sew on a sewing machine as you construct your designs. We will go on a field trip to learn how to choose fabrics that best suit our designs and to gather more supplies to use in our long list of projects. Projects include mosaic, jewelry making, up-cycling denim and t-shirts, knitting, tie dyeing, silk painting and so much more. Our culmination will include an exhibition of each student’s work as well as a fashion show featuring our young, up and coming designers!
Materials: Each student needs to bring two pairs of old jeans (any size) and 5–10 t-shirts to be used in our up-cycling projects
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 10 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
Culmination: Student Art Exhibit
Saturday, August 4, 9:30 a.m.
The class will explore new ways of working with a wide variety of art materials. Students will paint using acrylics and oils on canvas of various sizes. Each student will be provided a camera and will explore black and white and color photography by taking pictures of nature and objects of his/her choice. We will set up still life on the art pad which students will photograph. The photos will be enlarged to form the basis for a project incorporating the principles of photography, painting, and drawing. We will be batiking on silk, cotton and muslin, using natural dyes. The students will create 3-D mosaics on Plexiglas and wood, using stained glass pieces, beads, and found art objects. Students will make sculptures from bendable aluminum, wood, and thick wire. This year, the class will create oversized masks using papier maché. The many processes of printmaking will be explored. The class will learn how to make mono prints from wood cut blocks, and collagraphs (combination of collage and printmaking). For some of these prints, the class will use carving tools. Collages will be created from boxes, dyed paper, and other materials. Mural making and still-life drawing will take place throughout the session. Time permitting, other projects will be undertaken.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Open to children ages 11–13
July 8-21
Culmination: Student Art Exhibit -Saturday, July 21, 9:30 a.m.
Explore the wonders of the arts in this great combination course! Students will discover the styles and techniques of the masters of modern art—giants like Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso—and then use their creativity to develop their own take on the master’s style using various mediums, such as pen & ink, colored pencil, and paints. This painting and drawing experience encourages the exploration of art and beginning approaches to art fundamentals. This class is built on personalized instruction, working to develop each student’s skills and interests. Using the work of the masters as an inspiration, we will emphasize creating and developing each student’s personal imagery and skills. The class will focus on design elements including color mixing, composition, gesture, contour drawing, still-life composition, visual perspective and historical and personal style. Interest and commitment to art, not just talent, is recommended. We will be working hard to grow as artists while also learning how to enjoy the creative process.
Materials: Students should bring any paint brushes they have; a 9”x12” pad of Bristol paper; a set of colored pencils, a pencil sharpener and a photograph of his/her family.
Tuition, room and board: $2750
Enrollment limited to 15 students.
Open to children ages 11–13