New Camp for High School Students at Penn State’s School of Visual Arts

Getting into the visual arts program at Penn State can be a complicated proposition for aspiring artists. Before being admitted, admissions personnel expect students to prove their creative talent by submitting impressive portfolios. That’s why the university has just unveiled an innovative arts camp program.

Penn State School of Visual Arts director Graeme Sullivan felt high school students needed more guidance to prepare for this process and felt challenged to do something about it.

“We’ve created a supportive learning environment for students to interact with faculty and their peers so they can take a serious approach to their work,” said Sullivan.

”This camp will expand their skills and introduce them to new kinds of processes.”

Penn State’s first visual arts summer camp will take place in July under the theme “Portfolio Processes.”

Thirty-six students will be accepted into the camp and students from high schools throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey have already been accepted. Admission is still ongoing.

Penn State Conference Planner John Farris has helped with the Arts & Architecture camps in past. He says the Visual Arts camp will be a lot of fun for attendees. “They’ll have interesting new ideas to think about regarding design, and also have hands on experience with creating new designs, he said.”

Students will participate in intensive digital, printmaking, drawing and photography workshops. Those experiences will help them create comprehensive portfolios.

At the end of the camp they’ll present their work in an exhibition at the School of Visual Arts’ Edwin W. Zoller Gallery.

The camp costs $595. The fee covers housing, food and all program materials. It runs for five days from Sunday, July 7 to Friday July 12. The deadline to register is 5:00 p.m. on June 14.

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