



Summer Institute Art, Media & Design
July 10–July 28, 2023
Three weeks
Three college credits
Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. & evening studio hours
Expand your perspective on contemporary art-making while working with UArts faculty, who are professional artists and creatives. Through college-level art and design courses, critiques, and visits to Philly’s museums and cultural institutions, you’ll gain new technical skills, learn to think critically about art, complete new work for your portfolio and show your work in a public exhibition.
Over the course of three weeks, you’ll take three classes: one major and two electives. There are a variety of classes to choose from that reflect the UArts college experience.
































Overview
Learn from the artists and creative professionals who comprise UArts faculty. Each class is designed to expand your perspective on contemporary art-making and support your artistic development. You’ll get feedback from instructors along the way, complete new work for your portfolio and show your work in a public exhibition.
At the end of this program, students will
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create new works suitable for inclusion in a portfolio.
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learn skills in critical thinking and revision practice through critiques.
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expand vocabulary and technical skills in their chosen visual arts subject area.
Outcomes may vary by course—see the courses below for detailed overviews.
Programming
You’ll participate in one major and two afternoon electives.
Majors & Electives
Monday–Friday
Choose one major from the following areas.
Animation
Professional animators guide you through the basics of motion studies: experimenting with traditional hand-drawn, stop-motion and digital animation techniques. Over the course of the program, you will storyboard, film, edit and execute your own short animated movie and demo reel.
Art Explorations
Develop a unique artistic practice by drawing from an array of 2-D and 3-D disciplines, including sculpture, ceramics, drawing and printmaking. You will have the opportunity to explore a range of techniques and learn how to work across media and toward an interdisciplinary approach to art making.
Design
In this wide-ranging course, you will develop a concept for your own sneaker design while learning about product design, branding (graphic design) and interaction design. First, you’ll design and print a 3-D model of your sneaker. Then, you’ll explore how to create a logo, a tagline and a brand for your footwear. Finally, you’ll create an interactive web and social media ad for your sneakers to help sell and promote your product.
Game Design
Delve into the complex and intricate world of video games. In this workshop, you’ll explore the principles that inform how games work, what makes them fun, and how they can help us understand our world and social interactions. Learn to construct logical storylines and rules in an imagined space, and utilize interface design, programming tools and aesthetics to bring your original game concept to life.
Illustration
Dive into the world of contemporary illustration with a course led by professionals working in the field. Learn traditional and digital drawing techniques while developing your picture-making process. Create imaginative, conceptual and meaningful visual solutions and storytelling illustration for platforms such as comics, children’s books, publications and concept art.
Painting
Enjoy a deep exploration into painting! Begin with an introduction to painting techniques and studio processes, including color mixing, paint application and composition. Hands-on projects and the opportunity to work from a range of source references will introduce you to some of the fundamental approaches to representation and abstraction.
Photography
Learn professional digital photography and develop your abilities in composition, lighting techniques, color and tonality to take dynamic images. You’ll also learn about photographic strobe lighting in the studio environment and hone your photographic skills to create exhibition quality images and prints.
Monday–Thursday
Students will enroll in two of the following electives, one meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the other meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Applicants will rank their preferred electives.
Ceramics
Learn about the technical possibilities of clay while working with your hands! You will develop two main projects that weave the historical and conceptual possibilities of this unique and transformative material.
Character Design Illustration
Working with a professional in the field, you’ll research and use your imagination to develop and design original characters that tell their stories. You’ll use a variety of traditional and digital media to create thumbnail sketches that evolve into highly rendered character designs suitable for various applications, including games, animation, comics, graphic novels and illustration.
Digital Effects for Film & Animation
Create effects for live-action and animated films using Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere. Shoot and light sequences in front of a green screen for a range of settings, and create standard effects such as muzzle slashes, lightsabers and explosions.
Figure Drawing
Drawing the figure is crucial for many forms of art making and design. This course allows you to focus exclusively on articulating the human form. You’ll work from nude models as you learn basic anatomy, gesture, volume and how to check accuracy. Previous drawing experience is recommended.
Jewelry/Metals
Learn to create a one of a kind wearable piece of jewelry through various metalworking techniques, including soldering fabrication, cold connections and polishing. You’ll walk away with one or more pieces of finished jewelry.
Photography
Hone your photographic skills to create exhibition quality images and prints. Learn professional digital photography and develop your abilities in composition, lighting techniques, color and tonality to take dynamic images.
Risograph Printing
A Risograph printer echoes the vibrant “ink on paper” look of offset printing and is accessible to artists working in both analog and digital media, including illustrators, designers, printmakers and mixed-media artists. In this class, you’ll learn about the Risograph and create your own zines, posters and limited-edition prints.
Screenprinting
Discover the medium Andy Warhol stole from industrial production processes and transformed into an art form. Learn the techniques for screenprinting clothing, bags, posters, zines and items of your choice.
Sculpture
Learn a wide-range of 3-D techniques and processes, including modeling, carving and installation, among others. Work in numerous media in various shops across the university.
Sketchbooks: Experiments & Field Notes
Learn to use your sketchbook as a visual journal for observation and invention. You’ll experiment with markers, ink and cut paper, and field trips will encourage you to work from life and your imagination.
Storytelling Through Social Media
Create dynamic stories using text and image on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok). You will work collaboratively, and use your own stories, art, illustration, video, and photography in new dynamic ways on social media platforms.
Visual Development for Animation
Learn the fundamentals of character design, creature design, environmental design and art direction for animated media. You will also learn how to pitch a project to a design team using reference material, written descriptions and visual aids such as mood boards.
A Week in the Life
Monday
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9 a.m.–12 p.m. Major
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1–4 p.m. Elective A
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4–7 p.m. Open Studio
Tuesday
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9 a.m.–12 p.m. Major
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1–4 p.m. Elective B
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4–7 p.m. Open Studio
Wednesday
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9 a.m.–12 p.m. Major
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1–4 p.m. Elective A
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4–7 p.m. Open Studio
Thursday
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9 a.m.–12 p.m. Major
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1–4 p.m. Elective B
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4–7 p.m. Open Studio
Friday
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9 a.m.–12 p.m. Major
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1–4 p.m. Major
Saturday
- Optional off-campus field trips
Note: Students break for lunch between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. every day. Students may elect to attend open studios Monday through Thursday evenings. Commuters should plan accordingly.
Faculty
Courses in Art, Media and Design are taught by artists and creative professionals. The majority of our faculty teach in the degree programs at UArts. Our expert faculty comprises seasoned educators and dedicated artists who enjoy sharing their expertise and collaborate with the next generation of artists.
Summer 2023 faculty may include
How to Apply
Summer Institute 2023 Applications are still being considered on a space available basis.
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Complete the Summer Institute application.
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Submit an essay or portfolio. Students applying for a scholarship must submit a portfolio.
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Essay
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Include an essay of 300 words maximum that explains why you want to attend the program and what you hope to gain from the experience.
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Portfolio
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Upload 4–8 examples of your artwork. Your portfolio can include 2-D, 3-D or time-based media. For time-based media, include a YouTube or Vimeo link.
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Pay the $15 application fee.
Tuition & Fees
Tuition: $3,400
Program fee: $150
Housing and meals: $1,425
Commuter total: $3,550
Residential total: $4,975
Supplies
Students are expected to bring supplies with them or purchase them once they arrive on campus. Supply lists will be shared one month before the program starts with cost estimates.
Spending & Miscellaneous Expenses
Students spend an average of $80–$100 per week on additional items, including laundry, snacks, personal spending and non-required supplies.
Scholarships
Scholarships for the Summer Institute are awarded to students in high academic standing with significant creative potential and financial need. Scholarship awards are competitive. Students are able to apply for either a merit- or need-based scholarship.
Questions?
Request more infoContact Pre-College
precollege@uarts.edu
Pre-College Programs
211 S. Broad St, Terra Hall 9th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-717-6430