Studio art courses offer new twist on traditional topics

This summer Skidmore will offer Summer in the Studio, a program of five-week classes and special-topic workshops for students interested in studio art. Under the direction of Katie DeGroot, a teacher, painter, and printmaker whose work has been exhibited nationally and regionally, the studio program is open to talented high school students, as well as to college students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

The five-week workshops feature traditional topics with a twist. They include sculpture (bronze casting), printmaking, textile surface design, digital filmmaking, and computer design. In addition, there are will be a one-week workshop on experimental printmaking and a weekend ceramics workshop. Also planned are guest lectures by visiting artists and a special panel discussion by curators from around the region.

Registration is currently under way. Tuition and fees vary, depending on whether the student is taking the course for credit. All courses are scheduled from June 30 to July 31.

Special enrichment options include guest lectures by fiber artist Polly Apfelbaum on July 14 and painter Martin Weinstein on July 16. On July 17, ?Art from the Other Side,? a panel discussion featuring curators from throughout the region and moderated by Ian Berry, curator at the Tang Teaching Museum, is scheduled. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The summer program reflects DeGroot?s hopes of developing a sense of community among the program?s teachers and participants. She is enthusiastic about the topics that the courses cover, noting that new media and/or methods will enhance the teaching of traditional art courses. For complete details on Summer in the Studio at Skidmore College, including tuition and fees, and registration information, please click here or call the Office of the Dean of Special Programs, 518-580-5595.