Last summer from I was at University of Michigan’s Pre College Program for Portfolio Prep at Penny Stamps School of Art and Design. I was one of twenty lucky students that were accepted into this residential studio program. I had to submit a portfolio of my best, most recent work, a letter of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Before this experience I was already very interested in attending Stamps. After the summer program I fell in love with the school. As an art student, the creative, historical vibe that the town exuded and its vibrancy inspired me. I felt like a part of a community because I was surrounded by a group of students with similar goals, but we all had our own styles. I was inspired and motivated to consistently try my best and challenge myself creatively. The diversity of the group broadened my horizons because there were students from Chicago, California, and Korea. I was exposed to different cultures and worldly perspectives. It was an honor to learn from creative people different from myself. During those two weeks, we visited the University Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The Heidelberg Project, and the Detroit Institute of Arts, along with many more. These experiences are forever embedded into my memory simply because these locations are so inspiring and eye opening. From the radical style of The Heidelberg Project to the traditional structure of the DIA, I was always thinking about art. We also were constantly doing art, whether it be in our own personal studio, in Portfolio Studio, Drawing Studio, or 3-D Studio. We definitely made use of every minute during our stay.
Some of my favorite projects include the cardboard chair and clay boat I made in 3-D Studio and the introduction to figure drawing in the drawing studio class. Having never worked with 3-D before, let alone cardboard as an art form, the cardboard chair project was very intimidating. The assignment was to create a chair out of only cardboard. We were instructed to consider function, purpose, ergonomics, material, form, and fabrication.The assignment made me consider this concept of boundaries; pictured below is the final project. Being exposed to a different medium that I had never used before which made me consider what other materials I could use in the future to make art. It was an overall inspiring experience.
I look back on this extremely valuable experience repeatedly because my peers, teachers, and even my R.A.s helped me find a direction with my art. Being a senior in high school, the responsibilities and decision making that comes along with the adult world have been looming over my head. I was introduced to many creative, inspiring resources that I will carry with me throughout my future career that will begin a few short years. The friends and connections I made during those two weeks have not been severed. We still remain in contact and continue to support each other in our creative work.
Since I simply cannot explain all the greatness that occurred in those limited two weeks, below are photos of projects, various museums, and memories that I made during my stay.
