This exhibition featured oil paintings, etchings, block prints, monoprints, screenprints and sculptures created by 30 talented Charleston County high school students who were selected to have three weeks of intense training in painting, printmaking, and sculpture. This is truly a unique experience in the students’ high school career.

An objective of the Summer Art Institute program is to provide visual art experiences, instruction and production beyond the scope of the regular visual art curriculum for public high school students with exceptional visual art talent. Their instructors this year were Tony Csavas, Conrad Guevara and Tina Hirsig. All Summer Art Institute instructors are professional working artists. These instructors have devoted their lives to the visual arts, thus creating a vibrant and energetic environment that encourages students to recognize and use their talents in high school and beyond.

It is amazing to see what students can do when they are provided the opportunity, enthusiasm and materials to pursue a life in the arts. The growth of each student is immeasurable. The energy and passion that developing young artists have for their studio practice is a source of inspiration for those who work directly with them, and for those who have the opportunity to witness their rapid progress first hand. Their ambition for their art and the fearlessness with which they approach learning is an example to everyone.

For the students, the Summer Art Institute is an introduction to a community of artists who will form the foundation of their professional network. They will gain confidence as a result of mentorship and support. They will experience, first hand, how groups of individuals collaborate to create art and exhibit it to the public. This understanding will be critical in helping them discover how they can contribute to the arts community of Charleston and beyond.

About the Summer Art Institute:

The Summer Art Institute is an educational program presented in cooperation with the Charleston County School District for high school students with talents in the visual arts. Each year, 30 talented high school students are selected to have three weeks of intense training in painting, printmaking, photography, drawing and/or sculpture. The disciplines change each year for repeat students. An objective of the program is to provide visual art experiences, instruction and production beyond the scope of the regular visual art curriculum for students with exceptional visual art talent. In this program, students take away the importance of building relationships and being around dedicated artists. They form new relationships that will carry through the rest of their lives. Most importantly, students who go through this program have a professional art portfolio prepared for applications to College, Advanced Placement Art Classes, and Governor’s School.

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