Each summer for the last ten years, Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) has assembled some of the best teachers in Southern California to lead inspiring and artistic experiences for students. This year, the Coronado Summer Art Intensives returns with two-week sessions in Ceramics, Dance, 3D Digital Arts, Drama, and Visual Arts. Classes meet weekdays from 10:30am to 3:30pm July 10-July 21 on the Coronado High School campus, and are open to any student age 13-18.
“We welcome all current and aspiring student artists from near and far to experience the fun and excitement that the Coronado Summer Intensives offer,” said Shane Schmeichel, Director of Special Programs with Coronado Unified School District. “Students love showing off what they’ve learned with live performances and art exhibitions on the final day of class. And, of course, families are invited to witness and celebrate the creative process with us!”
All levels of experience are welcome to register at www.CoSASanDiego.com/Students/Summer-Intensives.
Here’s a little more information about each course and instructor:
- Ceramics. Ceramics artist and educator Katie Francis has recently been featured in Ink & Clay 45 at the Kellogg University Gallery in Pomona, California and the 2022 SoCal MFA exhibition at the East & Peggy Phelps Galleries in Claremont, California. During the Ceramics Intensive, students will learn how to work with clay, including pinching, coiling, and throwing on the potter’s wheel. Students will create functional forms such as cups, bowls, and mugs, as well as sculptural forms of their choosing. Towards the end of the workshop, surface embellishments such as painting with underglaze, carving, and glazing will be covered, allowing students to produce personalized work that truly stands out.
- Dance. Dance artist and educator Viviana Alcazar has been the Director of Heart2Art Dance Company in Coronado since 2013 and a Teaching Artist with the Coronado School of the Arts since 2018. In the Dance Intensive, students will train with Viviana and a roster of guest artists who specialize in a variety of styles of dance including: Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, and cultural dance forms.
- 3D Digital Arts. Artist and educator Kong Chho worked at SD3D and Incept 3D as a CAD designer and technician before becoming a teacher at the Coronado School of the Arts. He was a core member and lead on projects for Electronic Arts, Google, and Microsoft to produce production and prototype assets. The Digital Art Intensive will focus on 3D printing and making things to 3D print. Students will learn to use software like Prusa Slicer, Cura, Blender, and TinkerCAD. By the end of the two-weeks, students will be able to bring anything in their imagination from the digital space to the real world!
- Drama. Drama artist and educator Francis Gercke was a graduate of the Actors Studio Drama School at the New School for Social Research and has worked as an actor and director in New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In the Drama intensive, students learn to build their work from the inside out by asking the who, what, when, where, why and how of a character, and learn to seek out the truest expression and life of that person. Students will also devise their own works and learn about character and story arcs.
- Visual Arts. Visual artist and educator Karrie Jackson has worked as a Visual Art Consultant for Coronado School of the Arts starting in 2010 and has been CoSA’s Visual Art Department Chair since 2012. On multiple occasions, Ms. Jackson’s projects have extended out into the community. She has worked directly with the City of Coronado, The Coronado Cultural Arts Commission, The Coronado Historical Association, Adult Education and Community Hospital and Nursing Home. With a primary focus on landscape painting in acrylic, Karrie Jackson is known for her Coastal Impressionism. In the Visual Art intensive, students will learn the arts of painting, drawing, fieldwork sketching, and digital painting. One Workshop will be dedicated to learning the anatomy and how to draw from a Live Model.
Proceeds from the summer intensives will help fund CoSA programs. CoSA has been dedicated to enriching lives through the arts in San Diego since its founding in 1996. About twenty five percent of the CoSA budget is raised each year by the CoSA Foundation. If you would like to see the arts continue to thrive in education, please consider making a donation at www.cosafoundation.org.
Students and parents are invited to follow CoSA on Facebook (@coronadoschoolofthearts) and Instagram (@cosasdofficial) to stay current on upcoming news and audition information.
About CoSA
Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is San Diego County’s premier public school arts conservatory, home to 200 scholar artists grades 9 through 12, who attend the nationally ranked Coronado High School. CoSA provides an intense, pre-professional arts education to students from Coronado and from all over San Diego, who are admitted after a competitive application/audition process.
Each school day CoSA offers three or more hours of instruction, pairing young artists with educators who are also industry specialists. With a curriculum designed by professional artist/educators, students are immersed in their chosen specialty in one of six conservatories: Classical and Contemporary Dance, Digital Arts (Animation, Filmmaking, Game Design, and Graphic Design), Instrumental Music, Musical Theatre & Drama, Theatre Production, Design & Management and Visual Art. CoSA is a State of California-approved Career Technical Education program.
