Maria Walsh Sharpe Summer Seminar

<p>Anyone have any words on this program, if their student was accepted and completed it? It's for Juniors only in HS.</p>

<p>Thanks
S.Dad</p>

<p>It's only the best program ever! I completed the program last summer. It really is a great program, they pay for everything except for your travel expenses. FOr two weeks, you mingle with other fervid artists like yourself, as well as develop awesome relationships with real-life famous artists. Colorado Springs is also very nice, there's always something to do when there is free time, although looking back it didn't seem like it. It is pretty intense though, we make art incessantly. But there are various fieldtrips as well. I loved climbing the mountains and huge sanddunes, and visiting Garden of the Gods. BACA was just phenomenal. </p>

<p>If your child was accepted to this program, I most definately recommend it, it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.</p>

<p>So, only 60 students in the nation are accepted. Are you like insanely good at art?!</p>

<p>yeah i atteneded the 2007 summer session one and had the time of my life, colleges eat these kids up and i am being offered near to full ride scholarship money by some of the biggest schools in the nation because of this. the staff gets your name out as soon as you leave colorado and its just awesome, second what the last girl mentioned for sure definantly a once in a life time experience. i miss colorado so much now and plan to go back soon.
if your child is admitted do not make the mistake of not sending them</p>

<p>thats so exciting! where did you end up going? and what are some of the biggest schools in the nation that you're referring to?</p>

<p>Just how good your grades/ art/ rec. letter have to be?
What is the odd, like, one in thousand accepted?
Did you skip school if you couldn't get first choice and placed in conflicting dates with your state's schedule?</p>

<p>i got in for this year. you can see my stuff at cowmoocher</a> on deviantART
doesn't show everything in my portfolio because I haven't updated it in a while. Grades wise I'm in AP classes, but not a straight A student. I got into the session I wanted, but if I couldn't I'd definitely skip school for it. A lot of kids from my school skip finals to attend things like this. (Our school ends way too late)</p>

<p>man you are good. Everyone is that good? How do you place yourself?
You have to tell us when you get back.
What happens if you miss final? make up dates (when?) or it doesn't matter?</p>

<p>I have no clue about everyone else's art, but I asked my art teacher about it and she said that shes had students apply but none have ever gotten in. Some of my friends who know that they're going to miss their finals take it earlier. Others have to schedule a makeup date with the school. In one case I think someone was actually exempt from taking them haha I don't know how that worked out. Are you applying next year?</p>

<p>No, I am a parent and one of those addicted lurker. My son is going to be junior in fall. We are tough on $ and when I found out about this program, I set goal for the next summer for him but….
We are in NY and school runs until end of June as well. To top it off they have mandatory state exam taking place last week of June, which makes things very difficult. He will not be able to attend half the summer programs around unless he’d mess some dates. There are some make-ups but not for everything. Suppose if you are super stellar students, school finals can be skipped but that’s not the case here.
Artworks, I freaked out seeing gold exhibition of Scholastic award couple weeks ago. If THAT is the standard, I don’t know what can be done.
Did you apply that as well? You coulda won gold key with the butcher.</p>

<p>I’m sorry to bump an old topic, but I was recently accepted into Marie Walsh Sharpe as well. There seems to be something of a scarcity of information on it…could anyone fill me in a bit more fully? I definitely plan on going, because from what I’ve been told it’s pretty prestigious and it IS free (money is an issue with my family), but I’d still like to know a little better what I can expect.</p>

<p>just go! please go!
where are you? transportation$ can be pain but everything else are free, totally worth it, it is am amazing honor just that not very well known (and better that way, believe me)
here is other thread, some kid went there have posted, I didn’t hear back but maybe you can ask some more since you are going. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/833737-fine-art-precollege-programs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/833737-fine-art-precollege-programs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Hey lukannon!
I’ve been accepted this year too! I’ve been looking everywhere for more information!
My art teacher said that it’s pretty selective and it involves a lot of hiking and stuff in the mountains…a bit like fat camp haha.</p>

<p>Which session are you attending?</p>

<p>those at colorado springs now, congrats and I am so very jealous, 30 years too late… (no, ms walsh was alive then, no foundation no summer seminar yet, duh)
you have a duty here at CC to report every bit of what’s happenin’ for sake of confused uninformed future geniuses who have ^^ nerve enuff to wonder whether they should attend after being accepted.
be super nice to old folks in foundation office next door if you get to see them.
you have no idea how hard those grandmas work for some kids like you all year long.</p>

<p>I went last summer, so I figured I could give some information. This is most of the stuff in my portfolio - [toddstong’s</a> Gallery](<a href=“toddstong User Profile | DeviantArt”>toddstong User Profile | DeviantArt) - and I got an American Visions medal from the Scholastic Art and Writing awards, but in comparison to the other kids there, I was pretty much in the middle in terms of talent.
Here’s a breakdown: There are three sessions with different professors (people who teach at Yale, Pratt, Savannah, etc). Each session is two weeks, and they go from June to July. The work is intensive. I was in session three under teachers David Kapp and Charles Parness, both of whom expect A LOT from their students. You have three hours of drawing in the morning, a lunch break, three hours of painting in the afternoon, and homework assignments to do during ‘free time.’ The drawing class focuses on still life, replication, and figures, and you usually do a few drawings a class. The painting class is almost exclusively figures, but some landscape as well, and you do one painting a class. Don’t expect to get too much in the way of new work for your portfolio - the purpose of the program is to help you grow, so most of what you do will be in the quality level of a study. Everything, besides the art reproductions, is from life. In drawing, you use a wide variety of materials, but in painting you only use acrylics. In the painting class, you start out with a very small 10x14 canvas or something like that and work your way up to 2’x3’ canvas. Each day, the subject matter is much more complicated until you’re doing paintings of a figure with bike and a skeleton, two figures, and, as the final painting, a dancer who dances for the entire three hours of painting. All in all, Charles Parness, the painting instructor, told us that the program was essentially your first semester of art school jammed into two weeks. You get very, very tired by the end, but your stamina and ability will increase an incredible amount. I can honestly say that it was the most useful summer program I’ve ever attended. You grow A LOT. Here’s a picture of the building where you take the painting class <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109117341414_635231414_2587275_8239518_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109117341414_635231414_2587275_8239518_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
As far as fat camp goes, that’s completely true. You do about 3 or 4 miles of hiking up a mountain in the Rockies and climb a 900 foot sand dune.
I have some pictures of the dune <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109134716414_635231414_2587637_7595921_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109134716414_635231414_2587637_7595921_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt; and <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109134721414_635231414_2587638_3617950_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109134721414_635231414_2587638_3617950_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt; and <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109143576414_635231414_2587790_143606_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109143576414_635231414_2587790_143606_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;. I was pretty in-shape, but that sand dune was easily the most physically exhausting thing I’ve ever done. I lost five pounds by the end of the two weeks.
Here’s one of the mountain you climb: <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109123571414_635231414_2587483_7356254_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109123571414_635231414_2587483_7356254_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
You also take a field trip to Baca (which is absolutely beautiful), where you have to paint three still lives in three hours. There is an incredible number of mosquitoes, though, and they can bite through denim. After a while, they ignore bug repellent. I must’ve had at least 100 bites after the paintings. But it’s absolutely beautiful. You see a lot of stuff like this <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109128661414_635231414_2587521_1774149_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109128661414_635231414_2587521_1774149_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt; and <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109121476414_635231414_2587416_4004432_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109121476414_635231414_2587416_4004432_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
Besides that, you also take a field trip to the Garden of the Gods where you have drawing assignments: <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109118096414_635231414_2587290_803042_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109118096414_635231414_2587290_803042_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt; and <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109117351414_635231414_2587276_55151_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109117351414_635231414_2587276_55151_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
One of the nights, with the painting class, you take a trip to a cliff where you paint a landscape of Colorado Springs. This is the view <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109152946414_635231414_2587940_3894558_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109152946414_635231414_2587940_3894558_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;, although you get there before it’s dark.
You also go to an art museum and a garden and possibly a few other places that I’m not remembering at the moment.
Everywhere you go, you take a very big, nice bus, unless it’s walking distance. The campus is very nice.
This is the house where you stay <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109106226414_635231414_2587168_2542292_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109106226414_635231414_2587168_2542292_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;. This is a typical dorm. I had a single, so I kind of let it go in terms of messiness: <a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109152976414_635231414_2587943_7641238_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109152976414_635231414_2587943_7641238_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
Facilities are all very nice, and the food is excellent. They have gourmet caterers at the college. </p>

<p>This information might be sort of exclusive for session three, but as far as I know, it shouldn’t change drastically from session to session.
I’ll leave you off with some examples of the kind of work you’ll be doing:
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109197296414_635231414_2588673_7124168_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109197296414_635231414_2588673_7124168_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109199786414_635231414_2588687_3389739_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109199786414_635231414_2588687_3389739_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109194641414_635231414_2588640_1418479_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109194641414_635231414_2588640_1418479_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191921414_635231414_2588613_6310894_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191921414_635231414_2588613_6310894_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109199806414_635231414_2588690_3322440_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109199806414_635231414_2588690_3322440_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109202326414_635231414_2588745_5651076_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109202326414_635231414_2588745_5651076_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109201281414_635231414_2588714_5337377_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109201281414_635231414_2588714_5337377_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109202311414_635231414_2588742_2519432_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109202311414_635231414_2588742_2519432_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109200586414_635231414_2588702_4749065_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109200586414_635231414_2588702_4749065_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109202321414_635231414_2588744_2396911_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109202321414_635231414_2588744_2396911_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109199791414_635231414_2588688_5833282_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109199791414_635231414_2588688_5833282_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109199201414_635231414_2588683_722842_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109199201414_635231414_2588683_722842_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109194661414_635231414_2588643_3217865_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109194661414_635231414_2588643_3217865_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109193976414_635231414_2588634_6064485_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs196.snc1/6610_109193976414_635231414_2588634_6064485_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191906414_635231414_2588610_5389457_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191906414_635231414_2588610_5389457_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109192576414_635231414_2588626_78442_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109192576414_635231414_2588626_78442_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191916414_635231414_2588612_530541_n.jpg[/url]”>http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs176.snc1/6610_109191916414_635231414_2588612_530541_n.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>They don’t look great, but when you consider that the drawings generally took 20-45 minutes and the paintings about 2.5 hours (15 minutes were used to set up and clean up), they’re pretty good. Of the kids in my session, I know that one is going to Pratt, I’m going to Brown, one is going to RISD, one is going to Cornell, and two are going to Yale.
There were twenty kids in my session, and I don’t know where all of them are headed off to. But the program definitely looks good on your resume, and it helps you as an artist a great deal. I definitely recommend it.</p>

<p>gawk</p>

<p>well thank you so very much, I will tag this for the future.
I kind of knew but yet but yet… and you are saying you are only half good?
why Brown, is RISD in the picture?
are you from Florida?
what are you going to major in?
was portfolio a hook or you had the numbers anyways? I bet you did.
like, why do we even bother… there are enuff of yous.</p>

<p>And I just found out another kid is going to Rice. I chose Brown because of proximity to RISD and because it has the most flexible curriculum in the country (no core) so I can also take French and biology along with my majors and not have to worry about requirements. I’m going to double major in creative writing and studio arts, and I can take classes at RISD if I choose.
I had pretty good test scores, but I think my portfolio, essays, and resume got me in. I’m not from Florida, I’m from Pennsylvania.
And yes, lots of those kids blow my work out of the water. They’ve been committed to art for a long time, they have natural talent, and it shows. But that doesn’t mean other people shouldn’t try to better themselves. You get out what you put in. Practice makes perfect, and all that!</p>

<p>Edit: at Baca, you paint three landscapes* in three hours. Not still lives.</p>

<p>PS
far as I know not only artschools with $$ award but MWS to top LACs, Ivies are quite common
yet they never ask for transcript nor test scores.
My theory is that techie painters tend to be book 'n math brain developed as much as artistic skill and equally hard studying as working on art to complete works: why oh why you must paint, like, so real? exactly, like, real? sunshine, shade, flowers, leaves, whiskers of dogs and cats…
I believe there is this trend that MWS foundation send tons of recruit mails but most HS does not care to post nor ever heard of it. there are few "feeder"s which also over-wrap with Scholastic, NFAA winning goody goody schools equipped with loads of APs varsity sports cheerleading for who wants and at those schools, their art teachers know these thing to nominate their best student every year or so.</p>

<p>If you don’t go to those schools, this is your chance
you can self nominate, download apps, fill in your school and teachers, recruit your classmates. let them know.
parents, be proactive if your kid paints realist techie.
kids, get ready for junior-senior summer-once in the lifetime opportunity, sadly coincide with RSI, Clark, TASP whatnot whatnot but if you are lucky and live in states that let you out in May to early June, you might as well do both, if you can nail MWS first session. My kid had camp mate flew straight from Colorado to the next showing off MWS T-shirts. dang.</p>

<p>Good luck !!
RIP Ms. Walsh Sharpe</p>

<p>juliey, sorry for the late reply. finals and SAT hit like a truck ;] I was accepted into the first session (6/6 - 6/19) and just got back home this Saturday. It was absolutely incredible! It’s definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I had the opportunity to meet some former Sharpe students there as well and I got in touch with a few others. Everyone I’ve met has praised the program effusively, and I can promise you you can’t overrate it. So long as you have a willingness to work, you’ll get so much out of it, and lifelong friends as well. It’s doubtful, but I don’t suppose you’d be a first sessioner as well? It’d be an interesting coincidence!</p>

<p>tstong, thank you very much for your information, though I saw it a bit late. Your portfolio looks pretty great, and I would’ve been shocked to hear you were only middle of the road when you were in the session had I seen it…well, prior to going. As it was, I ended up being one of the worst ones there. It was quite humbling, but also very eye-opening and exciting. </p>

<p>There were definitely some very significant differences between my session and yours though. I had Jim Long and Harriet Shorr as my instructors, and what they emphasized was definitely different from what you’ve mentioned (although we had the same intensity of schedule). We did do the landscape paintings and drawings, but we only did one landscape painting at Baca, and we had extended pieces rather than more quick ones. There was much less emphasis on churning mass amounts of work out and more on trying to get things right. We started painting on 24x36" canvas boards, and we started drawing on papers of similar dimensions. The emphases were different too; we only had a figure for one painting, and instead focused on understanding the relationships of color, for example. The instructors mentioned that every artist falls under a distinct style or school; I guess the differences between each artist instructor really becomes pronounced between the sessions.</p>

<p>Another interesting difference is that we stayed in a different dorm! The building you stayed in was undergoing some repairs or construction or some such during our time there, so we ended up staying in one of the smaller buildings farther away from Worner hall. It was a bit cramped, but I think it turned out quite well. It almost feels like we were forced into liking each other by being squeezed into that little building. X]</p>

<p>Right now, session two is going on…I want to be back in Colorado…</p>