Fine Arts program Summer Workshop

Program Overview

The fine arts summer workshop in July grants students the opportunity to participate in an intensive drawing and painting studio, creating their own individual projects in preparation for a final presentation of their work. Class time is split between visits to art museums and exhibitions throughout the Paris region, as well as studio time for students to develop their own projects in accordance with their goals for the summer.

Following in the tradition of countless Parisian artists, students will gather research and inspiration from Paris through the traditional form of sketching, from works in museums to the streets of Paris. They will work from sculptures, paintings, and architecture, as well as from the formal gardens, streets, and markets of the city. Students will also enhance their understanding of art history and technique through exploration of the landscape and cityscape of the Paris region, through visits to the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, l’Organgerie, the Musée Rodin, Monet’s Garden at Giverny, and the Château of Chantilly. Students interested in sculpture may also have the opportunity to visit the Coubertin Foundry, which specializes in wax and bronze casting.

Organized studio work will include painting and drawing with live models. The month-long workshop will culminate in an exhibition of the students’ work.

Unit Detail

Painting Studio

This course explores different painting techniques by allowing students to work on individual painting projects, based on their experience in Paris and according to their levels and abilities. Through a structured process involving both conceptual and visual development, the student will learn how to structure the process of visualization from an initial idea through to the final painting. Technical work is furthered in relation to the requirements of the project. This course is taught through studio classes with intensive individual attention, slide lectures, and practical demonstrations, as well as through personal and group critiques.

Drawing From the Masters

This course focuses on gathering research from Paris in the traditional form of sketching, focusing on the museums, streets, and environments of Paris as artists have done for centuries. This includes working from sculptures, paintings, architecture, and formal gardens, in addition to capturing life in the streets and markets. In studio sessions, students will also draw from a live model. Students will be encouraged to write notations and observations as well as to research their areas of interest, and they will gain firsthand knowledge of original works by studying them in person. They will create professional sketchbooks that can be used as source material for future projects, in addition to furthering their drawing and painting skills.

This course is taught through a combination of on-site visits to locations and museums throughout Paris with sketchbooks in hand, and studio classes that will focus on figure drawing and model sketching. Specific projects will be set in order to explore different techniques and the methods required when drawing with pencil, watercolor, colored pencils, and ink pen.

Tuition

Summer Workshop

School fees: $5100 (USD)

Please note that the tuition fees do not include housing, supplies or meals.

Housing fees
-shared accommodation in private furnished apartment: $2500 (USD)
-shared three-star hotel twin room: $3600 (USD)
-private three-star hotel single room: $6200 (USD)

Part scholarships available; see below.

Richard Roy Scholarship

Applicants who have been accepted to study at the Paris American Academy may apply for partial scholarships through the Richard Roy Scholarship Fund. These scholarships range in value from $500 to $1,200 off tuition, and from $300 to $700 off housing.

Students wishing to be considered for a scholarship must submit a brief personal statement (1-2 paragraphs) along with their application. This statement should emphasize the student’s personal and educational background, demonstrating why he / she is in need of financial assistance and how a scholarship might benefit the student’s professional goals.

Fellowship Program

Returning students and alumni may have the option of participating in the summer workshop for a second time, at a reduced cost and with additional program responsibilities / work-study arrangements. Interested students should contact Peter Carman, PAA President for more information.