The Arts Center has announced a class for high school students planning on applying to college art programs, Portfolio Development.

The class helps students develop a varied portfolio for use when applying to programs, using different mediums, tools and styles.

The class, which runs for seven weeks, is $210 for members plus a $100 studio fee. Check out the full press release below for more details:

The Arts Center Offers Art Portfolio Development Course for High School Students

TROY – The Arts Center is pleased to offer Capital Region high school students the opportunity to develop their college entrance art portfolio in it’s in-depth course, Portfolio Development.

For an art student, preparing a portfolio is an important part of the college application process. Students will develop a portfolio that presents current artistic interests, demonstrating skill, awareness of formal visual organizational principles, and experience with a variety of tools, media, styles, and approaches. The courses will allow students to produce drawings derived from direct observation -- drawing or painting from still life, draped and nude figure models, and landscape -- as typically preferred by most art colleges. As the series progresses, students will gain in-depth insight into the application process for college art programs, covering expectations for interviews, portfolio reviews and researching the right programs. Students will be given opportunities to discuss these processes with actual art college admissions counselors, attend a university portfolio review session, and conduct a session with a visiting artist. Students will develop an abundance of work and will be able to take advantage of special opportunities and crucial information that may vary in each session. The studio fee covers high quality art materials, a model's fee, and studio maintenance. There will be no class on 11/25.

Instructor Claire Sherwood will be leading the students through a sequence of drawing practices, focusing on observational drawing techniques that will prepare them for college level arts classes.

Instructor Bio
Claire Sherwood was born near Troy, NY where she spent her childhood exploring the gravel pits and concrete plant around her home. She received her MFA from the University of Maryland in 2003 and is currently teaching Drawing at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. Her work has been exhibited in venues such as, the U.S. Smithsonian National Botanic Garden, the Corcoran Museum of Art, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, and Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton, NJ. Her work is included in the David C. Driskell Collection and the State of West Virginia Museum of Culture and History. Claire has seven years experience teaching first year college art students and reviewing the portfolios of many in coming freshman. She will use her experience as a college level foundations professor to better prepare students for their portfolio entrance reviews and complement a typical high school art portfolio with enhanced projects and professional presentation.

About The Arts Center
For nearly 50 years, The Arts Center of the Capital Region has enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. A regional arts center, it offers classes, camps, exhibits and performing arts events. Artists of all ages and abilities are encouraged, mentored, and nurtured in a collaborative, supporting and accepting environment. The Arts Center’s 36,000 square feet of space include discipline-specific studios for pottery, printmaking, culinary arts, jewelry making, woodworking, painting and drawing, stained glass and dance, among others. It also includes a 99-seat theater for performing arts events, and its three galleries are noted for their critically acclaimed contemporary exhibits. Learn more about The Arts Center of the Capital Region and its offerings at www.artscenteronline.org.

What: Portfolio Development Class for Teens
When: Thursdays, 10/28/2010 - 12/16/2010, 5:30 - 8:30 P.M. (7 classes)
Cost: Members: $189 | Non-Members: $210 | Studio Fee: $100
Instructor: Claire Sherwood | www.clairesherwood.com