UCHS Student Admitted to Prestigious Art Program

Dancer/Choreographer Twyla Tharp famously remarked that, “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” 

For one University City High School student, however, art is a ticket to the west coast and beyond. UCHS junior Marina Claunch recently learned that she has been accepted into the prestigious PreCollege program at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). There she will join students from around the world for a five-week summer program in which she will take classes at the Art Institute, work with practicing artists, explore new media, visit Bay Area museums and galleries, take part in an exhibition, and develop a portfolio.

To be considered for the program, Marina had to submit photographs of her work, a recommendation from a teacher, and an artist’s statement detailing her primary interests in making art.

The work she submitted with her application was selected from pieces she completed in art classes at UCHS, and she credits the guidance she has received from her teachers there with greatly enhancing her painting skills.  After high school Marina plans to attend SFAI to study fine arts, and hopes to one day return to University City as part of the Returning Artists Program.

University City High School has a long and storied tradition of excellence in the arts. In an era in which funding for arts education is in decline, University City Schools have bucked the tide and continue to offer a wide range of courses in both fine and practical arts.

The 2013 – 2014 UCHS Course Guide lists 24 different classes under Fine Arts. This means that any student with an interest in studio art, ceramics, ballet, jazz band, printmaking, graphic arts, choir, modern dance, theatre arts, concert band, sculpture and more will have ample opportunities to
pursue those interests at UCHS.   

Read more...