Amber Sadiq, Reporter
@asadiqcourant
While most students will be using the upcoming summer break to relax and spend time away from school work, many art students will be embarking upon a variety of summer programs – taking place both in and outside of New Canaan – in order to improve upon their skills and talents.
The Bernice Dobkin Hall Summer Scholarship program gives students the opportunity to expand upon their interest in visual art. Junior Paige Della Bitta was one of four students to be offered a scholarship. She is excited to be able to grow her artistic abilities at One River in Westport this summer. “I want to strengthen my skills as an artist by experimenting with different mediums and expanding on the work I’ve done this year,” Paige said.
For this program, applicants had to fill out a form with 8-12 art pieces of their choosing. “I included various pieces from my portfolio from AP Art class,” Paige said. “I submitted an artist statement as well, which was a paragraph explaining why I wanted this scholarship and how I think it will help me develop as an artist.”
Paige hopes that this program will give her exposure to new types of art forms that she can utilize next school year and beyond. “I hope to learn how to draw more realistically because my experience only extends to 2D reference drawing but I want more experience with live models,” Paige said. “I hope that this scholarship will help me to grow as an artist so that I can develop the skills that I need in order to pursue another portfolio next year.”
For students interested in the performing arts, The Summer Theater of New Canaan offers an intensive where students can go to enhance their skills and explore all of the different areas of performing. The program runs from July 18th to the 29th and brings in professionals with various theatrical backgrounds. This summer, Freshman Henry Tate will be attending this program, and he is excited to expand his knowledge on various theater departments. “Throughout this year, I’ve been exploring different aspects of theater, including music directing and lighting design,” Henry said. “This summer, I am really looking forward to learning about other areas of theater and thinking about what I may want to pursue in the future.”
The Summer Theater of New Canaan’s intensive will offer classes in everything from vocal performance to stage combat, encouraging students to improve their abilities and acquire new skills. “I hope to get a better understanding of theater and get some feedback on ways I can improve for the next school year,” Henry said.
The hope for all students specializing in both performing and visual arts is to become more versatile, build their repertoire, and expand on their horizons. Junior Tahela Denu is ready to improve her performing skills at the French Woods Summer Theater Programs so that she will be more prepared for her future endeavors. “I love everything about the arts,” she said. “I hope I can continue to do theater and use the skills that I learn this summer in the future.”
Junior Nicole Talamo plans to take part in Penn State’s Pre-College theater program, where she will prepare for the college season. “It’s a really intense program, so I want to see if theater is really what I want to pursue in college,” she said. In the application process, Nicole performed two contrasting songs, a monologue, and a 60 second dance video.
As the summer comes closer, all students are excited for what they’ll accomplish and are planning on beginning the next school year as stronger artists. “As an artist, you have a constant strive to do better and improve your techniques,” Nicole said. “I want to enhance my skills, and I believe that this program will help me grow as a musician and a performer this summer.”
