Creative masters of many artistic disciplines are booked and student applications are being accepted for the 2006 CSU Summer Arts at California State University, Fresno, which begins Sunday, July 2.
Summer Arts is a month-long program of for-credit classes featuring workshops and public performances in two-week blocks offered by the 23-campus California State University system.
Created in 1985 as a dance program at the Long Beach campus, Summer Arts moved to other venues before locating at Fresno State in 1999, where it will remain until 2010. It also evolved into a broad-based curriculum touching music, visual arts, theater, dance, writing and new media.
“It’s an opportunity for students to work intensively on projects with artists for two weeks, culminating with presentations to the public,” said Jim Spalding, CSU Summer Arts director.
A key element is the opportunity for students to get well-acquainted with instructors and forge “long-term connections that will help them in their fields.” Participation in CSU Summer Arts has led to work with the Second City comedy troupe and a dance company in Russia, development of a film-editing business in Hollywood and numerous exhibitions by visual artists, Spalding said.
Most classes are near capacity in the first session (July 2-15), but last-minute registration can be accommodated, he said. There also is room still in some second-session (July 16-29) courses.
Registration and on-campus housing information is available by calling Joanne Bartok, the assistant director of Summer Arts, at 559.278.0502.
CSU Summer Arts starts with a concert by jazz trumpeter Terrence Blanchard at 7 p.m. July 2 at the Tower Theatre.
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California State University, Fresno — 1530 East Shaw Avenue, Suite 119, Fresno, CA 93710
559.241.6090 559-241-6094 FAX
Summer ffiits
The next day begins “The Complete Jazz Musician”: seminars on everything from jazz theory to improvisation and several performance ensembles. The teachers are Blanchard, saxophonist Kim Richmond, bassist/vocalist Kristin Korb, pianist/composer Rick Helzer, guitarist/educator Mike Dana, trumpeter/pianist/educator Bob Athayde and drummer Brian Hamada.
Similar courses taught by accomplished artists in the initial session will be devoted to sculpting with natural materials, percussion from the traditions of Ghana, Cuba, Brazil and the Caribbean islands; theatrical voice training; dance performance presence; guerrilla filmmaking using puppets; short script writing; and contemporary dance and staging techniques.
Additional information can be found at the following Web site: csusummerarts.org.
California State University, Fresno — 1530 East Shaw Avenue, Suite 119, Fresno, CA 93710
559.241.6090 559-241-6094 FAX
