Some artists may decide to set their paintbrush down for the summer and take the two months as a period of relaxation before picking back up with their art. Visual junior Celia Gerber, however, saw it as a chance to become acquainted with all aspects of the art world and took a trek to the ‘Windy City,’ where she participated in an Advanced Projects course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

“I chose to attend this summer program because the course involved new media based work, [including] installation, video, sound and performance,” Gerber said. “I was really interested to learn about and create different forms of art that aren’t necessarily offered in the regular Dreyfoos art classes.”

Going into the four-week long program, Gerber hoped to broaden her understanding of the art making process, as well as, create art that involved using different mediums and materials she hadn’t utilized before.

“The program is very intense, so a typical day in the program usually involved most of my time working in the studio,” Gerber said. “Class started at 9 a.m., and I was given an hour lunch break at noon. Class then ended at 4 p.m., and I could either stay in the studio until curfew, or go out with friends. Since the program was in Chicago, any free time I had could be spent exploring the city, which was super fun.”

Through the program, Gerber was introduced to an array of new techniques, including mixing cement and utilizing space and material. She was also able to acquire a further understanding of video and performance art.

“This program will definitely benefit me in my art area because it really opened my eyes to other ways of creating art and expressing my ideas to others through the art making process,” Gerber said.

Gerber found that the program was the perfect atmosphere for open-minded artists, like herself, who are eager to explore new media and contemporary art in the future.

“The course was essentially a studio class, meaning the students could do anything they wanted and the teachers would help us, which really tested the dedication to our work,” Gerber said. “If I could attend this program again I most definitely would, because the students and teachers were all equally excited about making art in an intense studio environment where everything was encouraged and challenging.”