California State Summer School for the Arts

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The California State Summer School for the Arts, commonly known as CSSSA [See-Suh] or InnerSpark, is a four-week arts program currently being held at California Institute of the Arts for high school students. The goal of CSSSA-InnerSpark is to provide an educational experience that goes beyond the practice and improvement of aesthetics and technique. Artistic disciplines offered by the program include: animation, creative writing, dance, film and video, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. In addition, admitted applicants are designated as California Arts Scholars (honored throughout the state’s fifty-eight counties), and are presented with a Governors medallion, the highest distinction in California for artistically talented students.

1 Admissions
2 History
3 Student Life
4 Faculty
- 4.1 Housing
5 Resident Assistants
6 Notable Art Scholars
7 Trivia
8 External links

[edit] Admissions

Admission to the program is given first and foremost to California state high school students, and up to twenty students from outside of California. The only criteria for admission are an applicant’s potential for further professional development in the arts or creative fields after the end of the program. This is shown through an audition, portfolio review, screening, and teacher recommendations. Approximately one out of three applicants are accepted, parallel to the acceptance rate of CalArts.

[edit] History

During the early eighties, California was facing increased competition from other states in the arts and entertainment industry, which is its third-largest source for tax revenue. Film, television, and recording studio complexes, which were traditionally built in California, were being built in Florida, Texas, among other places. With diminishing interest in the commercial art sector, many of California's non-profit fine arts institutions, and the state’s educational community were feeling of the effects of a financial backlash.

In 1982, a three-year effort by the state’s legislation began to create an educational environment for California’s young artists. Former State Senator Alan Sieroty sponsored legislation to begin the planning process. A twenty-four member Advisory Council of legislative, arts, and industry leaders was appointed by California Arts Council, and the State Board of Education to explore the cause of talent drain, and recommend statewide educational opportunities. One of the problems that the Advisory Council discovered was that many of California's young talents were leaving California to attend art program in New York, North Carolina, Michigan, and other states-and would eventually stay to live and work there while they went to school.

The research by the Council finished on September 28, 1985 when Governor Deukmejian signed the bill, authored by State Senator John Garamendi, which created the California State Summer School for the Arts, and the first session was held in the summer of 1987.

The program would later prove to be so successful, that by September 1990, Governor Deukmejian signed follow-up legislation to make it a permanent program of the state. By 1992, Governor Pete Wilson, signed legislation to enable to the program to accept a limited number of students from outside of California, thereby making it a national program.

[edit] Student Life

CSSSA-InnerSpark students will be staying in separate men and women’s sections of Chouinard Hall. Each student will share a room with approximately three to four other students. The CalArts campus has spacious lawns with shade trees, open fields and large hillside areas, providing room for informal team sports and relaxation.

[edit] Identification Cards

Student pictures will be taken during the first two days at CSSSA-InnerSpark for I.D. cards. Students will be issued a card during the first week of the school. Once issued, this card must be with you either clipped to your clothing or worn around your neck at all times. Students will need to use it for food service in the cafeteria, recreation equipment, access into the library and supervised study and work areas. It is also a simple way for us to ensure that only authorized individuals are on campus during the program.

[edit] Daily Newsletters

The Purple Blurrrb is a newsletter informing students of daily performances, events, and other program-related events, which can be picked up by students in the cafeteria each morning. The name "Purple Blurrrb" originated at the first summer school in 1987. It historically got its name by the program using an old ditto machine and the only purple colored ink was available at the time. The program eventually got rid of the ditto machine and now prints the newsletter on purple paper.

[edit] College Credit

After successful completion of the progam are eligible to receive three semester units of California State University course credit through the Office of Extended Education at Humboldt State University. These credits can be used as elective units towards a Bachelor’s degree at any of the campuses in the California State University system . They are also generally transferable to other colleges and universities throughout the United States. Students should consult with the college or university they plan to attend, as each institution has specific guidelines for transferring college credit.

[edit] Faculty

The CSSSA-InnerSpark faculty is composed of professional artists and arts educators who specialize in the artistic disciplines taught at the program. Faculty members are selected on the basis of artistic excellence in their art forms as well as their teaching abilities.

[edit] Housing

Housing for the faculty is located on the east side of the campus in Ahmanson Hall. Students are not permitted to be in the faculty housing or outside deck area attached to Ahmanson.

[edit] Resident Assistants

Throughout the summer session, Resident Assistants, better known as R.A.’s, help InnerSpark students become more familiar with campus and residential life. R.A.’s are composed of regular-attending CalArts students, whom receive many hours of training in First Aid and CPR prior to the beginning of summer school. The R.A.s are responsible for managing residence halls after office hours, during the evening, and will be assigned a room on the same floor where they do room checks on students.

[edit] Notable Art Scholars

Former Art Scholars include, James Franco, Craig McCracken ,and Sharon Grimsley.

[edit] Trivia

CalArts will host the annual summer sessions through the summer of 2009.
“InnerSpark” is nickname for the CSSSA, which originated from the program instelf, and believes best describes what they give to their students in the summer.
Many former students and soon-to-be students meet-up and discuss the upcoming summer session on the livejournal community CSSSA.