| Idyllwild Arts Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Idyllwild, California |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Private, pre-professional arts training |
| Established | 1986 |
| Dean | John Newman (Students) Anna-Karin Li (Academics) Douglas Ashcraft (Arts) Kevin Michael Sullivan (Residential Life) Marek Pramuka (Admissions) |
| Head of school | Brian D. Cohen |
| Grades | 9–12, Post-Graduate, 8th Grade for international |
| Number of students | 265 |
| Campus size | 207 acres (84 ha) |
| Campus type | Rural, San Bernardino National Forest |
| Information | 951-659-2171 ext. 2223 |
| Website | http://www.idyllwildarts.org |
Idyllwild Arts Foundation encompasses two institutions in Idyllwild, California for training in the arts: the Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. The institution was formerly known as Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA).
Idyllwild Arts is in the mountains above Palm Springs, California in the San Bernardino National Forest, at an elevation of 5,300 feet (1,600 m), 2 hours from Los Angeles, 2 hours from San Diego and 1 hour from Palm Springs.
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Idyllwild Arts (formerly Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts or ISOMATA) was founded by Dr. Max Krone and his wife, Beatrice. Envisioning a remote place where people of all backgrounds could come together to experience the arts, they established the Idyllwild Arts Foundation in 1946 and purchased acreage in the San Jacinto Mountains on which to build. In 1950, approximately one hundred adult students began attending summer classes in the arts.
Over the years, summer activities have continued to grow, expanding to include programs for children of all ages, a Family Camp, and the Distinguished Artist Residency series. Classes in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, writing and Native American arts are offered to students from age 5 to 85. Each year over 1800 adults and children attend Idyllwild Arts Summer Program courses. Courses were offered in classical music, folk music, visual arts, ceramics, sculpture, dance and theater. Twyla Tharp, Mark Wilke, Herbert Zipper, Marguerite N. Clapp, and other luminaries taught courses there in the summer.
In 1964, the school was given to the University of Southern California under the terms of an agreement with the Idyllwild Arts Foundation. In 1983, the Foundation exercised its option to resume independent management and resumed sole ownership of the school. In 1985, the first independent boarding high school for the arts in the western United States, the Idyllwild Arts Academy, was established.
Idyllwild Arts Academy, the boarding school, specializes in pre-professional training, offering a college preparatory program for grades 9–12 and post-graduates, with training in music, theatre, dance, visual art, creative writing, moving pictures and interdisciplinary arts. An audition or portfolio is required for admission. Academic classes are held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm Monday–Saturday and arts classes are held Monday–Friday afternoons, asides from some Theatre classes held on Saturday afternoons, with rehearsals in the evenings.
IAA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The majority of students matriculate to a broad variety of programs including Juilliard, University of Southern California, New York University (Tisch), The Boston Conservatory, University of Michigan, San Francisco Art Institute, Curtis Institute, New England Conservatory, Rhode Island School of Design, Eastman, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, CalArts and Stanford University.
The Idyllwild Arts Summer Program (aka ISOMATA) began in the summer of 1950. Writer Norman Corwin, choreographer Bella Lewitzky, folk singer Pete Seeger, composer Meredith Willson, folk artists Josef Marais and Miranda, painter Francoise Gilot, Native American artists Fritz Scholder and Maria Martinez and photographer Ansel Adams are just a few of the artists who have taught at Idyllwild Arts and helped set the standard for arts education in the Summer Program.
Each year, during an eight-week season, the Summer Program enrolls approximately 2000 students ages five to adult in more than 95 workshops, taught by professional artist-teachers, in dance, music theatre, visual arts, creative writing, poetry, filmmaking, and Native Arts.
The program for young people features a Children's Center whose participants range in age from 5 to 12 and who select classes and workshops in a variety of arts including multi-arts, dance, piano, theatre, visual arts, poetry and journal writing.
Junior Artist's Center (ages 11–13) and Youth Arts Center (ages 13–18) offer courses to accommodate a broad range of skill levels and a wide variety of art experiences. Music opportunities include musical theatre, piano classes, jazz workshop, two bands, two orchestras and chamber music. Visual artists can select courses from introductory art exploration to ceramics, advanced painting and drawing, jewelry, photography, computer animation, mixed media, and video production. Writers can take poetry, fiction and playwriting workshops. Dancers participate in ballet, jazz and modern. Actors may take up to six weeks of Theatre Festival workshops, which includes a major performance.
Each year, Idyllwild Arts provides financial aid for young people with limited financial resources to allow them the opportunity to explore the arts—25% of young people who participate in an arts workshop are awarded financial aid totaling approximately $200,000.
Part of the program involves theme-related workshops, seminars and performances featuring renowned artists, poets and musicians. Programs include: Painting's Edge, Native American Arts, Summer Poetry in Idyllwild, Chamber Music in Idyllwild and the Idyllwild Music Festival.
The culmination of the Summer Program is celebrated with a concert by the Festival Choir, Festival Wind Ensemble and the Festival Orchestra. In previous years this concert ended with a performance of Meredith Willson's "In Idyllwild" by the combined ensembles. Since 2004 this concert has been given at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA.