The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire Hosts Summer Studio 2006 for Area High School Students

For high school seniors who have their eyes set on a career in graphic design, media arts and animation, Summer Studio 2006 at The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire is a perfect opportunity to see first hand what these jobs would be like in the "real world."

Students participating in Summer Studio 2006 will be creating a poster for Inland Agency, a non-profit organization whose mission is to work with children, youth and adults to build stronger communities through advocacy and education that visually unifies four of the Agency's programs into one cohesive message.

"We didn't want our students to create a project for a phantom company — we wanted them to experience a real project for a real client," said Byron Chung, President of The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire. "The poster the students design will have a positive impact on Inland Agency, especially in helping to raise funds and awareness."

According to Michael Swank, an Academic Director for the program, Summer Studio 2006 gives students "an invaluable opportunity to experience everything from meeting deadlines and monitoring budgets to listening carefully to clients and working collaboratively." The bottom line, explains Swank, "is to deliver work that is professional, effective and meaningful to the client."

Another important outcome of Summer Studio 2006, explains Chung, is to allow students "to get a solid foundation in design basics — similar to what they would receive in the first three quarters of a design program at The Art Institute." In addition, the high schoolers get to mingle with "real" Art Institute students, and get a sense of what campus life is like.

For 17-year-old senior Naomi Zableckis, "The best thing about Summer Studio for me was being submerged in the world of arts and meeting other artistic people."

High school participants will also walk away with a DVD documentary of the experience, drawings from Life and Observation classes, and a smaller copy of the Inland Agency poster they are producing for the program.

At the conclusion of the program, says Michael Swank, "We hope that we will have encouraged these high schoolers to celebrate their accomplishments, and recognize that through their impressive design talents, they have made a significant contribution to their community."

For more information on graphic design, media arts and animation classes at The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire visit www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire or contact 800-353-0812.