My Quartz Experience
June 3-June28 was perhaps one of the best 2 weeks of my summer-- no, my life. If it wasn't for my high school art teacher I would not have had the guts to audition!
For those who don't know, the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute is a 2 week program for talented students in both the visual and performing arts. High school students from around the state audition for their special discipline... while only limited make it in. If accepted, students are given the PAID experience of leaving the main cities and technological life and travel to Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, where they work with some of the BEST instructors of each discipline, surrounded by the beautiful waters of the lake and mountains.
The offered disciplines are: drawing & painting, photography, creative writing, filmmaking, choral, orchestra, acting, ballet, and modern dance.
I auditioned in Bricktown, with not very high expectations of making it in. The experience of trying out is already exciting in itself. The "drawing and painting" discipline only offers 20 spots for students.... meaning the odds of making it in are slim! I was given cheap newspaper print, fat, stubby, used charcoal sticks, and only 45 minutes to draw from a still life. I was surrounded by many other kids who had the same hopes and love for drawing as I did... so it was very intimidating. When I recieved the email one month later that I was accepted, I could not even believe it.
I began to feel anxiious that I would be working with students as--and even more--talented than me in my discpline!... I had nothing to worry about!
The first day was very welcoming. Every. Single. Person that I encounteered the first day was super friendly, and I met many people from different disciplines.... and different places in Oklahoma that I have never heard of! My roomates were super sweet, and each of us had a talent in a different discipline.
Now to talk about the actual classes. Since I got into Drawing and Painting, I would head every morning and afternoon to the drawing pavilion. Honestly, every single kid in there was super talented in drawing; there was no way to compare one to the other. Our teacher was named Marc Vinciguerra, who is from France and has studied realism and figure drawings/sculptures his entire life. He is the most humble, sweet man I have ever met in my life, and I could really tell, by the way he speaks, that he has a passion for art and wants to spread knowledge to his students. Infact, according to the sponsors of OSAI, this year was the best year they have ever had in the drawing and painting discipline! He really pushed us out of our comfort zones, teaching us the 17th a
nd 19th century French and Dutch techniques of drawing and painting. (Interesting fact: we spent 6 hours of one day JUST mixing paints to create a perfect dark-to-light scale of our skin tones!) The work and focus was demanding, but every minute in there was to make us better artists. We spent the two weeks on the same project: a life sized self-portrait painting. By the end of the 2 weeks I was exhausted but felt like I attained so many lessons, thanks to the best instructor ever! Yes, I now see "zee shadow lines" wherever I go!
What's truly magical about Quartz Mountain for any student is that you are surrounded by students who love the arts as much as you. Everybody has something to offer, and everybody appreciates everybody for who they are. Honestly, I met so many wonderful friends there, and all of them live a few hours to MANY hours away from my city, but to be able to meet at this one location to embrace our talents is really amazing. I have many friends not from just the drawing discpline, but photography, orchestra, chorul, modern dance, and the creative writing discplines as well!
The last day, we reached the top of a mountain, and I felt an overwhelming warmth fill up inside me, making me feel how much nostalgia I would get when I would leave.
This experience is NOTHING like typical school. It is a home that welcomes each individual and invites them to live in a beautiful place with beautiful people inside and out.... and it's FREE!
