Posts filed under ‘Fashion’
Four Seniors Discuss How Idyllwild Arts Has Impacted Them
This week, we continue our conversation with four more graduating Idyllwild Arts Seniors and their experience at Idyllwild Arts – what they’ve experienced, lessons they learned and where they’re going next year.
Four Idyllwild Arts Seniors comment about their IAA experience.
Again, all four of these students – Scarlett a Creative Writing major, Becca a Musical Theatre major, Moira from the Creative Writing department and Paul, an Interdisciplinary Arts major with a Fashion Design focus, have distinguished themselves as student leaders and have set very high standards for their art.
1. Tell me about your experience at IAA? How has it affected you as an artist, dancer, performer or musician?
Scarlett: I am so grateful for the experience I’ve had at IAA. Writing was something I had only ever done independently and being thrown into an environment where my peers were strong writers and offered critique weekly, challenged me to improve and develop my own style. When I first arrived at IAA, I had never even read a short story or been taught poetry. Now, I have a support system of faculty and other students who are great artists and people. Each of them is intensely passionate about what they do as artists and I feel really fortunate to be surrounded by the IAA community on a daily basis. I definitely think my academics have allowed me to question and learn in an intellectual capacity not many schools offers. There’s almost a cross pollination within the humanities and arts in that I was taught to develop my own theory of what makes good art and writing and carry that into my own work.
Becca: I contribute most every aspect of my arts training to the Academy. Over these past four years, I have developed my skills as an artist, and the community has supported me fully through my education here. Coming to IAA, New York University seemed like an impossible goal for a young actor like myself. However, this school prepared me for the audition process, and allowed me to accomplish this goal, and continue my training and NYU in the fall. I truly would not have been where I am today as and artist and thinker, if it weren’t for a community like this, and such a supportive Theatre director and teacher, Howard Shangraw.
Moira: It’s about collaboration at Idyllwild and it’s very promoted. It’s nice to know how things work for film. It’s not just one person. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’m more of an editor and this year cinematographer I got to branch out and learn other aspects of film. I even wrote two screenplays. Despite the fact they weren’t “green-lighted” it was still a great process.
I really like forming so many connections with students from all over the world. We all have new connections in and out of the department itself. It’s great to have that foundation for myself for the future.
Paul: Idyllwild has given me the opportunities I really need to flourish as an artist and attain my personal goals. The variety of classes has really helped me make myself more rounded and most definitely had an instrumental rule in my getting into Central Saint Martins; my number one choice. The AEL grant was also an amazing opportunity that helped me get an understanding of organization in my field.
2. What’s been the most critical lesson that you’ve learned as a student? Is it something in the academics or the arts?
Scarlett: I’ve learned not to measure myself against other people. Growing up, I feel like I was taught to compete with others instead of myself. At IAA, this type of logic can be really destructive because it doesn’t generate positivity or hard work. Especially in the arts, competing with your own personal best is essential and I’m thankful I learned this during my time here.
Becca: I would say that I have learned that time management, for both my academics and arts it very important. I try to manage my time wisely, making sure I can move as smoothly as possible, and get my work done on time. It is always wise to push yourself and keep up, rather than procrastination.
Moira: You get back what you put into the work. You have to put yourself out and build a good reputation for yourself. If you want to do the work you have to fight for it and let people know that you have the passion and discipline to do the job well. It applies to both academics and the Moving Pictures department.
Paul: As a student here at Idyllwild Arts, I really think that the most valuable lesson that I’ve learned here is to be easy to work with. There’s such a sense of community here and all the departments work with each other, its essential that one can work with everyone.
3.Where have you been accepted and where are you planning to attend college/university/conservatory or art school? How did Idyllwild Arts education prepare you for the college audition/application process?
Scarlett: I was accepted to University of California Santa Barbara, Willammette University, and NYU. I am planning to go to NYU in the fall to study Dramatic Writing. My education here definitely prepared me especially in terms of assembling a portfolio, writing essays, and getting strong teacher recommendations. The community here is really supportive and helpful during the process but also promote you to find colleges on your own and make the decision based on your own individual goals. I think what’s rare here is that people don’t view colleges as good or bad. Instead, everyone tries to find the place that’s right for them and where they’re going to do their best, which is something I feel like most schools don’t emphasize enough.
Becca: Idyllwild Arts clearly prepared me for the application and audition process. When auditioning and writing my essays, I was reminded constantly to “show myself” and try and display to colleges who I am as an individual, which is what Idyllwild Arts is all about. During the Musical Theatre Audition process, I honestly felt overly prepared. I had all the tools and was able to remain calm and focus on myself without having to worry or stress about the people reviewing my work.
I was accepted for the BFA Theatre/musical Theatre programs, at Boston University, DePaul University, University of Miami, Pace University, New York University, Emerson College, SUNY Purchase, Sarah Lawrence College, Marymount Manhattan College, Eugene Lang College, and Columbia College Chicago. I will be attending New York University this coming fall!
Moira: I’ve been accepted to Columbia College Chicago, Ringling, S.C.A.D. in Savannah, Georgia. I was able to cut a reel for myself and have something to show for applications to schools and summer film jobs/internships. It’s been a big plus.
I worked on two films last year – Penelope and the documentary Kenza. This year I was the cinematographer for Life After Deaf, the zombie movie, and I am also editing another documentary, Family Like Mine. At Idyllwild you get a taste of so many different styles – narrative and documentaries. It’s really nice to have time to work on those projects. At any other school I wouldn’t have the chance to work on so many varied projects.
Paul: As I said, Idyllwild really was crucial to my acceptance to my dream school since the age of 10. Not only because Idyllwild has a good relationship with Central Saint Martins but also because of the classes and the visits from the school itself.
Fashion Show
by Julia Countryman
“My goal is to teach my students how to think as designers and inspire the creative process, because they will benefit no matter what careers they go into: graphic design, environmental design, or even engineering,” said Chinlee Chang, Instructor of Fashion Design. Continuing, Chang said, “Students start with inspiration, ideas, draping, sewing the garment, and finally, the fashion show, all of which are important parts of the creative thinking process.”
That process culminated this year with the IAM Department annual fashion show, which was held on Friday, May 4th in the IAM Hall of the Idyllwild Arts campus. Entirely student produced, the production team was led by seniors Paul Burgo and Bella Ku, both of whom have been accepted to the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London. “Darrell (Gillett) and I are so very proud of them both. Each of these two outstanding designers was accepted on the spot at their interviews, which is quite remarkable,” added Chang.
Student designs ranged from dresses that shimmered with built in lighting effects (Blaze Shih) to Burgo’s designs that included elements from an exercise done in class: origami. “I had the students make origami shapes so they could understand how to translate two-dimensional thinking into three-dimensional designs, which was very successful. Paul took it one step further and integrated the elements of origami into his designs. These designs are part of what won him admission into Central Saint Martin’s.”
Congratulations to the designers for their outstanding work: Advanced Designers: Paul Burgo, Inga Gilbert, Bella Ku, Cloris Li, Blaze Shih, and Iris Sun. Intermediate Designers: Marine Chen, Carmel Companiot, Vivian To, Daria Wilson, Jill Wu. Introductory Designers: Nadia Kim, Clarice Kirkbride, Maisie Luo.
Yves Saint Laurent, The “Art Bug” & Artist Forward
“As the Idyllwild pine grows
So have I, slowly and steadily
With each day; and my heart
Has become planted in this mountain
Where ‘mighty songs are sung’.”
- From A Student, 1975 ISOMATAN
From: Sydney Cosselman
Krone Museum Director
Without a doubt, the thing I love most about my job is having the opportunity to learn something new and interesting every day. Researching the history of the school has been at the very least captivating and certainly never disappointing. The second thing I love is having the occasion to share the information and the Krone Museum with people. Recently, I had an opportunity to share the museum with Maria Paydar’s French class and again, with many of the Idyllwild Arts Associates and visitors.
Maria brought her class to the Krone Museum for an interactive lecture and slide show that illuminated one of her favorite designers. The students were given information prior to the presentation and a creative design project following it. This is one of many ways in which our museum interacts with students and faculty.
Maria’s comments following the presentation:
“My students attended a PowerPoint Presentation dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent, the famous French fashion designer. The atmosphere of the Museum was very welcoming and appropriate for this event. My students thought they were on a mini-field trip.”
Notes from Maria on Art Experiences and Teaching
I believe I share the challenges of many foreign language teachers. You see, I teach French in the tiny town of Idyllwild in Southern California. No, we do not cross the border and practice the language any time we want ,nor do we visit a French bakery in town, or a French Cultural Center. There are not any.
Luckily, technology is here to support us, and beyond that we just use our imagination. This goes especially well with units on French food, fashion and travel. By trying constantly to bring culture and artistic components into curriculum, I have accumulated over the years a series of video clips, downloads from news web sites, and Power Point Presentations.
Adding to the challenges, I teach French to future famous artists. All of them, writers, designers, painters, sculptors, dancers, actors, film makers on a mission to master their art. From this art come MTV clips, ads, musical programs and virtual museums. Many of these are often introduced by students themselves, or become an emerging part of the curriculum and are then pursued with passion.
As for myself, I have the “art bug” as well. Last year, while studying fashion illustration with Chin Lee, I tried really hard to place on a blank page, the most intricate, multi-dimensional designs conceived in my mind. It was difficult. Even color, added with markers did not do the designs justice. For one of the smaller projects, we were asked to prepare a presentation about our favorite fashion designer. I could not wait to revisit the excellence and beauty of Yves St Laurent. My presentation brought the world of the famous haute couture icon a little closer, back then to fashion illustration students , and most recently for the presentation in the Krone Museum to the students in my current French class.
Artist Forward
The next occasion I had to share the Krone Museum and surrounding spaces was for the “Artist Forward” Art Exhibition and sale on March 27, 2011. As you may or may not know, the Idyllwild Arts Associates have been helping our school in many ways since 1968. However, they are probably best known for their scholarship fundraising project “Jazz in the Pines,” held each summer on the Idyllwild Arts campus. We at the 
Krone Museum wanted to extend our gratitude for their continuous support, by offering a venue for artist members of the Associates; a space in which to show their work. The affair went quite well in spite of the weather and we hope to make it an annual event. In true form, the Associates donated 20% of all proceeds to the Associates of IAF Scholarship Fund.
