Chicago Studio

Chicago Studio

  • Painting & Drawing OR​

  • Film, Video, New Media, & Animation

July 10- August 18, 2023,
9:00 a.m - 4 p.m. CT

(6 Credits)

Watch our Chicago Studio Online Info Session to learn more.

Registration is open.
Space is limited due to our small 15-person class size. 

Contact Lauren Hogan Casser at lhogan@saic.edu, or call us at 1.312.629.6100 during office hours (M–F 8:30 a.m. –4:30 p.m. Chicago time) with questions.
Please note: Students are required to live on campus during this program.

What better way to explore creative Chicago, expand your conceptual and technical artmaking, and sharpen your college-level writing skills than by drawing inspiration from our faculty and the resources of Chicago during our glorious summer season? These newly offered courses combine your First Year writing course with either a Painting and Drawing or Film, Video, New Media and Animation studio elective. This intimate and immersive experience allows you to familiarize yourself with our incredible urban campus and resources, and get acclimated to campus before the start of the fall semester!

 

COURSE INFORMATION

Painting and Drawing

Artists take notes – of the visual and verbal references which can act as catalysts for their artmaking.  Every artist makes and thinks about their work differently, and our studio visits will introduce you to a variety of different approaches to bring back to your own work. Maybe you’ll discover a new process or material that intrigues you. Perhaps you are interested in the reference images or impressions from the physical space within the space. Or, you might be inspired by the subject matter being investigated by one of the artists we visit. During your studio visits, you will be taking notes, drawing in your sketchbooks, and be encouraged to take photos and images with your phone to refer to for your projects. We will also be reading short pieces authored by Langston Hughes, Twyla Tharp, Scott McCloud, Bernard Cooper, Margaret Atwood, G.K. Chesterton, Maya Lin, and Vincent van Gogh, among others.

Your faculty will work one-on-one with you to help you create your response pieces to the artists we visit. Expect to create a series of five to six pieces that thoughtfully explore the experience of visiting each artist’s studio piece. The course will culminate in a final critique of the works you produced over the summer.

You will also be producing short writing assignments and in-class journals, as well as writing and revising 3 main essays totaling 15-20 pages of formal prose. Similar to your studio experience, you will have one-on-one meetings with your faculty and informal interim critiques.

Film, Video, New Media, & Animation: The Moving City

This summer intensive course is designed to introduce students to the language and histories of the moving image arts and the diverse ways in which artists have contributed to them using Chicago as inspiration. Throughout the course we will examine a range of approaches to creating moving image work. We will compare and contrast established "norms" with radical and experimental approaches to these various media, leading to an understanding of the rich, complex, and evolving landscape upon which individuals have been making, and continue to make, moving image art.

Students will engage with this expanded field through lectures, readings, screenings, meetings with visiting artists as well as becoming active in discussions and practitioners in the field via group projects. Working in small groups, students will complete a series of short projects to introduce them to the various pathways of the department. By the end of the course, students will gain basic production and postproduction skills as well a good understanding of the key concepts relevant to contemporary film, video, new media, installation and animation.

Student housing will be provided in SAIC's 162 N. State St. Residences. Located in the heart of the city, this building is directly across from the Chicago Theatre. Each loft-style room has a private bath and kitchenette, with a full size refrigerator, microwave oven, and stove top, and great wireless internet. These generous accommodations boast 11-foot ceilings with track lighting, ample closet space, and large windows with views of Lake Michigan or the Chicago Loop. They are furnished with an extra-long twin bed, drafting table, and chair.

Common area amenities and resources include:

  • 24-hour security desk
  • Resident Advisors (RAs): Upper class students who will plan fun events in & around the building as well as help build connections to the SAIC community.
  • 24-hour Wet & Dry Studio: Work on your work from home! Use our wet & dry studio spaces to complete all of your projects.
  • Laundry rooms: Easily access these 24hr spaces by checking online for available machines.
  • Exercise Room: After a short orientation, take care of your fitness with both cardio & weight machines.
  • Computer Lab: Use our Mac computers, scanners, and a pay-to-print station.
  • Media Room: Have fun with friends binging your favorite television shows, hooking up your gaming system, or watching your favorite movies.
  • Kitchen: ​Cook amazing things on your room’s stove top. Then bake some amazing things in the spacious common area kitchen.

View floorplans and take a virtual tour.

Once open, the application will be available in the Housing Portal at saic-housing.artic.edu. You will need to electronically sign your housing contract and submit the $150 prepayment in order to complete the application.

Meal Plan

Eat. Engage. Enjoy. All students who live on campus are able to enjoy the declining balance meal plan. Although students are able to learn the art of cooking in their residence hall room, SAIC’s flexible, declining balance meal plan allows for great food within the community. The $425 summer meal plan can be used for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Students only pay for what they eat, so use it how it best meets your needs. For most students, the meal plan will cover approximately 5-10 meals a week.

  • You will be fulfilling your First Year Seminar I (writing) course requirement. You will then be taking First Year Seminar II in Fall 2023. This allows you to begin choosing from our full selection of liberal arts courses beginning in Spring 2024.
  • This course is the equivalent of a Painting and Drawing or Film, Video, New Media, and Animaiton studio elective. This means that in your first year at SAIC, you will be able to take 3 studio electives, rather than 2 that students beginning in the fall are allowed to take.
  • You have special access to the studios of artists living in various neighborhoods throughout the city. This is a very unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with working artmakers to see their spaces and learn about their processes.
  • CHICAGO IN THE SUMMER! Chicago is an extraordinary place year round, and is especially lively during the summer months with musical events (Pitchfork and Lollapalooza), art walks, and neighborhood festivals.
  • Arriving on campus early allows you to get familiarized to SAIC and its resources, as well as the city of Chicago.
  • You will be allowed to remain in the residence hall until the start of the Fall semester for no additional cost, as well as keep the same room into the Fall semester (if desired).
    Note: single rooms are not available to first-year students in the academic year, so if you have a single for the summer, you will likely have to move to a different space for the fall.

Please note: Any merit scholarships and financial aid you received for the fall 2023 semester will be pro-rated toward the cost of tuition for this program.

Tuition
$10,710 (6 credits)

Housing
$2030 (double room)
$3090 (single room) 

Meal Plan
$425

Art Supplies and Incidentals
Will vary based on your needs and faculty estimates. 

Health Insurance: New summer domestic students who are enrolled in summer classes part-time are eligible to enroll in the summer insurance plan via submission of an online request for coverage. For summer 2023, the cost is $633 and coverage dates are 6/10/23 - 8/18/23. Starting 05/01/2023, eligible degree-seeking students will be able to submit an online request for summer health insurance coverage at saic.myahpcare/com enrollment.

Questions about health insurance? Email SAIC_StudentInsurance@saic.edu.

Ventra U-Pass: Students are eligible to purchase a Ventra U-Pass, which allows unlimited use of Chicago’s public transportation system. The cost of this pass is $115 plus a one time card fee of $5.

Q. How do I register? 
A. You will work one-on-one with our admissions representative to register for summer, as well as secure your fall 2023 schedule--beneficial to ensuring you have access to the courses in which you are most interested. Contact Lauren Hogan Casser at lhogan@saic.edu, or call us at 1.312.629.6100 during office hours (M–F 8:30 a.m. –4:30 p.m. Chicago time) with questions or to schedule a registration appointment.

Q. Can international students participate in the program?
A. Yes, international students may enroll in the Chicago Studio program. Please email intaff@saic.edu to inform International Affairs that you plan on attending the Chicago Studio program and they will work with you to obtain the proper immigration documentation and advise you on your next steps to enter the US in F-1 status. (Please note, international students entering the US for the first time may enter no more than 30 days prior to the program start date).

Q. What is the cost of the program and am I eligible for financial aid? 
A. The cost of the program is the same as the cost of two degree courses — which is six credits that apply directly toward completing your degree. For the summer 2023 program, that cost is $10,710 USD. You are eligible to apply any merit or need-based aid you have received toward that tuition amount. Need-based aid is determined based on the results of the 2023-24 FAFSA which can be completed at fafsa.gov.
On-campus housing is an additional $2,030 for a double room for 6 weeks/ $3,090 for a single room for 6 weeks. There will be a meal plan required for students, which costs $425 and covers approximately 5-10 meals a week. 

Q. Are there other costs affiliated with the program?
A. Our meal plan covers approximately 5-10 meals per week, so you should budget additional money for food, for example if you wish to eat in local restaurants or purchase groceries to prepare in the residence hall. Art supply costs will vary based on the work you will be doing, and you should budget an appropriate amount for your supplies. Additional incidental expenses could cost up to $200.

Q. Do I have to apply for merit scholarship/financial aid for this program if I was already awarded for the Fall 2023 semester?
A. No. Merit Scholarships are awarded at the time of admission based on your application materials, and no additional application is necessary. The merit scholarship and financial aid you received for the fall 2023 semester will be prorated toward the cost of tuition for this program.

Q. Will classes be taught in-person?
A. The program is designed to be taught entirely in person following COVID-19 safety protocols. 

Q. What type of housing arrangements are available? 
A. Students live on campus in our residence halls. Your plans for fall housing can be the same as your summer plan or can be changed.

Q. Which residence hall will I be living in? 
A. All students will be living in the 162 N. State Street Residences. 

Q. Can I stay in the same room after the summer session? Am I able to switch rooms? 
A. Residence Life will make your fall housing placement based on the housing preferences listed in your housing application. You may keep your summer-assigned room and roommate for the academic year as long as you and your roommate notify Residence Life by July 23, 2023. If you will live in a different space for the academic year, you will be able to relocate to your academic year room assignment prior to the start of the Fall 2023 semester. Note: single rooms are not available to first-year students in the academic year, so if you have a single for the summer, you will likely have to move to a different space for the fall.

Q. Will there be professional staff in the Residence Halls available to students during the program?

A. Yes. Resident Assistants and Residence Life professional staff will be providing guidance to students participating in the program.

Q. When does the Fall semester begin? 
A. The Fall 2023 semester is scheduled to begin on August 30. In the interim, students will have time to rest, prepare, and further enjoy summer in Chicago.

Q. Will I have access to the SAIC facilities and resources during the summer?
A. Yes! You will have the same access to all of the facilities and resources that you will in the fall term (this includes 24 hour studio classroom access, Advanced Output Center, Media Centers, Flaxman Library, and more!)

Q. What’s the workload requirement for this program?
A. This program runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT, offering an immersive in-person studio experience. Students should expect to have at least 1-3 projects in-progress at all times and present works for regular critiques.

 

Meet the Instructors: 

Paola Cabal, Adjunct Associate Professor

Paola Cabal

Adjunct Associate Professor, Painting and Drawing

A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Paola Cabal has lived in Chicago since 2001. Trained in observational realism, Cabal continues to implement responsive looking in her increasingly diverse practice, which includes site-specific installation, collaborative work, and more recently curating and writing in addition to her ongoing engagement with more traditional drawing media. Alongside her own art-making, Paola Cabal is an active member of the three-person collaborative (ƒ)utility projects and an educator at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and DePaul University.

paolacabal.com


Peter Thomas

Peter Thomas

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts

BA, 1993, Beloit College, Beloit, WI; MA, 1993, Beloit College; MFA, 2002, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Plays Produced by: American Theatre Company, Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; New Plays Coop; Chicago Dramatists.

 



Asya Dubrovina

Asya Dubrovina

Asya Dubrovina (b. 1988 St. Petersburg, Russia) is an artist working in moving image. Through film and installation, their works investigate the in-betweenness of place and memory. Asya collects stories and images to produce a wider social and historical perspective through a poetic lens. The observational point of view they use does not merely describe things as they are but offers questions and connections to that which lies outside the frame. Asya received a B.A. in Visual Studies and Moving Image from Keene State College in New Hampshire.

asyadubrovina.com



Jake Hinkson

Jake Hinkson

Lecturer, Liberal Arts

Jake Hinkson is the author of several books, including the novels Hell On Church Street, The Posthumous Man, and No Tomorrow, the short story collection The Deepening Shade, and the essay collection The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir’s Forgotten Corners. His work has been translated into French by Gallmeister Editions, and his novel Hell On Church Street was awarded the 2016 Prix Mystère de la Critique, the French mystery critics prize. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2006, and has taught writing and literature at a number of institutions.

jakehinkson.com