Education Department Announces Applications Now Open for the 2024 New York State Summer School of the Arts

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2024 New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) program, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. Students throughout New York State, in grades 8-12, are encouraged to apply on the NYSSSA website where they can also learn more about the application process and the three programs offered this year in visual arts, media arts, and theatre. Applications along with respective materials are due by Friday, March 8, 2024 (theatre) and Friday, March 15, 2024 (visual arts and media arts).

Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, “This transformative program empowers students and provides them with the opportunity to enhance their artistic talent under the guidance of professional artists. We are proud to offer this life-changing experience, which fosters critical thinking, resilience, and a deep appreciation for the arts for young people across this State.”

Commissioner Rosa said, “The New York State Summer School of the Arts program serves as a catalyst for personal growth and offers students a platform to explore their creativity and self-expression. Students emerge from this exceptional summer experience ready to thrive and contribute to the cultural richness of our society.”

Since the NYSSSA program was founded in 1970, more than 18,000 students have benefitted from its curriculum and training. Many talented high school students have had and will continue to have the opportunity to study with some of the professional artists in the visual and performing arts, giving students a unique opportunity to experience the rigors of their chosen arts field. Students are accepted into the schools through a competitive audition and portfolio review process conducted by the artistic staff. Tuition rates are maintained at a modest level and tuition assistance is available, giving every student who qualifies the opportunity to participate in the program.

Following is a schedule of the 2024 NYSSSA schools and locations:

The School of Media Arts will be held July 6-27, 2024, at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia. Under the direction of Ghen Zando-Dennis, a nationally known media educator and videographer, the program consists of a review of media fundamentals, instruction in new techniques and processes, instruction in aesthetics, and surveys of contemporary work, trends, and ideas. Students will be immersed in production work in 16 mm film, digital video, photography, and computer animation. In addition to the application form, students must submit an artist statement and portfolio to be considered. More information can be found on the School of Media Arts web page.

The School of Theatre will be held July 6-27, 2024, at SUNY Fredonia. The program provides students with intensive instruction in acting, movement, improvisation, and voice, working side by side with nationally recognized faculty. Under the artistic direction of award-winning director Margaret Denithorne, daily classes include acting, improvisation, scene study, voice, and movement, along with guest artist workshops in stage combat, mask, Shakespeare, playwriting, tango, directing, and acting technique. In addition to the application form, students must submit a recorded audition to be considered. More information can be found on the School of Theatre web page.

The School of Visual Arts will be held July 6-27, 2024, at SUNY Fredonia. Directed by New York-based sculpture artist and educator Greg Lendeck, and visual artist and novelist Nicholas Rispoli, students will work in sculpture studies, mixed media, figure studies, printmaking, drawing and painting, landscape drawing and painting, and figure sculpture under the direction of noted exhibiting artists and educators. The program includes drawing and painting from live models, 3-dimensional installations, modeling life-size objects in clay, practice with printmaking techniques, and field trips. In addition to the application form, students must submit an artist statement and portfolio to be considered. More information can be found on the School of Visual Arts web page.

In addition to the in-residency programs for young artists, NYSSSA will once again offer the Empire State Arts Scholarship program, providing students with scholarships to attend summer arts programs in their own communities. Administered by the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Cultural Education, the funding will support the Empire State Summer Arts Scholarship Program’s goal of promoting access and equity to arts education by providing need-based grants to low-income students who want to pursue summer growth opportunities. This year $180,000 is available for students who meet application requirements. The scholarship application review process will be evaluated based on financial need. Scholarship applications are due by Friday, April 19, 2024. More information can be found on the Arts Scholarship Program web page.

NYSSSA and the Empire State Summer Arts Scholarship Program are part of the Office of Cultural Education within the New York State Education Department. The Empire State Summer Arts Scholarship Program is open to middle and high school level students that apply to independent, community-based art programs and use the awarded scholarship to offset those costs. The Empire State Summer Arts Scholarship Program serves to foster and enhance the artistic abilities of the state’s most gifted young artists regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, or economic status. To learn more about NYSSSA In-Residency Programs and how to apply, visit the NYSSSA Website.