Spring 2010
Through its Adult Continuing Education (ACE) program, SFAI offers a range of evening and weekend classes for creative thinkers both young and old. Taught by professional artists and educators, ACE courses are specifically designed to provide hands-on experience with contemporary techniques, materials, and technology. Whether your goals are to develop a new approach to painting or to prepare your portfolio for college applications, SFAI has a class for you.
Registration for Spring 2010 begins on December 1, 2009. You can register and pay online through SFAI’s secure online registration system.
To register, please click here. Enrollment is limited. Register early.
ACE contact information:
Phone: 415 749 4554
Fax: 415 351 3516
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm
Spring 2010 ACE Schedule of Classes • January 26–April 27, 2010
Classes will not be held during the week of March 15, SFAI’s Spring Break.
Semester-long and shorter-term workshops in
Artist Professional Development
Design and Technology
Drawing
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture/Ceramics
Mondays
Drawing Melody from Noise
Intermediate to Advanced Painting—Why and How
The Old and the New: Making the Fine-art Digital Print from Scanned Negatives
Tuesdays
Advanced Portfolio Preparation Seminar
The Emotive Gesture: Drawing the Head and the Hands
Color and Composition Workshop
Introduction to Oil
Intermediate Digital Photography and Contemporary Art Practice
Wednesdays
Motion Graphics
Intermediate Drawing
Intermediate and Advanced Painting
Introduction to Digital Photography
The Magic of Photography before the Computer
Etching
Thursdays
Professional Writing for Visual Artists
Introduction to Drawing
Intermediate and Advanced Painting
Fridays
Open Drawing Studio
Saturdays
Picture Framing for Artists
Drawing from Movement
Portrait Painting
Conceptual Craft
Metal Sculpture
Artist Professional Development
Picture Framing for Artists
Instructor: Carl Martin
2 Sessions/Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm
Locations: Studio 105
Number: IN1003
Tuition: $115 (materials included)
Picture-framing skills are useful to artists, curators, interior designers, art collectors, and anyone who wants to display art in his or her home or workplace. This hands-on workshop will teach the fundamentals of framing artworks on canvas, paper, and photography. Various techniques will be introduced, including frame cutting, joining, mounting, mat cutting, and glazing. Students are invited to bring one to two pieces of their own artwork for framing during this workshop.
Professional Writing for Visual Artists
Instructor: Megann Sept
12 Sessions/Thursdays, January 28–April 22 (no class on March 18)
Time: 6:00pm–9:00pm
Location: Studio 18
Number: IN1005
Tuition: $480
This course is designed to develop your ability in descriptive, analytical, and professional writing, specifically as it applies to the professional needs of artists. We will explore and develop each student’s individual writing process as well as successful writing practices like peer review, revision, and editing. By the end of the course, you will have a collection of professional writing, including a resume, biography, artist statement, and sample grant proposal.
Advanced Portfolio Preparation Seminar
Instructor: J. D. Beltran
5 Sessions/Tuesdays, January 26, February 2, March 2, March 30, and April 20
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: McMillan Conference Room
Number: IN1004
Tuition: $250
Engage in advanced art critique sessions, develop your portfolio, and learn about requirements, alternative presentation forms, strategies for applying to gallery exhibitions, alternative and commercial ventures, and other art and nonart venues. Gain skills in applying for grants, fellowships, and residencies, as well as in documenting your work and preparing materials to market yourself. Each session will feature reviewing your work and advising you on directions in which you can improve your presentation and best represent your work and interest in making art. A variety of portfolios representing different media and accompanied artist statements will be offered as examples. Prerequisite: Students in this seminar are expected to maintain studio practice and bring new work to every session.
Design and Technology
Motion Graphics
Instructor: Nate Boyce
12 Sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–April 21 (no class on March 17)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: DMS2
Number: DT1005
Tuition: $480
This course focuses on the history, theory, and practice of motion graphics. While primarily a studio course, techniques and skills will be examined in terms of their art historical, cultural, and conceptual implications. A broad range of themes, concepts, and metaphors will be used to explore the possibilities of digital animation. The broad scope of the course will include topics such as experimental animation and film, video art, DIY and Hollywood special effects, conceptual art, appropriation, perceptual psychology, science fiction, and film theory. Class time will be divided between screenings, discussions, exercises, and lab time. Students will gain proficiency in Adobe After Effects and be introduced to the basics of Final Cut Pro. No prerequisite.
Drawing Melody from Noise
Instructor: Jennifer Rarick
12 Sessions/Mondays, January 25–April 26 (no class on February 15 or March 15)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: DMS2
Number: DT1006
Tuition: $480
As described in contemporary art history practices, the “art of noise” provides the framework through which students will delve into the sonic experience of melody. Through listening sessions, this course will explore noise, rhythm, and melody as students learn to train their ears to recognize melody, rhythmic patterns in noise, and also points at which melodic sequencing can be employed to strengthen a sound piece. Students will be introduced to various recording and sampling methods and techniques. Students will become familiar with a variety of audio software including ProTools, Logic, Reason, Abelton Live, Soundtrack Pro, GarageBand, Audacity, and Max/MSP in order not only to decide what programs work best for specific recording situations, but also to assist in determining which program might best suit your working style and your overall studio goals. No prerequisite.
Drawing
Introduction to Drawing
Instructor: Sadie Wilcox
12 sessions/Thursdays, January 28–April 22 (no class on March 18) Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 14
Number: DR1006
Tuition: $480
This course provides a comprehensive overview of basic drawing principles and techniques. The course will enable students to sharpen their visual perception and to develop practical drawing skills through guided practice. Students will gain knowledge and proficiency in a range of media and materials. Areas of study include quality of line, negative and positive space, shape, form, value, texture, tone, proportion, perspective, and composition. In addition to covering formal use of the drawing media, the course will incorporate the aesthetic analysis, interpretation, and communication of visual information and experience. Each student will be invited to translate basic drawing skills into a tool for individual art making and creative practice. No prerequisite.
Intermediate Drawing
Instructor: Sarah Stolar
12 sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–April 21 (no class on March 17)
Time: 7:30–10:30 p.m.
Number: DR1015
Location: Studio 14
Tuition: $480
Using basic drawing vocabulary, materials, and techniques as a foundation, students will begin to investigate more conceptual aspects of drawing with emphasis placed on personal artistic expression. Students will begin this course with traditional observational drawings of still lifes and the figure and then slowly progress to the introduction of abstraction. At this time, color will be introduced both formally and expressively. As the course progresses, students will be encouraged to approach drawing in a variety of nontraditional ways including alternative mark making, incorporation of text, drawing as documentation, ephemeral drawings, and combining performative action with drawing. In addition, students will be given a series of theoretical “problems” to solve or to incorporate into each assignment as a guide to discovering multiple perspectives in drawing. Class projects and critiques will be focused on providing a continuation of observational and technical drawing skills, on an introduction of new ideas and experimentation, and on insight into discovering one’s own artistic voice. Prerequisite: an introductory drawing course.
Drawing from Movement
Instructors: Amy Rathbone and Marit Brook-Kothlow
12 sessions/Saturdays, January 30–April 24 (no class on February 13)
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm
Number: DR1003
Location: Studio 14
Tuition: $480
In this course, we will use our bodies as catalysts for drawing and explore the connection between our physical selves and the marks we make by using various movement, drawing, vocal, and meditation techniques. Although primarily a drawing class, we will approach mark making specifically from a corporeal perspective. Participants will be led through a series of exercises to evoke awareness of our intentions, and we will draw on the basis of such intentions. No prerequisite.
The Emotive Gesture: Drawing the Head and the Hands
Instructor: Alexandra Chowaniec
6 Sessions/Tuesdays, January 26–March 2
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Number: DR1012
Location: Studio 14
Tuition: $250
Life drawing continues to be an essential study both as an ongoing exercise and as an underpinning to visual art practice. This workshop focuses on some of the most challenging aspects of drawing the figure from life: rendering of the head and the hands. Concentrating on these key sites of emotion and gesture, students will develop and refine the skills and confidence to capture the facial expressions and the hand and finger articulations of the model. Acquiring an in-depth understanding of human anatomy and anatomical drawing will also be emphasized. No prerequisite.
Color and Composition
Instructor: Alexandra Chowaniec
6 Sessions/Tuesdays, March 23–April 27
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Number: DR1013
Location: Studio 14
Tuition: $250
This course will immerse students in the languages and histories of color theory and composition, using found- and fine-art materials to identify and apply these critical concepts to our work in the studio. Acquiring an in-depth understanding of and confidence in these concepts through tangible experience and group critique will be emphasized. Course sessions will focus on building a toolbox of skills from which to approach color, how it is perceived and its relationships, and compositional decision making, exploring both traditional and contemporary techniques. Through a series of projects, the students will learn how to see color and how to put together strong compositions, shifting from collage to drawing materials as the sessions progress. We will use the relationships of color and the elements of composition to create a body of compositions, working from life and one’s own creative concepts. No prerequisite, though previous art-making experience is recommended.
Open Drawing Studio
12 Sessions/Fridays, January 29–April 23 (no class on March 19)
Time: 5:30–8:30pm
Location: Studio 14
Tuition: FREE (no advanced registration necessary). The Open Drawing Studio is made possible through the generous support of Judith Krebs Snyderman (BFA 1994, Painting)
SFAI’s well-known Friday Open Drawing Studio is the perfect way to end the week. A resource open to the community since the 1950s, this course provides students a great opportunity to draw from a live model in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Painting
Introduction to Oil Painting
Instructor: Robert Burden
12 Sessions/Tuesdays, January 26–April 20 (no class on March 16)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1001
Tuition: $480
Through a variety of exercises and in-class projects, you will be introduced to drawing, brushwork, color theory, and the technical manipulation of paint. It will also be a primary focus of the course to help the student gain confidence in discussing art as a professional. Critical discourse, in-class demonstrations, painting exercises, and minimal reading assignments will foster and encourage new ideas and conceptual practices in a positive atmosphere. Working towards a strong and dynamic portfolio, each student will be required to complete three major painting assignments throughout the course. No prerequisite.
Portrait Painting
Instructor: Mel Prest
4 Sessions/Saturdays, February 20–March 13 Time: 10:00am–3:00pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1012
Tuition: $250
There are many subjects for painters, though none as compelling as the portrait. Striving to strike a balance between paint quality, likeness, and formal and other concerns creates a unique tension for each painter. Focusing on the head and shoulders, artists can choose a variety of approaches or techniques with which to explore this timeless subject. Each session includes studio time with a model, time to view slides, time to discuss and critique the work, and individual feedback. The class may also include visiting artists, field trips, reading, and short writings. Each student will complete at least three different portrait paintings, gain exposure to the works of various portrait painters, and consider how each portrait might indicate more than the sitter’s likeness.
Intermediate to Advanced Painting—Why and How
Instructor: Rives Granade
12 Sessions/Mondays, January 25–April 26 (no class on February 15 or March 15)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1011
Tuition: $480
What exactly is painting and why and how do we do it? This course is designed to address both of these questions and is built for students who wants to deepen both their conceptual thinking and their technical knowledge about the medium. Classes will include a combination of studio time, supplemented by critique and art-historical lessons. Readings from various thinkers on the subject—for example, Martin Heidegger and Giorgio Agamben—will be discussed along with technical insight from artists like Dalí, Richter, and Hockney. The goal of this class is to strengthen students’ painting practices on all levels. Prerequisite: introductory painting course or similar formal experience.
Intermediate and Advanced Painting
Instructor: Glenn Hirsch
12 Sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–April 21 (no class on March 17)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1010-01
Tuition: $480
Intermediate and Advanced Painting
Instructor: Glenn Hirsch
12 Sessions/Thursdays, January 28–April 22 (no class on March 18)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1010-02
Tuition: $480
Through visual and verbal analysis, you will increase the power of your work and overcome blocks that hinder the completion of paintings. The course presents ideas to help you explore the content of your art through irony, humor, narrative, mood, and the use of unusual materials. Individual instruction and technical assignments will help you to explore a particular style and become more independent by painting in series. Prerequisite: Recent college- or extension-level courses in both drawing and painting required.
Photography
Introduction to Digital Photography
Instructor: Jackson Patterson
12 Sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–April 21 (no class on March 17)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1001
Tuition: $530 (includes a $50 lab fee to cover printing inks)
In this class, you will learn the basics of the digital camera and begin to explore its professional capabilities. Expanding from these basics, you will learn to use digital tools including Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Bridge, and Camera Raw. Class time will include slide lectures that introduce historic and contemporary photographic references, technical demonstrations, hands-on studio time, and class discussions of student work. Projects in this course are designed to enhance your abilities in digital image making, photographic theory, Photoshop, printing digitally, scanning, and managing raw files. Students must have access to a digital camera with manual features and a minimum of four megapixels. It is recommended that your camera can also shoot RAW files. No prerequisite.
Intermediate Digital Photography in a Contemporary Art Practice
Instructor: Emmanuelle Namont-Kouznetsov
12 Sessions/Tuesdays, January 26–April 20 (no class on March 16)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1003
Tuition: $530 (includes a $50 lab fee to cover printing inks)
The course is organized to assist students in reaching a higher potential both technically and conceptually in their artistic practice. The course aims to deepen the dialogue and critique of work through the observation of contemporary issues in photography and the impact of the digital world in the restructuring of the medium and its concepts. Technically, the course covers issues of RAW and DNG processing, workflow, media storage, HDR, smart objects and other advanced Photoshop techniques as well as printing, presentation and platforms for digital work. Based on a survey at the beginning of class, the curriculum will be custom-tailored to suit student’s specific needs. This class addresses the needs of students who know how to use a DSLR or scan their negatives and have some knowledge of Photoshop. Students are expected to own and know how to operate a Single Lens reflex camera (film or digital), with lens of their choice. You may also use a film camera and scan images.
The Old and the New: Making the Fine-art Digital Print from Scanned Negatives
Instructor: Josh Smith
6 Sessions/Mondays, March 22–April 26 Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1008
Tuition: $250
In this class, we will use traditional black-and-white and color negatives as a basis for creating fine-art digital prints. Working with a previously shot archive of negatives or creating new work as the class progresses, you will learn the basics of effectively converting negatives to a digital format through the high-end scanning of 35 mm. medium and large format negatives. You will use Photoshop manipulation and Epson digital ink-jet printing to print your images. In addition to technical scanning and printing development, the class will address a wide range of beginning photographic topics such as compositional strategies, developing a personal project, editing and sequencing, preparing images for website development, and the professional presentations of your work. No prerequisite.
The Magic of Photography before the Computer
Instructor: Meghann Riepenhoff
6 Sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–March 3
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Photo Lab Darkroom
Number: PH1007
Tuition: $250
In the midst of the digital revolution, traditional photographic processes continue to mystify and intrigue artists and viewers. This course will explore the magic of several traditional photographic practices, including the camera obscura, pinhole camera, photograms, long-exposure photography, cyanotypes, and Van Dyke browns. The class will expose students to fundamental processes of photography, allow lab for practicing techniques, and facilitate dialog about student work. No prerequisite.
Printmaking
Etching
Instructor: Karen Thomas
12 Sessions/Wednesdays, January 27–April 21 (no class on March 17)
Time: 7:30–10:30pm
Location: Studios 1 and 2
Number: PR1001
Tuition: $480
In this course, students will learn the aesthetics and techniques of intaglio, such as dry-point engraving, hard- and soft-ground etching, and aquatint. The distinctive qualities of these techniques, as well as the ways in which they may be combined, are explored. The class will investigate how drawing can be translated into a fixed matrix that can be reproduced and manipulated to the artist’s choice. Intaglio is a very versatile medium, and this class will be structured for all types of students. Students work in class on their own imagery and concepts. Experimentation is encouraged. If a student has never taken a printmaking class, this class will be a great introduction to more advanced techniques such as multiple-plate etching. This class will also accommodate those who are more advanced in their printmaking skills.
Sculpture
Conceptual Craft
Instructor: Heather Van Winckle
6 Sessions/Saturdays, March 27–May 1
Time: 10:00am–4:00pm
Location: Studio 105
Number: SC1004
Tuition: $480
Long considered woman’s craft, sewing is mostly known in the contexts of clothing construction and home décor. The focus of this course is to explore other possibilities and to expand on old themes. Beginning to advanced sewing techniques will be taught as well as pattern use and construction. By means both of class lectures and of one-on-one mentoring, students will learn about fabrics and alternative materials and techniques. Conceptual thinking and critique strategies will be introduced and developed during the course, culminating with the creation of a small body of work. Artists that will be looked at include Jean Shin, Polly Apfelbaum, Ghanda Amer, Ellen Brooks, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Marie Watt, and Do Ho Suh. Personal sewing machine recommended.
Metal Sculpture
Instructor: Eric Araujo
12 Sessions/ Saturdays, January 30–April 24 (no class on February 13)
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm
Location: Studio 105
Number: SC1005
Tuition: $480
Beginning with the foundations of metal working, this class will teach oxy-acetylene torch welding to introduce students to the properties of metal and how to effectively manipulate steel. Moving towards more advanced and modern techniques, MIG welding and Plasma cutting will be introduced as well as hand tools, and the various metal shop power tools. Within this class, you will be given the time and tools necessary to create conceptually and structurally sound sculptures. Each student is expected to complete at least one sculpture by the end of the semester. Project critiques will address material and technique usage, conceptual content, translation of content into three-dimensional form, structural integrity, and how the piece exists in accordance with the basic elements and principles of sculpture. Safety gear and procedures will be emphasized. No prerequisite.
Summer and Fall 2010 Schedule
Summer registration begins April 1, 2010.
Courses take place from June 1 to August 7, 2010.
Fall registration begins July 1, 2010.
Courses take place from September 1 to November 21, 2010.
Complete Summer and Fall 2010 schedules will be posted online by early March.
Further Information
Refund Policy
Refund requests must be made in writing to
ace@sfai.edu. A full refund minus a $10 processing fee will be given if written notice is received at least five business days before the first class meeting. An 80% refund minus a $10 processing fee will be given if written notice is received between the first class and the third. No refund will be given after class has met three times. Please allow two to three weeks for refund.
SFAI reserves the right to make changes in classes, scheduling, procedures, tuition, and fees; and to cancel classes without prior notice.
Attention Art Teachers
We are pleased to provide Continuing Education Credits for teachers and a 10% discount on all courses for art teachers. Please contact us at 415 749 4554 prior to registering. A letter from your employer will need to be submitted, verifying your current employment at the school.
Canceled Courses
Courses will be canceled if the minimum enrollment is not met. Decisions regarding course cancellations are usually made two to three days prior to the course start date. If you are registered in a course that is canceled, you will be notified by phone or e-mail and you will receive a full refund.
Directions and Parking
All ACE courses take place on SFAI’s 800 Chestnut Street campus in San Francisco. Directions to campus and parking information can be found at
www.sfai.edu/directions.
Exhibition
As a student in an ACE course, you are invited to participate in an end-of-the-semester closing exhibition on campus. The week-long exhibition and video screening will allow you to explore modes of presentation and share your accomplishments with the public.
Nondiscrimination Policy
The San Francisco Art Institute expressly prohibits discrimination and harassment because of gender, race, religious creed, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, marital status, age, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. This policy applies to all individuals on campus and includes employment decisions, public accommodation, financial aid, admission, grading, and any other educational, student, or public service administered by SFAI.
Inquiries concerning compliance with Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act may be addressed to the Chief Financial Officer, San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, US Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202. Students with documented learning disabilities requiring specific accommodations in degree courses should contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor or Dean of Graduate Programs prior to registration. Qualified disabled students who require special accommodation in order to participate in San Francisco Art Institute’s degree or certificate programs should write to the Associate VP for Student Affairs, SFAI, 800 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA, 94133 at least 90 days prior to the start of the program in which the disabled student wishes to participate, explaining the nature of the disability and the specific accommodations required. Because SFAI’s historic Chestnut Street campus presents some barriers to mobility-impaired students, SFAI specifically encourages them to notify the Associate VP for Student Affairs as far in advance of the date of entry as possible so that necessary accommodations can be made.