Summer Art Intensive Courses

Registration for The Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive 2024 will be announced soon.

All of The Summer Art Intensive instructors are professional artists and are assisted by dedicated Cooper Union School of Art undergraduates. All necessary materials and software will be provided in class. 

Class size is limited to 16 students

Age Requirement: 15–18

The Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive Courses Offered in 2023

Animation & Drawing

Tuition: $4,000.00 (Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $240)

Instructors: Casey Gallagher (Animation) | Kian McKeown (Drawing)

Teaching Assistant: Tre Freeland (Animation) | Iliana Lara (Drawing)

Animation is a powerful and ubiquitous form of storytelling, and its reach continues to expand rapidly in the hands of curious and creative minds. The medium is highly sought after for its ability to captivate and inspire the viewer, not only in entertainment but also in journalism, education, and advertising. You may not even realize it, but it’s found in almost every corner of our lives. In this course, students will learn the basic skills of animation. The aim is to equip each student with the tools so that they can fully express their creative vision. Students will participate in lively discussions, technical demos, and individual and group workshops. They will create several short animations and one long animation using a camera and a mic, employing digital software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Students will leave with a rich understanding of animation’s historical background and its contemporary significance, in addition to the technical and conceptual skill sets that will lay a foundation for their artistic practice. 

In drawing class, students learn to handle materials, techniques, and concepts; explore form, space, mark-making, communication, planning, and develop a lexicon of marks and techniques to use in both assigned and self-directed projects. Through lectures, demonstrations, exercises, critiques students gain confidence and develop personal vision in art making. 

Digital Photography & Drawing

Tuition: $4,000.00 (Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $240)

Instructors: Harley Greico (Digital Photography) | Alfred Dudley III (Drawing)

Teaching Assistant: Oscar Mooney (Digital Photography) | Jacqueline Victoria Saint-Preux (Drawing)

Digital photography is an introductory course that focuses on the camera as a tool for personal vision and collective reflection. Classes will consist of lectures, technical workshops, group critiques and collaborative experiments geared towards unpacking the possibilities of photography. Each student will be encouraged to think critically about what subjects hold meaning for them, what they observe and what unique perspective they offer through composition, lighting and the language of photography. Students will gain a foundational understanding of Adobe Photoshop and a strong technical grasp of the camera they have access to.  

In drawing class, students learn to handle materials, techniques, and concepts; explore form, space, mark-making, communication, planning, and develop a lexicon of marks and techniques to use in both assigned and self-directed projects. Through lectures, demonstrations, exercises, critiques students gain confidence and develop personal vision in art making.  

Required Equipment:

  • DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) Camera
  • SD Card
  • Camera battery charger

Drawing Intensive Sections

Tuition: $4,000.00 (Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $240)

Instructor: Sydney Vernon

Teaching Assistant: Ava Marzulli

Students in the drawing intensive class explore the fundamentals of line, form, space, composition and content using a variety of materials and approaches. Through a series of exercises and carefully considered assigned projects students build technical proficiency and confidence from which to move into personally meaningful and experimental approaches. Pencil, charcoal, pastel, pen and ink/brush and ink, as well as non-traditional tools will be used.  

Graphic Design & Drawing

Tuition: $4,000.00 (Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $240)

Instructors: Neeta Patel (Graphic Design) | Christian Hincapie (Drawing)

Teaching Assistant: Erhan Bao (Graphic Design) | Emily Kulec (Drawing)

Graphic Design is taught as an art medium and form of communication. 

Students are introduced to graphic design history, conceptualization, graphic imagery, typography, and symbolism for visual communication. Drawing, collage, digital photography, and Adobe software (Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign) are used to execute class assignments. For all assignments, visual problem solving will be emphasized. Students will also participate in demos, group discussions, guest lectures, and class critiques. This class is for young artists/designers who are excited to learn a variety of images can work together to communicate ideas and messages.

In drawing class, students learn to handle materials, techniques, and concepts; explore form, space, mark-making, communication, planning, and develop a lexicon of marks and techniques to use in both assigned and self-directed projects. Through lectures, demonstrations, exercises, critiques students gain confidence and develop personal vision in art making.

Studio Practice

Tuition: $4,000.00 (Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $240)

Section 1 Instructor: Andrew Ross 

Teaching Assistant: Bereket Weddall

Section 2 Instructor: Babe Enet

Teaching Assistant: Ethan Kramer

Develop critical thinking and a unique voice in your portfolio!  

This class is designed for rising high school seniors (between junior and senior years) with art making experience who are interested in eventually attending college and focusing on the arts. Students in this section of the Summer Art Intensive will be given personal workspace among their peers with lockable storage in the sky lit communal painting studios. The program will guide students through a process of self-realization, beginning with research and exercises to inspire personal growth as an artist. Finding meaningful subjects motivates productiveness and nurtures your passion. 

A set of materials is provided for students but depending on the direction projects take, there may be the need for students to acquire more materials on their own. Students interested in working in digital media may want to bring a laptop. In this class students will/can work with a variety of art mediums. 

Please note that published instructors may change without warning in rare cases. If instructors are unexpectedly unable to teach another instructor of equal or better qualifications will be sought out and hired. Change of instructors in itself will not be considered reasonable cause for withdrawal from the program. 

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.