The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is held each summer in the midst of what used to be Valencia’s endless fields of oranges, now the campus of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). A program intended to nurture talented young artists; CSSSA takes place in Valencia, Calif. from July 14 to Aug. 10.
CSSSA, also known as InnerSpark, was established by the California Legislature when the state board realized that many of California’s artists were leaving in order to attend art programs in other states. The program welcomed its first summer session in 1987.
CSSSA offers programs in seven disciplines including animation, creative writing, dance, film and video, music, theater and visual arts. Young artists collaborate to produce work reflecting a crossing of these disciplines.
Admission to the program is determined through auditions, portfolio review, teacher recommendations, and screening. All application materials are generally due during the month of February. CSSSA accepts up to 20 out-of-state applicants each year, though most admitted students reside in the state of California.
Out-of –state students have a tuition fee of $5,000, while the comprehensive fee for California residents is $1,500. CSSSA boasts a need-blind admission where an applicant’s financial situation is not considered when making admission decisions. Nearly 40 percent of the student body has had significant portions of the tuition waived.
CSSSA students attend classes five days of the week and occasionally on the weekends. Most classrooms are set up in a Socratic seminar style, where students openly engage in discussions.
Emily Lee, a creative writing student from Cupertino attending Lynbrook High School as a junior, said, “It really is pretty amazing. CSSSA offers an entirely different approach on what a classroom should look like.”
Students reside in Chouinard Hall at CalArts in separate male and female dormitories. At the center of the dorms are a pool and a lounge, where students often gather to relax and socialize.
“The point isn’t simply all academics,” says Kelly Lee, a visual artist attending Cupertino High School as a junior. “It’s about being able to interact with other artists and sharing your thoughts and being in activities out of the classroom.”
At the conclusion of each summer session, CSSSA coordinator, Michael Fields, gives a speech urging the coming generation to step up and continue the development of art.
“An ending is always sad,” says Lucie Rosenfeld, a creative writer from San Francisco attending Urban High School as a sophomore. “But it’s inevitable and all of us have to get back to reality, a reality that isn’t CSSSA where you can be whoever you want.”
