What will I do?

2024 Applications are now closed!

Learn more about what you'll do during Pre-College, including your weekly schedule, class descriptions and topics, events, presentations, and activities throughout the month!

As a Pre-College student, you will join a talented community of practicing artists and designers who are eager to explore, challenge, and experiment with ideas. All classes are taught by AUArts faculty who are passionate about education and helping you grow as an artist. They will guide you through studio assignments, research projects, and critiques that will increase your abilities to observe, conceptualize, and create. Using a variety of media you will build a portfolio of finished work for post-secondary admission and bursary applications.

During Pre-College you will gain a thorough understanding of introductory art and design study at the post-secondary level. Preparing you for further education in a college or university environment. You will also participate in extracurricular activities, events, and presentations to support your learning, enhance your portfolio, and prepare for your future. 

Find out how far you can go.

instructor gives student feedback in an art studio

Studio Experience

You will receive instruction and demonstrations, participate in discussions and critiques, gather research, and work on your assignments with support from your instructors.

Your instructors are award-winning artists and educators who bring years of artistic practice, industry experience, and innovative teaching to the classroom.

The last hour of your day will be independent work time without your instructor present, allowing you time and space to work and build community. You will have homework most nights. But, it’s not really homework if you love it, right?

Monday - Friday
10AM - 5PM

Attend studios classes, Mondays to Thursdays, with a one-hour lunch break.

Each Friday, you'll enjoy extra-curricular activities designed to broaden your horizons and have fun. Participation is required.

Pre-College students are expected to attend all classes, studio hours, activities and events over the length of the program.

Schedule

Here's what your weeks will look like:

Monday

Fine Arts Drawing Studio

  • Explore the fundamentals of observational drawing, as you deepen your understanding of representational methods, using line, value, and form. Challenge yourself with questions related to abstraction, drawing as a process, and the significance of using personal content. Get introduced to a range of drawing techniques, generating content and concepts in response to a prompt, and incorporating personal interpretations in drawing.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Design Fundamentals Studio

  • Identify and investigate the formal and expressive qualities of the primary visual elements of design to clearly communicate an idea. Develop the ability to manipulate basic elements of design using visual techniques and principles of organization. Explore the relationship between form and content in visual communications.

Thursday

Friday

  • 10 am - 4 pm Activity, Event, or Field Trip (depending on week)

Figure Drawing Sessions

  • Participate in figure drawing sessions one night each week. Working from a live, clothed model, receive instruction as you improve your drawing skills. Begin each session with gesture drawings, quickly capturing the model's essence, before moving onto longer poses allowing you to complete fully, detailed drawings. Student/model etiquette will be presented and adhered to during all figure drawing sessions.

Saturday & Sunday

  • Homework, Rest, Fun.

Activities & events

Field trip

Spend a day understanding what life after university has in store as you visit a professional design firm, artist run center, & commercial gallery

Presentations

Receive important information regarding future post-secondary applications from our Admissions team, as well as a tour and presentation from the Library team.

Closing Exhibit

End the program with a Closing Exhibit using the work you've created in a group show with the rest of your classmates. Share what you've achieved in only four weeks with your friends and family!

a group of people viewing pre-college closing exhibit