Summer Studio portfolio school launches Summer 2023

Budding creatives who are interested in graphic design, photography, content creation, visual storytelling, typography, and brand development will have a summer camp dedicated to their interests starting in 2023.

Grady College and Lamar Dodd Summer Studio: Creative Portfolio Program will offer four weeks of intensive creative instruction June 5-30, 2023. The name Grady and Lamar pays tribute to the strengths of two UGA colleges coordinating the program, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication which houses advertising and public relations majors, and Lamar Dodd School of Art.

“The creation of Summer Studio gives us the opportunity to build a creative community that will benefit students, while taking into account all of the things we need now: a quality experience that is diverse and in a condensed time frame,” said Kim Landrum, director of the program.

Landrum, who teaches graphic design, social media and campaigns in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College, is developing the program with Julie Spivey, area chair of graphic design at Lamar Dodd School of Art.

“There’s so much disciplinary overlap between graphic design and AD/PR so collaborating on a program makes perfect sense,” Spivey said. “The intense workshop format of this summer studio will foster a collaborative, creative learning environment in which students will benefit from the expertise of industry professionals while developing their skills in strategic communication.”

The four-week program features a rotation of eight classes including themes like ideation, typography, photo and mobile video, emerging digital media, dynamic imagery and the future of design. Classes will be taught by Grady faculty, Lamar Dodd faculty and some guest faculty from Athens and Atlanta. Students will complete the program with at least two to three finished pieces for their portfolios.

“We think it’s important to maintain sense of creative community — how can we create something special, but take into account busy summer schedules and leases,” Landrum said.

The program is being designed to be cost-effective, too, since it will be covered under summer tuition. Summer Studio will award six credit hours toward required courses, upper-level electives, Double Dawgs or graduate credit.

Landrum said program coordinators have consulted with industry professionals about the skills they would like graduates of the program to have, which led to the curriculum.

Planning is also taking place in creating ambiance that is meaningful, will fuel creativity and will encourage students to thrive.

“We want to create a space where students walk into the classroom and immediately feel more creative with color and inspiration and where every conversation is about creative topics that we love,” said Landrum who was inspired to start this program when the popular Summer at the Circus portfolio summer program hosted by Creative Circus closed. “We want to create opportunities for students to engage—to access the faculty and have creative, organic conversations with people who have experiences that are completely different from theirs.”

Applicants must be UGA students in good standing with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

Applications are now accepted for the program and more details can be viewed on the Summer Studio webpage.

Apply now to the inaugural Summer Studio Creative Portfolio Program.