Kent Blossom Art Intensives (KBAI) is a series of two-week studio art workshops conducted each summer through the School of Art at Kent State University. Since 1968 this series of intensives has given students and individual artists the opportunity to learn from and work alongside prominent artists while creating their own body of work.
Claire Bowman, assistant of print media and facilities coordinator at the University of Dayton, attended KBAI twice, focusing on print media.
Bowman attended the program the first time to get a feel for the studio prior to kicking off her Kent State graduate school career. Her next trip to KBAI was for more personal reasons.
“The second time I participated was because of the visiting artist, Althea Murphy Price, and I also had such a good first experience that it was worth doing again,” Bowman said. “I was taking it for myself, to get the creative energy flowing, growing with the other people and learning from these incredible artists.”
During the two-week program, students focus on one medium and are working in the studio seven days a week to create their own body of work.
“Everyday is a little different, but you’re working with professionals in the field. You get demonstrations of techniques, you get to watch the artists work or maybe help them create a piece,” Bowman said. “There is so much value that comes with a shared studio.”
The creative energy and mentorship from Kent State faculty and excellent visiting artists provides participants with the opportunity to learn and experiment.
“This program gave me the chance to be free, to experiment and not be afraid of trying new things or failing,” Bowman said. “Spending two weeks intensively working gives you that chance just to explore, especially when you’re surrounded by an atmosphere of creativity.”
At the end of the two weeks, student artists have the opportunity to present their body of work in a gallery exhibit at the Center for the Visual Arts.
Bowman’s advice to individual artists or students thinking about attending KBAI is to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Two weeks of just intensely experimenting is something you don’t get outside of academia, so do it while you can,” Bowman said. “The artists that come are incredible, their knowledge and critique is so valuable plus the creative energy. If you have the means, do it.”
About Kent Blossom Art Intensives
As part of the Kent Blossom Art Intensives every year, visiting artists give public presentations on their work. All presentations will take place May 18 - 31, 2023 at the Center for the Visual Arts (325 Terrace Dr.), Room 165.
Each course is specific to one medium and the offerings change annually. KBAI provides students and individual artists with two weeks of focused learning, experimentation and creation under the guidance of experienced artists from around the country. Students may continue their explorations of the medium most familiar to them; experienced artists are equally encouraged to discover new modes of creating. We are proud to invite an outstanding roster of visiting artists to complement the instructional insights of our resident faculty. Visiting artists also present public talks on their work, giving KBAI participants and the greater public an opportunity to learn more about contemporary issues and ideas in the visual arts.
Enrollment is open to undergraduate and graduate students at any college or university as well as individual artists. Participants must have an intermediate understanding of the medium to enroll. The application deadline is May 1, 2023.
Kent Blossom Art Intensives and Guest Artists
Ceramics: Materials, Methods, Meaning | May 19 - 23 and May 25-29
Resident Faculty: Peter Johnson
Visiting Artists: Heesoo Lee and Steven Young Lee
Glass: Sculptural Glass & the Decorated Surface | TBD
Resident Faculty: Davin Ebanks
Visiting Artist: Leo Tecosky and Aya Oki
Painting: Color and Curiosity | May 21-24 and May 24-27
Resident Faculty: Shawn Powell
Visiting Artists: Alteronce Gumby and Kelsey Shwetz
Print Media: A Multidisciplinary Approach | May 22-24 and May 30-June 1
Resident Faculty: Taryn McMahon
Visiting Artists: Karen Lederer and LaToya Hobbs
Textiles: Line, Surface, and Space | TBD
Resident Faculty: John Paul Morabito
Visiting Artists: Melissa Leandro and José Santiago Pérez