High school students who attended the 2012 UT High School Arts Academy engaged in comprehensive studio workshops in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, mixed media, painting, photography or printmaking/book arts. (The Herald/Submitted Photo)

It was a day full of intense artistic practice, as University of Tennessee, Knoxville, faculty members, graduate students and undergraduate students in the School of Art gave high school students from East Tennessee a glimpse into the possibilities of becoming an artist within a university setting.

Late last month, more than 100 high school students representing 33 high schools in East Tennessee gathered at UT for the 11th annual UT High School Arts Academy. The day consisted of seven comprehensive studio workshops designed to give students experience in professional, college-level instruction and to open students’ eyes to the larger and more complicated world of the various media for making art.

Student participants enrolled in a workshop of their choice: ceramics, drawing, graphic design, mixed media, painting, photography or printmaking/book arts. The workshops were taught by School of Art faculty and former and current graduate students.

Throughout the day, participants were exposed to professional artists, sophisticated equipment, quality instruction, unusual materials, and the role of ideas, originality, hard work and community in making works of art. Students also had the opportunity to tour the facilities of the School of Art and to see UT student work on exhibit in the Ewing Gallery.

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