Summer Institutes

2025 SUMMER INSTITUTES

The Summer Institutes for Art Educators are held in the summer months that correspond to public school summer vacation schedules. The Institutes provide intensive one to two-week instruction in art education and related fields of study. The Institutes connect students with community resources and visiting artists/scholars.  The Institutes are designed to provide in-depth experiences that are unavailable through regular coursework.

Summer Registration coming in march 2025

Online courses are available to in-person workshop participants only.  To take the online course you must also take the workshop. 

Available Courses:

Photo credit: Colleen Harkins(weaving studio student)

In this course, students will move beyond the traditional utilitarian view of weaving and explore its potential as an art form, embracing both simple and complex techniques. Students will develop a foundational knowledge of weaving through hands-on experience, utilizing various tools and techniques. Major methods of construction explored will include, but are not limited to, tapestry techniques, pattern design and cloth, as well as painted warp. Students will engage in sample-making to experiment with different woven structures to further expand their weaving vocabulary. The course consists of an intensive four-day in-studio workshop paired with a two-week online course, with a strong emphasis on creating. In addition to weaving, students will gain insight into the history of the craft by researching and discussing significant historical and contemporary weavers. This context will serve to inspire and inform their final projects. The in-studio portion will also feature a relevant field trip to further immerse students in the subject matter at the local level. Whether students are beginners or have an established background in weaving, all skill levels are encouraged to participate. Additionally, accommodations can be made to challenge more advanced students who already possess a strong understanding of weaving, ensuring a rewarding experience for everyone.

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This four-day (with an optional fifth day July 18th) art education institute precedes an online course on the same topic, offering art teachers a unique opportunity to both create art and explore pedagogy. Designed to equip educators with innovative strategies for fostering deep connections between personal memory and collective belonging, the institute integrates printmaking, painting, and collage into a layered, hands-on approach to teaching art.

Through engaging presenters, interactive workshops, and a field trip, participants will explore how these mixed media techniques can be powerful tools for both self-expression and community-building, inside and outside the art room. Art teachers will experiment with using collage to assemble fragments of lived experiences, painting to express emotional depth, and printmaking to emphasize repetition and permanence. This institute will prepare participants to guide their students in weaving together these media, encouraging them to view their personal narratives as dynamic, evolving, and interconnected with others.

By combining artmaking and pedagogy, this experience will not only impart technical skills but also reveal how art can be a powerful vehicle for understanding memory and fostering a sense of belonging—blending both personal and collective narratives.

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We hope you will join us in the Department of Art Education at Kutztown University this summer!

ACT 48 hours will be available!