Why would I want to attend the GSA?

Imagine that you are a painter and that each morning for three weeks you will be going to the studio to work with 13 or 14 other students under the direction of an accomplished artist. Imagine that the class is going to last for three hours, giving you time to throw yourself into your work.

If you are a dancer, consider the opportunity you'll have to stretch and grow in both classical ballet and modern dance. The classes are small, the passion is intense, and the growth is simply phenomenal.

The same growth opportunities exist for students in the other arts disciplines at GSA, a three-week residential program providing individual and in-depth group instruction in the arts for current high school sophomores living in and attending school in West Virginia. 

It sounds like a dream, but for 112  current West Virginia high school sophomores, these dreams will become reality at the West Virginia Governor's School for the Arts (GSA)  Marshall.

A Message from the Dean

Marshall University is pleased to host the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) for 2017 with the theme "Communities Collaborating Through the Arts". Our mission is to enable you to explore creativity, learn from one another, and experience first-hand the power of the arts to positively impact communities. During your three weeks of intensive study at Marshall, you will have the opportunity to engage with professional visiting artists, develop relationships with other like-minded students and you will have the opportunity to spend three days in Chicago visiting world-class museums and experiencing nationally acclaimed performances.
 
Marshall University is a beautiful campus within the city of Huntington, West Virginia and three academic facilities will serve as centerpieces for GSA. The Joan C. Edwards Preforming Arts and the adjacent Jomie Jazz center will host the theatrical and dance arts. "The Joan" includes a state-of-the-art theatre with seating for 543 people while the Jomie Jazz Center offers recording facilities, an ensemble rehearsal hall, individual practice studios and a music composition laboratory.
 
The second facility, the Smith Hall complex, provides a setting for music instruction and performance. The complex includes a 469 seat recital hall and a small theatre/lecture hall.
 
The Visual Arts Center (VAC) is the third academic facility. This 115-year-old redesigned building will host visual arts, media arts, and creative writing. It has five floors of large studios and classrooms filled with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. All five floors feature spaces designed for collaboration and innovative processes. The building also has a stunning exhibition facility on the first floor, the Charles and Norma Carroll Gallery.
Our facilities, faculty, and enrichment opportunities will provide you with an incredible opportunity to grow as an artist. We look forward to working with West Virginia’s most creative rising high school juniors!
　
Dr. Maribea W. Barnes-Marsano
Professor, School of Art & Design
Dean, Governor’s School for the Arts
 

Acting/Theatre
In the discipline of Acting, we’ll be focusing on speaking and moving with passion, clarity and feeling; exploring complex texts with tools and exercises that will unlock meaning and allow for deeper connections; and experimenting with approaches to finding and communicating personal connections in the experiences and stories of others.

Everything we do will be designed to facilitate your growth as an actor, storyteller and animator. Our work will enable you to develop the expressivity of your voice and body, put your imagination to work, and encourage you to listen and respond to your acting partners actively and spontaneously.

Creative Writing
Writers are in class with others who share their passion for writing. Within a supportive and fun workshop environment, writers will explore the works of some of our most celebrated Appalachian authors, respond to a variety of writing prompts and genres, as well as give and receive constructive feedback. Students emerge with refined creative writing skills, a strong voice, and confidence in both written and verbal expression.

Dance
Our aim is to give the students a conservatory atmosphere within the dance discipline. The focus is on ballet and modern, helping to refine and stretch the dancer’s abilities and focuses.

Digital Media Art
The 2017 GSA Digital Media Class will learn about and create work in a broad range of digital media. Those will include digital photography and video, 3D animation, virtual photography, motion graphics, and special effects. In 2015 , some students came to GSA with rudimentary photo editing skills and within three weeks were developing virtual reality games.

  
Instrumental Music
We keep the program small, so that each student receives a lot of individual attention not only from the primary teacher but other adjunct staff members as well. This is no ordinary “music camp.” We stress the artist community concept and immerse the students in experiences that push them to the point that they are truly changed during their three weeks with us—only to return to you a more mature leader as well as musician and productive young adult.

Studio/visual Art
Our time at the Governor’s School for the Arts will focus on two important parts of the art making process, improvement of basics skills and creativity. Young artists need to learn the fundamentals of art making and these skills are best attained and demonstrated by studying from life.

Vocal Music
Students will learn about their vocal instrument--the voice--how it functions and how to say healthy. They will learn the foundations of vocal technique, and they will have the opportunity to build on their potential.