Rising Star Summer Program

My name is Susanna Barger, and I am currently a junior at The Derryfield School in Manchester, New Hampshire. This summer it is my hope to study at the Rising Star summer program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, starting June 19th 2016.

https://www.scad.edu/academics/pre-college-summer-programs/rising-star

Every year, rising seniors apply to spend five weeks in Georgia, taking two college level courses in their desired field. I want to take Intro To Production Design and Intro to Filmmaking. The credit earned from these courses can be applied to an undergraduate course of study, not just at the Savannah College but other institutions as well. I have already received a significant scholarship for my artwork and achievements, however I still need $5,000 dollars to be able to attend. This program would be an enormous opportunity for me to study what I love, and give me a leg up when it comes to developing the skills required in these fields. Any extra money raised will be put into a college fund in order to help with future tuition costs.

I am a socially active high honors student, apprentice publishing editor of the school literary magazine, and winner of a Scholastic Silver Key art award in painting. I was the assistant stage manager of this year’s school musical (The Phantom of The Opera), ensemble performer in last year’s show (Beauty and the Beast), event coordinator/ stage manager for the 2015 Junior Class Talent Show, pit band member for the 2014/15 Derryfield Middle School productions (playing the flute), recipient of the Malone scholarship from The Derryfield School, and was accepted to the 2016 New England Young Writer’s Conference at Middlebury college. I’m the second oldest of six children, five girls and one boy.  I have a deep seated love of movies, art, and well made grilled cheese sandwiches, with a lesser love for videogames, tabletop games, fun lipstick colors, and mediocre grilled cheese sandwiches.

    In the future I hope to study either production design for movies and TV, or stage managing for theatre. I have always loved a well told story, but when the look and feel of a movie perfectly aligns with the narrative  it’s its own kind of magic. Whether it’s the color rich backgrounds of Moonrise Kingdom, or the gritty action sequences in Kill Bill, I would love to pick apart what makes those aspects tick and recreate them in my own way. Then again, when it comes to theatre, there’s a candidness that can’t be reproduced. The silence backstage when everything goes just right is euphoric, and the laughter about how wrong everything went the next moment is too. It’s true, many people study movies and plays, and few of them make it in Hollywood or Broadway, but the fact is that both disciplines teach a multitude of skills that can be applied to many other walks of life. This program would give me an amazing head start in developing my skills both as an artist and a professional, and good performance during Rising Star often leads to acceptance to SCAD as an undergraduate student.

My goal with this fundraising project is to learn about something I love in an advanced setting, and to challenge myself creatively and intellectually.

I have earned $1,000 in merit-based scholarship money from SCAD towards this program based on a review of my portfolio and accomplishments.       

 With the money I raise, $4,500 will go to the program and $500 will be used for travel, or other expenses.

By accomplishing this I intend not only to further my own education but to serve as as an example to other students to show them that they too can succeed with the help of others.
 
To show my gratitude I will be sending donors of over $25 a sticker of my watercolor piece "Rising Phoenix."



For donations of over $100 I will send a hand painted 3D replica of "Athena at Altes"

For donations of over $250 I will send a four part, handpainted, 3D printed magnet set


For donations of over $500 I will send a hand painted copy of the painting which won a Scholastic Silver Key, matted and framed, signed by the artist.




Thank you for all your support!

~Susanna

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Behind the Scenes:

How I make the Athena at Altes reproduction (My dad shot this video for me while I was in school.)

New video on Dragon Magnets coming soon!