Junior Brennan Metzger spent three weeks of his summer living at The Interlochen Center for the Arts after earning the Interlochen Art Camp Scholarship that was able to cover his stay.
Metzger was one out of a vast pool of applicants admitted to the Interlochen Arts Camp this year, with an acceptance rate of 12 percent, and 9 percent of attendees receiving a scholarship, the Interlochen website said. The programs applicants are asked to submit a portfolio of art pieces, according to Interlochen Arts Academy.
“I submitted a lot of my projects from Drawing 1 and Drawing 2 because I thought it would give me the advantage of having a versatile range of stuff that I can do,” Metzger said. “I wanted to showcase all the different mediums and techniques I can use.”
Arriving at the camp was a great opportunity that allowed Metzger to experiment and grow his knowledge, he said. In addition to the provided resources that allowed him to perform life studies through paintings, Metzger was also able to see other talented artists and techniques for himself, he said.
“I was just so excited to be around people who are better than me,” Metzger said. “I wanted to see these people who have more talent than me, who know what they’re doing, who are really skilled. I wanted to be around those people as much as possible to see how much I could learn.”
Metzger stands out for realistic drawing abilities and his techniques, Stephanie Fuja, AP Art Teacher, said. In class, he typically works with pens, pencils, and charcoal. Metzger’s techniques is one of the qualities that distinguishes his work, Fuja explained.
“He stands out based on his skills in his realistic abilities and techniques he knows how to use, and use well,” Fuja said.
Since returning from Interlochen, Metzger has begun applying what he learned to his AP Art collection. At camp, he was able to develop a new perspective on what makes art meaningful.
“Art is about making a statement,” Metzger said. “It’s not always about what you put on the canvas. It’s about the message behind it.”
