Single-Year Program

The 2012-2103 Single-Year Program is now finished, and our students are walking away having had a great education. Our program stands among the best in the country. See the round-up blog post here.

SAW is looking for serious students of comic book and sequential art. Whether your interest is personal stories, graphic novels, or genre comics or whether your concern is for entertainment, literary depth, or personal expression, then our program is for you.

We have taught comics to illustration students, writers and english teachers, fine arts If you have passion and a dedication to learning sequential art, then the SAW single-year intensive is for you.

“…don’t know much about ‘art,’ even though I’ve been drawing and writing for over 60 years. I always held the belief that ‘art’ cannot be taught. But methinks that yours is the correct approch. Witness Justine, the very embodyment of the artist’s profile. I’ve known her for many years, and have been a fan from the very beginning. She is extreemly gifted, and will be on hand to help your students open the doors of perception. – Frank Thorne

Apply for the 2013-2014 Program: Click here to download our application. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

We will do our best to announce receipt of your application within days, and do our best to  inform you within 4-6 weeks of your acceptance. Right now, we still have slots available. Deadline will be announced as we creep near capacity.

Please email to confirm your application.

The cost is $3550 for the full-year program.

Apply for the 2013-2014 Program: Click here to download our application

Please check out our two videos about our school, below.

Student Life

(More pics on our Flickr page )

What’s that? Want another testimonial video?

SAW has monthly art shows, and shares courtyard space with a three other community organizations that hold frequent music shows, movies, open mics, parties and other performances.

SAW students are active participants in the Gainesville community, many participating in its monthly oral storytelling event, and some in the roller derby, the local radio station and other community projects.

SAW is surrounded by creative organizations, entities and artists. Gainesville’s monthly art event extends for 14 blocks and features contemporary painting, sculpture, printmaking, assemblage, drawing and film.

Tom Hart and Justine Andersen create all their professional and personal work at SAW, for clients ranging from MAD Magazine to The Department of Defense, as well as each of their ongoing memoir comics.

Apply for the 2013-2014 Program

Click here to download our application

Our single-year program is designed to challenge students both technically and intellectually.

First year students learn the basics of cartooning and narrative art. As they gain skills and craft from our faculty, we challenge and guide them into new ideas and solutions that will turn them into artists.

A second, optional (and at this point, tentative) year is more project-oriented, and students will be required to complete and publish a graphic novella, collection of stories or tabloid newspaper of their work.

Studio classes run roughly from 11:00-1:50 pm M-F at The Sequential Artists Workshop. Non-studio classes will run roughly 11:00-1:00. Our current schedule:

Our Single-Year Program is modeled on programs in the finest institutions for cartooning in the country.

Our second year is currently tentative and will involve an intensive single-project workshop, in-depth graphic novel reading/interpretations, intensive media class and more. Stay tuned.

Frequently Asked Questions about enrolling:

How Much Does it Cost?
Why Are You So Cheap?
Why Are You So Expensive?
Can I Take Just a Few Classes?
Can I Take Just a Few Classes?
Who is this School For?
What Kind of Work Comes Out of Your School?
How Big are the Classes?
Where Will I Stay?
Where is the Enrollment Form?
What Payment Options are There?
Do I Need a Portfolio?
When do Classes Start and End?

How Much Does it Cost?

The price is $3550 per year or $1800 per single semester.

Why Are You So Cheap?

You are getting a first-rate arts education for a third of the price of CCS, and one eighth of the price of SCAD or SVA. Why? Our program at present is unaccredited. We have low overhead (almost all of tuition goes to rent and teacher salaries.) We currently have one computer. Our successful beta year is just winding down and we expect prices to go up soon so get on board now.

Why Are You So Expensive?

We’re not! See above.

Can I Take Just a Few Classes?

Yes. You can sign up for just the classes you want. Info about pricing and a la carte enrollment coming soon. A la carte classes for the 2012 full-year program are roughly $350 per semester, with some restrictions. Please contact us for more specifcs.

Are There Payment Options?

We have previously entertained options including work-study as well as installment plans and sliding scale. We would rather have you here than not. While we are still informal, everything is on a case by case basis. Write to us to discuss these options.

Who is this School For?

You could be: 1) College-age and wanting to focus on art before springboarding into a full-fledged BFA. 2) An aritstic adult who has dabbled in comics and wants to study and practice the form more. 3) Frustrated with your current schooling and want to study comics in a more intensive, inspiring and free environment. 4) Post-college adult looking to continue their education or pick up study they missed. 5) An established creator stuck and needing to push their work to the next level. 6) Any combination or variation on the above. SAW is a school for differing personalities and artists temperaments. We strive to find the stories and art inside you that are trying to come out. We have taught comics to art students, english teachers, truck drivers, museum guards, fine arts students, scriptwriters, graphic designers (lots of those), etc. In short, if you have passion and dedication to learning sequential art, then the SAW single-year intensive is for you.

What Kind of Work Comes out of your School?

The work we try to enable you to create is the work that you were most meant to make, and the stories you were most meant to tell. We seek to help you find your voice as a cartoonist by challenging you to push your own boundaries and discover more of your stories and your abilities while helping you see and control what you are already strong at. You can see some student work at our Flickr page, here

How Big are the Classes?

We are aiming for a class size between 8-13 people.

Where Will I Stay?

Gainesville is a major university town and as such, very friendly to students. You should have no trouble finding suitable housing in Gainesville. Almost any house or apartment you find will be within biking distance of SAW which is a few blocks from the main intersection of University and Main. Try this Craigslist link: http://gainesville.craigslist.org/apa/ or other services to find roomates or an apartment.

Note: The UF schedule means that houses and apartments rent from August to July. Look before then. Prospective students will have access to the school Wiki page where students can discuss and collaborate on finding housing.

Where is the Enrollment Form?

Here!

What Payment Options are There?

At the moment we’re agile and flexible. Contact us.

Do I Need a Portfolio?

Yes, a portfolio review is required to enter the school. It is recommended this be online or in digital form. In addition, an essay and a new comic strip are required. See specifics on the application form.

When Do Classes Start and End?

First day of the fall semster is August 27, 2012, ending on Friday December 14. We take a week off in October and time off for Thanksgiving. View more on our calendar, here:

http://sequentialartistsworkshop.org/wordpress/events-and-class-schedule/

Our spring 2013 semester will begin in January and end in May. Details to follow.

Help spread the word about our year-long program!

Things are developing as we begin to add faculty and additional resources. The SAW program rivals any program of similar length in the country. This is our first year and as such is offered at an extremely affordable price.

Many of you are already familiar with SAW, have already taken classes here, etc. You know that the space is good, the teaching excellent and the Gainesville artistic community vibrant. We are actively seeking talented applicants. Please let people know that they can contact us formally or informally about attending.

–Audio interview with Tom Hart about SAW:

http://comixclaptrap.blogspot.com/2012/02/tom-hart-season-5-episode-1.html

Blog: http://sequentialartistsworkshop.org/wordpress/

Twitter: @comicsworkshop

Tumblr: http://sequentialartistsworkshop.tumblr.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sequential-Artists-Workshop/167604913271826

The school admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship, and loan programs and athletic and other school administered programs.