What a difference a year makes

It’s been a long year full of unexpected changes and challenges. Here at SAW the health and safety of our staff, students and community members has been our biggest priority. That’s why in March last year we closed our studio doors and we’ve kept them shut, moving all of our offerings online.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: this wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and creative energy of many of our community. Week to week people have shown up for workshops and community events, they’ve participated in our online network and reached out to other members to keep them accountable. At the start of the pandemic we couldn’t have imagined the ways that people would show up.

Now that things are looking like they’re changing once again, SAW is looking towards the future of in person programming.

Same, same but different

We will officially be returning to in person programs again in the fall of 2021 with our full-immersion year long program. We’re excited to announce that the core programs will be taught by a rotation of visiting artists who will bring fresh energy and insight to our year long program. The 2021-22 resident instructors will be announced in early June.

Other in person programs

Alongside our year long course, we will be offering a series of 6-week workshops in the evenings, as well as the return of our weeklong and visiting artist workshops.

What about our teen summer program?

With the safety of our instructors and students in mind, we’ve made the decision not to run our teen summer program this year while we wait to see how the vaccine and opening up impacts infection rates over the summer. That doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about kids programs! We hope to offer a teen after school workshop starting in the fall, led by Gainesville local artists and inviting teens to play with comics and materials. Keep an eye out on our social media for more information.

Join us online

Even while we plan for the return of in person programs, we continue to offer new and old courses online. Join us starting June 1 for our 2021 Graphic Novel Intensive: six months of focused comics development alongside a group of fellow-creators, lead by Tom Hart, Emma Jensen and Jess Rulifsson.

In 2021 we will again be offering our yearlong course online, with a host of new instructors.

Don’t forget we also offer free virtual events including weekly draw jams hosted by Barry Sawicki, and a live comics reading event once a month.

We hope to see you soon!