New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (pt1)
Friday, May 27, 2005
I didn't even originally want to go to NOCCA, though that's probably more a reflection of my reluctance to accept suggestion than any kind of valid opinion. My mom mentioned it numerous times and i always felt like i was being pushed toward it, so my natural reaction was to oppose going.NOCCA is an art school in new orleans, a half-day public high school that complements the curriculum of your "home school." You fulfill your requirements at your home school and all of your elective credits are devoted to learning about art, music, dance, theatre or writing. (Granted, this all speaks to my experience in 1991-92, things have changed significantly since.) Students were required to audition for NOCCA; there were several auditions held throughout spring and summer the last of which was held a week or two before the school year began. Because of my reluctance, i didn't audition until the last possible date, i think August 28th or 29th.
The audition itself consisted of an interview with the three primary instructors, which included showing a portfolio, and a drawing test in which you sat in a classroom and sketched from a still-life. I can't even imagine what my portfolio consisted of. When i went to draw from the still life i chose to draw a combat boot that sat on the table and i was confident that i was going to draw that boot in every little detail. I wasn't told how much time i'd have, so i just set to work. I think i had gotten maybe a quarter of the boot done when the scary Mrs. Gross came in and told me that i'd done enough. I guess i didn't have as much time as i needed after all.
I'm not the type of person that is very comfortable with strangers, i don't do well with small talk, and i don't like places and situations in which i am unfamiliar. But, for some reason, i seem to have this uncanny knack for calmness and confidence in interviews. It's probably a reflection of a lack of emotional investment in the outcome. If i'm not accepted, oh well. I never really considered that i wouldn't get in, though. When i was there for my audition i can only remember seeing one other applicant coming as i was leaving, most likely because it was so late in the summer and the new school year was so close. If there had been a lot of other kids there, i might've been nervous, though i most likely would also have felt more competitive. Even though i hadn't gotten much actual drawing done, i figured that what i had done was well drawn and perhaps they'd see that. A week later, i was accepted.
Continue Part 2 ->
posted by j. Permanent Link
