Young artists seek a community where they can explore, innovate, and thrive. They hope to find a place where they can belong — a haven that not only nurtures their creativity, but celebrates it. They yearn for an education in which their dreams are acknowledged, encouraged, and supported. For decades, student-artists have found all this and more in the midst of Southern California's San Jacinto Mountains, at Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA). 

A place of inspiration and growth, IAA is where passion meets purpose and ambitions take flight on the wings of artistic expression. With a rigorous pre-professional and college-prep curriculum, IAA helps students become citizen-artists who think critically and engage creatively with art, academics, and advocacy. 

At IAA, paintbrushes dance across canvases, cameras capture untold stories, stages come alive with raw emotion, and runways bring revolutionary designs to life. At the same time, IAA’s unique dual-curriculum hones students’ academic prowess while kindling curiosity, sparking innovation, and complementing their artistic pursuits. Moreover, students learn to position themselves and their work within a global context, developing the drive to make a difference. The result is a well-rounded education that prepares students to pursue dreams within and outside of the arts, regardless of the field, industry, or discipline. 

Of course, it takes a village to raise an artist and a community to cultivate excellence. From the moment students step foot on the idyllic campus, they are enveloped in a stimulating environment in which mentors become guides and peers become collaborators, an atmosphere of boundless possibilities. Through interdisciplinary partnerships, signature programmes, and unique educational endeavours — including masterclasses and workshops with industry professionals and artistic innovators — IAA provides students with unique, life-changing opportunities that allow them to unlock their potential and transform their passions into fulfilling careers.

IAA’s Visual Arts programme is led by a team of experienced and talented faculty committed to nurturing students’ technical skills, creative vision, and critical thinking abilities. The programme’s curriculum includes exploratory courses that allow students to experiment with different materials, methods, and styles. Students develop their technique and expand their skill sets with a variety of 2D and 3D mediums, including (but not limited to) painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, printmaking, and video.

IAA students regularly exhibit their art at the Melissa Morgan Fine Art Gallery in Palm Desert and many other regional galleries, and each student attends at least one National Portfolio Day to showcase their work to representatives of top colleges and universities. Others have entered the Young Ceramicists Competition of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts; competed for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards; exhibited in senior shows, theme shows, and juried shows in the 2,000-square-foot Parks Exhibition Centre; attended masterclasses with professionals from across the globe; and gained cultural perspectives through carefully-coordinated field trips. 

Throughout the year, Visual Arts students enjoy such workshops and field trips, contribute to shows and exhibitions, and participate in competitions and career-development events. Clearly, the students have no shortage of opportunities to develop their artistic skills and expand their creative horizons — both on and off campus. The Visual Arts Department’s emphasis on experiential, experimental, and hands-on learning ensures students graduate qualified and ready to take both college and the world by storm.

Visual Arts

Film & Digital Media

IAA’s pioneering Fashion Design programme continues the dual-pattern of college-prep and pre-professional training; each IAA Fashion Design student graduates ready to pursue their next step, whether that be enrolling in a college programme or apprenticing with a designer. The programme provides in-depth training in foundational techniques, including (but not limited to) hand and machine sewing, pattern-making, draping, textiles, accessories, fashion illustration, fashion history, fashion photography, and conceptual design. Meanwhile, personalised mentorship, interdepartmental collaboration, and pre-professional internships — among other opportunities — furnish students with the skills and experience needed to bring their designs to life.

Covering the basics and developing various key skills ignites inspiration within the students, who enjoy a team environment as they bring their ideas to life. The programme’s students make connections, gain experience in different production roles, and become well-rounded, collaborative filmmakers.

We have a class called ‘Production Workshop,’ where we spend hours with every student and team, developing that particular vision for their projects,” explains Catalina Alcaraz-Guzman, Chair of the Film & Digital Media Department. “I think this makes a big difference in our programme.”

Alcaraz-Guzman is equally enthusiastic about the serene seclusion the academy provides. She believes this tranquillity enables profound thought and inspires innovative ideas. Still, film students also benefit from having bustling, glamorous Hollywood at their doorstep, just a two-hour drive from Idyllwild, CA. Hollywood-based industry professionals host masterclasses and workshops throughout the year, sharing their expertise with the students. The students even have the opportunity to head to Hollywood themselves, where they can pitch their ideas and establish their presence in the industry.

Dramatic Arts / Theatre

To best prepare students for their next academic steps and first professional leaps, the IAA Theatre Department nurtures students’ versatility through interdisciplinary learning, diverse training, and professionally-relevant teaching. Students have the opportunity to participate in mainstage productions and Film students’ projects; take part in several competitions; enjoy field trips to other theatre productions in Southern California; and benefit from masterclasses taught by successful figures in the industry. 

Each student declares a concentration in Acting, Musical Theatre, or Design and Production before embarking on a curriculum tailor-made to help them establish foundational skills and explore their interests. From fundamentals — such as acting for the stage and camera, physical storytelling, stage combat, diction, theatre history, technical theatre, and design — to specialised courses including voice (singing), dance, stage management, directing, and more, IAA’s Theatre students have the resources, support, and freedom to find their passion and excel at it. Regardless of their concentration, all Theatre students are prepared to thrive in competitive college programmes or flourish in the entertainment industry itself.

McCourt-Stryjewski firmly believes in the power of hands-on, professional-level experiences; his students regularly compete in major industry showcases and competitions, and have even performed on Broadway! He emphasises the advanced, pre-professional nature of IAA’s Theatre programme. “We always ask of our students what the industry will ask of them,” he says.

The Theatre programme’s pre-professional emphasis has made a world of difference for student Adeline Blue. Standing on the brink of the performing arts world, Blue exudes a deep sense of confidence, having been well-prepared for the industry through her time and work in IAA’s Theatre programme. Thinking of her graduation from IAA, Blue insists, “I could walk into any theatre, ask what they need of me, and fulfil whatever they say because I’m coming out of here with knowledge of current industry standards.”

Blue will soon embark on her journey to Fordham University, a prestigious university in New York City. There, she plans to study Design and Production (with convenient proximity to Broadway), potentially double majoring in business. As for the future, she plans on running a theatre company of her own. She owes her confidence to the self-reflection her education at IAA continuously encouraged. “I have learned so much about myself as a person and as an artist,” she says.

An enriching education awaits at Idyllwild Arts Academy.