The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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June 28, 2008

EHSstudent studies with stars at institute

LONE WOLF — Enid High School student Heidi Fischbach is studying with an “X-Men” star, Ansel Adams protégé and many more award-winning artists at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain (OSAI). The two-week residential academy provides intensive training for Oklahoma high school students in the visual, literary and performing arts.

“I’m really excited to have such an opportunity as Quartz Mountain,” said Fischbach, an OSAI orchestra student. “I’m looking forward to furthering my bassoon skills.”

Over the past 31 summers, many famous artists have taught at OSAI, including recipients of the Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. This year’s faculty artists include actress Famke Janssen of Los Angeles and photographer Huntington Witherill of Monterey, Calif.

Janssen has starred in all three “X-Men” movies as Dr. Jean Grey and in the James Bond film “Golden-Eye” as Xenia Onatopp.

Witherill studied with Ansel Adams and other famous photographers. With more than 90 exhibitions and two photography books to his credit, Witherill was named “Artist of the Year” by the Center for Photographic Art.

“This opportunity to study with some of the nation’s finest artists can be a life-changing experience,” said Julie Cohen, Oklahoma Arts Institute president. “We are thrilled to have Enid represented by Heidi at the 2008 Summer Arts Institute.”

Fischbach’s OSAI schedule is intense. She studies orchestra for at least six hours a day, and in the evenings attends a variety of performances, lectures and de-monstrations in all of the fine arts. Fischbach’s classmates are an elite group of 275 Oklahoma high school students chosen for the program through competitive statewide auditions out of a pool of more than 1,000 students.

In conjunction with acceptance, Fischbach received a full scholarship to OSAI.

Fischbach’s scholarship was provided by Oklahoma State Department of Educa-tion and Inasmuch Found-ation, with additional funding provided by Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma State Department of Tourism and Recreation, Helmerich Foundation, Kirkpatrick Family Fund and Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

OSAI culminates Friday and Saturday, with concerts, performances, film screenings and exhibitions displayed by OSAI students.

All events are free and open to the public.

A performance schedule is available at www.oaiquartz.org or (405) 321-9000.

OSAI is administered by Oklahoma Arts Institute, a private, non-profit organization established in 1977 with a vision to cultivate established and emerging artists and educators through art workshops, immersion and awareness.

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