Help Umberto attend Academy of Art Summer Pre-College Art Experience through Wishbone.org!

Mr. Brand Wants To

Send Umberto to Academy of Art Summer Pre-College Art Experience

Umberto has applied to attend Academy of Art Summer Pre-College Art Experience this summer and is raising funds for his program fees. Can you help?

Umberto

Interest:	Fine Arts
Grade:	11th
School:	East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy
Location:	East Palo Alto, CA

Successfully funded on March 19th, 2015!

Fully funded!

$778 raised

$0 to go

0 DAYS TO GO

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Umberto's Story

My passion is writing and art.

Since I could remember, I've had a pen and paper around for me to use. I grew and got familiar with art at a young age thanks to my parents. I never saw what I was doing as a career, I just drew and was happy with it. Now that I'm 17, I love to draw so much that I wish to pursue it as a career.

I'm good with a pen and pad but I lack the skills to make anything digital. The Academy of Art Summer Pre-College Art Experience would allow me to learn these skills and travel to places that I have not been to before.

One obstacle that I face is money, money seems to run all around me yet I seem to go nowhere. I come from East Palo Alto, a small suburban town in the middle of the Bay Area. I try to live as best I can, but sometimes I feel like my ambitions will never catch up to reality.

A Note from Mr. Brand, Umberto's Mentor

"Even though Umberto comes from a low-income background, he has taken full advantage of our College Track programs, academically and socially. More specifically, he has been a partner in improving our program. Through his job at Trader Joe’s, he has been instrumental in establishing and creating a partnership between College Track and Trader Joe’s so that much of the day old food would be delivered to our site. He proposed the idea and was able to connect our site with their staff, which resulted in food ending up in the stomachs of our students and their families instead of a landfill.

Umberto is an extraordinary artist. I was a former art teacher and in his style there is a raw talent that exists. I know a structured art summer program would be extremely important for his growth as an artist. This would be an amazing experience for him because he could see that there are students out there that share his passions and interests."

Campaign Activity

Umberto posted an update

June 26

My experience so far at Academy of Art

I am thrilled to be attending the Academy during the summer, as well as taking courses online. It really is a great opportunity for myself to expand my knowledge of the arts. Working with different mediums is always a fun processes for myself. I learned a lot from my art instructor this last school year. He has given many kids in my community an introduction to drawing. I, like many of my peers, learned the simple methods to better my craft. We also spent a whole semester painting and learning about what makes up a well balanced composition. We have worked from pastel pieces, to chiaroscuro drawings. I'm am exited to see what challenges the Academy has in store for me. I, like many other students, have come with ambitions. I am eager to attend this program, and I am eager to do great!