Talented Graduate to Attend CalArts

Date: September 4, 2007

 

Kyle Westmaas, a recent graduate of the Theatre program in CLAS’s School of Communication, now attends the California Institute of the Arts (Also known as CalArts) in Valencia, California , which is a private school founded by Walt Disney in the 1970s to create a place where new art can be created and flourish.  (If you want a good history, just wikipedia the name and it gives some good background).  Kyle explains: “It is one of the top art schools in the country, with only 1,200 students.  400 of those are grad students, and this year there are only 10 in my program, which is Theatre Acting M.F.A.  I got accepted through the URTA's, which is a mass audition for theatre grad schools”.  Many people audition every year, but only are granted a place in the graduate school.

Disney’s vision for the school was that it allow the widest possible range of artistic growth and expression and admit students based on their talent. 

“I'm really looking forward to being in a community where people are as passionate about what they do as I am.  I will also have the opportunity to work with area public school students through their Community Arts Partnership, which I'm also looking forward to. It's a program set up so CalArts students can serve as mentors for public school students in the Las Angeles area who are interested in the arts and hope to pursue them someday".