Studio
Art

This is an art course that introduces students to various art movements, cultural influences, artistic genres, artists, and their artwork. The main emphasis of the course is to teach hands-on studio arts techniques while students engage in personal research and explore their own creativity by utilizing historical and contemporary art concepts and techniques. Examining and discussing artwork is a crucial part of this course. Students will be encouraged to express opinions about art in an intelligent and articulate manner. Throughout the course students will compile a portfolio of artworks reflective of their research, understanding, creativity, and personal growth.

Global Studies Art covers world history and the art and culture that shaped that history. The art a culture creates becomes the physical record of a civilization. It mirrors the culture and frames the history. The culture a civilization creates is, in turn, the catalyst for the civilization's achievements which is then reflected in the art work. The study of the art a civilization creates and the history of that civilization are so intertwined, that studying them both gives the student the fullest scope and deepest understanding of any historical era. Freshmen study how human cultures grow using common themes, rather than how individual cultures grow in semi-isolation. These studies are designed to teach world history and art starting with early paleolithic cultures through to the beginnings of the modern world and the 20th century. The course looks at history not through strict chronological study, but through thematic study (adaptation, conflict, self-identification, defining the physical world). Art not only reflects these themes, but pushes culture forward toward new definitions of the themes. There is a writing and research component in both aspects of the course that includes analyzing historical eras and the art and architecture connections to the cultures. In addition, a hands-on component involves creating artwork based on historical models, exploring the techniques, and adding personal expression to truly understand the motivations of the cultures involved.

This course is a prerequisite for all students unless they pass a portfolio review to place into a higher-level course. The technical focus of the course is on color theory, observational drawing, and the elements and principles of design. Students will be exposed to watercolors, acrylics, mixed media, sculpture, and ceramics. There is a cultural component wherein students learn the function of art in different historical eras which is assessed through student presentations, quizzes, and essays.

This is a course that focuses on observational drawing and painting. It is a classical course in the traditional sense. The students will learn how to paint using watercolors, and acrylics. They will focus on realism working from the environment, still life, the landscape, and human portraits. Students will also learn 3-D techniques creating sculptures and ceramics. All of the techniques are built on the basics learned in Introduction to Art.

In the Studio Art course, students begin to use the techniques they learned in previous courses (Intro to Art or Drawing and Painting) and start to build a body of work based on their own ideas. We continue to build skills in drawing the human form and drawing 3-D space, then each project begins with a prompt—"Illustrate a word as a sculpture"; "Create a landscape emphasizing foreground, middle ground, and background;" "Draw a person inside of a box", etc. The student can use the media of their choice to explore and interpret the project however they wish. The outcome of the class is to help students create art stemming from their imagination with a high level of technical skill and a strong conceptual base.

AP Studio Art follows the College Board curriculum and is our highest-level art instruction offered. It is primarily for students who are creating a portfolio for college applications, but students can take it for enrichment as well. In this course, students develop a body of work centered on a sustained investigation of a personally chosen topic. As at all levels of art instruction, there are technical skills taught and foundational skills reviewed and sharpened. The primary focus is students pursuing an idea and documenting that process as well as creating at least five selected works that best exemplify their artistic investigation. To guide students through their investigation, there are bi-weekly class critiques so students can articulate their ideas and get feedback from other students and the instructor.

This is a special course that focuses on portfolio preparation and individual student development. In this course, students focus on creating an individual body of work that is cohesive, yet demonstrates a breadth of abilities. Materials and topics to be covered will be based on student interest and technical skill levels. Students must be either in their Junior or Senior year to be enrolled in this course.

The course is designed to prepare students for the AP Art History exam, and will include practice exams and lessons in test taking strategies. A survey course of Art History from ancient civilizations to the modern era. The course covers Western and non-Western art with an emphasis on the cultural forces that influenced the art. There is a writing and research component that includes critiquing specific art works, and analyzing historical eras in art.

Through the implementation of Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs, students are provided an environment that fosters applied and practical Design to pursue personal discoveries of the visual arts. Students will be challenged to complete a series of projects responding to complex engineering design challenges. Students will engage in a variety of "hands on" projects through TinkerCad and Blender that exercise their creative thinking processes, and help them articulate and develop visual literacy through classwork, research practices, and practical and applied knowledge to communicate ideas and design solutions. Emphasis is placed on constructive feedback to peers and to respond to real-world design problems. Students will explore the many ways 3D printing can be utilized to solve emergent problems faced in the 21st century, both for themselves and others. On occasion, we will take lessons off campus to work with clients of their design work. Students will be informed a few days in advance of trips.