November 27 - February 28

39 Total Sessions = 48.75 hours

Mondays and Wednesdays: 20 Sessions = 25 hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 19 Sessions = 23.75 hours

Winter Works Performance Dates: February 27 & 28

Students engaged in Winter Trimester Projects are required to present as part of the Winter Works.

Projects Meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays will present on February 27

Projects Meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays will present on February 28

Projects Meeting on Mondays through Thursdays will present on both February 27 & 28

APPLIED ARTS

Artists hone their foundation by employing the technical skills of a particular art or field of endeavor. These courses are Prime specific, unless otherwise designated as open to students from all primes. Students should focus their Applied Arts choices in their prime arts area, but may explore outside of their prime in some cases. Commitment to Applied Arts courses includes portfolio building.

PROJECTS

Artists engage in projects that emphasize the creative process through opportunities designed to expand their creative lens through collaboration, community engagement, and multiple performance and presentation avenues. These courses are open to students from all primes. Enrollment and eligibility requirements vary among project offerings. Commitment to a project includes mandatory participation in the Winter Works.

APPLIED ARTS OPTIONS

Mondays and Wednesdays

November 27 - February 28

20 total sessions = 25 hours possible*

Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life (final).mp4

Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life

Teaching Artist: Atalante Shay

Mondays & Wednesdays

Visual Art

This drawing class will cover various techniques, including shading, cross-hatching, contour line drawing, stippling, perspective, composition, and more!

For this class, it's important to keep a sketchbook to document your progress and showcase the entirety of what you learned.

Everyone is welcome to take this class because there's always something new to learn!

The House of Mouse and Beyond A DisneyPixar Film Study (final).mp4

House of Mouse and Beyond: A Disney/Pixar Film Study

Teaching Artist: Emily Karol

Mondays & Wednesdays

Film & New Media, Theater: Acting

This is a film study class that looks at the powerhouse studio of Disney/Pixar.

Film students will see how the medium has shifted from Disney's humble beginnings of hand-drawn characters to Pixar's crisp computer animation.

Acting students will discover how voice over storytelling has evolved with this growing medium.

Disney enthusiasts will study these films with a more critical eye and appreciate them on a deeper level.

Portraiture Spirit & Shape (final).mp4

Portraiture: Spirit & Shape

Teaching Artist: Robert Schumacher

Mondays & Wednesdays

Visual Art

Learning portraiture is a useful skill to develop for any art style. Knowing basic proportion and anatomy can be applied through any type of art and even strengthen your skills in other areas.

In this class, you will learn how to draw portraits. We will explore proportion, geometry, and basic anatomy. We will be working primarily in charcoal. Don’t be daunted! Portraiture will be broken down into bite-sized pieces.

Sculpture Fantasy or Realistic Humans & Animals (final).mp4

Sculpture: Fantasy or Realistic Humans & Animals

Teaching Artist: Barbara Bustard

Mondays & Wednesdays

Visual Art

Clay is a material rich in history and possibilities for art making, and hand building is the oldest use of the medium.

Hand building is a ceramics technique that allows you to create forms with clay and your hands, without using a throwing wheel.

Using hand building techniques, students in this course will create animal or human sculptures, either fantasy or realistic, using a study of the human or animal skeletal and muscular characteristics as a basis for their creation.

Note: If you were enrolled in this course during the Fall Trimester, you are not eligible to enroll during this trimester.

Tap Dance for Beginners and Advanced Beginners (final).mp4

Tap Dance for Beginners and Advanced Beginners

Teaching Artist: Niaja Diggs

Mondays & Wednesdays

All primes welcome, particularly Dance and Theater: Acting, Music

Tap is a style of dance characterized by the sound of the metal tap striking the floor. Tap utilizes rhythm, syncopation, and sound in addition to movement. An emphasis is placed on musicality, expression, rhythm and timing.

Artists will learn basic tap fundamentals and terminology. As learners acquire the tap vocabulary, they should be encouraged to learn key time signatures, e.g. 2/4, 4/4, 3/4, and to be able to apply them to the tap steps.

If you have never tapped before, don't worry! This class is open for true beginners (no experience) as well as advanced beginners (some experience).

If you need to borrow tap shoes, contact Mrs. Murphy to make arrangements.

Tuesdays & Thursdays

November 28 - February 27

19 total sessions = 23.75 hours possible*

Clay Clocks (final).mp4

Clay Clocks

Teaching Artist: Barbara Bustard

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All primes welcome. Visual Art experience recommended.

Clay is a material rich in history and possibilities for art making, and hand building is the oldest use of hte medium.

Hand building is a ceramics technique that allows you to create forms the clay in your hands without using a throwing wheel.

Using hand building techniques, students will combine form and function to create a working ceramic clock, either wall hanging or free standing.

Graphic Novels (final).mp4

Graphic Novels

Teaching Artist: Ryan Macauley

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All primes welcome. Visual/Digital Art experience recommended.

Comics are not only a fun art form, but a useful exercise to improve other skills such as story boarding and perspective drawing.

In this class, you will learn the fundamentals of comic making.

From script writing to thumbnailing to illustrating, students will use these techniques that are essential to creating a full fledged graphic novel.

Multi-Genre Dance Workshop Series II (final).mp4

Multi-Genre Dance Workshop Series

Teaching Artist: Rachel Cagle

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All Primes Welcome

This series of classes offers a diverse range of dance and movement styles. Whether you are an experienced dancer or a beginning mover, these fusion classes give you a chance to learn something new week to week to build your repertoire.

Content includes technical/improvisational drills and learning choreography to build skills in movement vocabulary, musicality, and performance.

Winter Writing Collection (final).mp4

Winter Writing Collection

Teaching Artists: Maggie Heemstra & Lynn Schwartz

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All Primes Welcome. Creative Writers, Film & New Media, Actors and Dancers encouraged.

This course is divided into three units: The Essence of Creating a Character on the Page and the Stage, Dialogue, and Ten-Minute Play. Students are expected to remain enrolled for the full collection. At the conclusion of each collection, final work is turned in and presented. In order to earn credit for each unit, that work must be handed in and presented.

Units of study:

The Essence of Creating a Character on the Page and the Stage

Dialogue

Ten-Minute Play

Click here for more information about the units of study.

Writing for the Screen (final).mp4

Writing for the Screen: Scriptwriting in the 21st Century

Teaching Artist: Melissa Daoulas

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All Primes Welcome. Creative Writing, Digital Arts, Film, Theater: Acting, Visual Arts encouraged.

Students will develop a short film or series based script that employs following a 3-act structure (for film) or 4-5 act structure (for a TV series).

Material can be fiction or nonfiction, but should have: a common through line or plot line that follows a character's progression (character development), character dialogue, inciting incident, rising stakes, resolution and character evolution.

One of the most important techniques employed is understanding and accepting constructive criticism. In the initial pitch (and writer's room), students are able to creatively express their ideas in a safe environment that allows for growth as a writer, student, and artist.

PROJECT OPTIONS

By opting in to a face-to-face project, artists commit to the full trimester, the final presentation (at the Winter Works, an evening event), and any additional rehearsals required to prepare the presentation (tech or dress rehearsals that may be scheduled outside of the regular classes, that students will be informed about in advance).

As a collaborator, it is imperative that artists see the project through from beginning to end, therefore, only at the conclusion of the project are hours awarded. If artists do not complete the project and present at the festival, they do not earn the hours.

Mondays through Thursdays

November 27 - February 28

39 total sessions = 48.75 hours possible* for class sessions + extended rehearsals + Winter Works

Winter Works Performance Dates - February 27 & 28

Pop Rock Vocal Performance (final).mp4

Pop Rock Vocal Performance

Teaching Artists: Jamie O'Connor & Emily Zinski

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays

Vocal Music background required.

Do you want to learn how to own the stage and bring an audience to its feet? Are you a classical singer who wants to apply your skills to a new style? Or do you want to slay at karaoke night?

In this course, vocal artists will learn how to perform Pop/Rock repertoire with style, technique, and ownership. Students will perform solos and sing back up harmonies for their peers, developing essential skills in ear training and ensemble building. Classical singers will develop new skills, and adapt their technique to different genres. Versatility is vital if you hope to become a professional singer! All students will develop an understanding of the Pop/Rock genre, and learn to take the stage with confidence. This course will culminate in a Pop Rock Vocal Concert.

PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to sing repertoire selected for you by the project mentors, in front of your peers during each class.

This project will perform at both evenings of the Winter Works and will include extended rehearsals leading up to the performances. Dates and times for extended rehearsals will be communicated in advance.

Mondays and Wednesdays

November 27 - February 28

20 total sessions = 25 hours possible*

Fashion Design (final).mp4

Fashion Design

Teaching Artists: Emily McCort

Mondays & Wednesdays

Design & Production, Visual Art

Working collaboratively to develop a fashion house name and brand, students will work together to plan a theme for a fictional “Annapolis Fashion Week”, each designing a capsule wardrobe around that theme using figure drawing, watercolor, and fashion design concepts and techniques taught during this process.

Note: this class is a visual arts presentation and designs are conceptual, we will not be making clothes for this project.

The visual presentation of your work will be part of the Winter Works.

Lyrics & Melody (final).mp4

Lyrics & Melody: The Perfect Marriage

Teaching Artists: Mike Busch & Athena Hiotis

Mondays & Wednesdays

Creative Writing, Instrumental Music: Band, Piano, Vocal Music

This is an Advanced Songwriting Course. Prerequisite: Successful Completion of Writing Song Lyrics: Transforming Emotion to Music (Winter 22), Music Production: From Kit to Hit (Winter 22) The Professional Songwriting (Spring 23) or sign-off from Athena Hiotis.

Course focuses on the specifics of word-choice and melody; how these choices affect the delivery of our song in both marketability and in storytelling; and experimentation with how these elements change with instrumental changes.

There will also be a focus on sharing, critique, and refinement.

The project will be presented as part of the Winter Works.

Instrumental Chamber Music (final).mp4

Instrumental Chamber Music

Teaching Artist: Dr. Kari Shea

Mondays & Wednesdays

Instrumental Music: Band, Orchestra, Piano

Instrumental Chamber Music is a course designed to empower students with efficient and effective techniques for practicing and preparing chamber music.

With one person on a part, students will learn leadership and collaboration skills.

Students will select a desired genre of music and performance goals and work to realize their potential through various strategies and tools to maximize their musical progress on a selected piece with a small group of musicians.

Final performance will be part of the Winter Works.

MUSE (final).mp4

MUSE: Apex Arts Literary Magazine

Teaching Artist: Lynn Schwartz

Mondays & Wednesdays

All Primes Welcome

A team of student editors will create and design a printed literary magazine that will represent the diverse work of the Apex Arts community. We will publish a rich variety of short fiction, poetry, art, photography, mixed-genre works, book reviews, personal essay, profiles, artist statements, creative process journeys, song lyrics, musical scores, and more. Participants will devise an identity for this fifth issue of the publication (theme, style, and format), select and edit content, design the layout, market the magazine, and organize a launch party during the Winter Works.

Note: Muse, the Apex Arts Literary Magazine, offers opportunities for some participants to take on a leadership role. We'd love to hear from you if you are interested in the possibility. Leaders may need to attend a few additional virtual meetings. Roles include: Editor / Fiction, Poetry, Essay Editor / Design Team Leader / Presentation Leader. To learn more about the roles and to indicate interest, fill out this Google Form with your registration.

The Writer’s Room (final).mp4

The Writer's Room

Teaching Artist: Francesca Chilcote

Mondays & Wednesdays

Creative Writing, Film & New Media, Theater: Acting

This project approaches comedy writing through scripting as well as improvisation. Beginning with basic improvisation training, students will learn to “Yes, And” each other in the writer’s room, and explore the value of improvised dialogue. After honing their comedy chops through game play, students will begin to improvise longer form scenes based on proposed scenarios, and eventually identify the themes, characters, and the world of their story.

The instructor will introduce group writing techniques, Dan Harmon’s story circle (adapted hero’s journey), Michael Schur’s “candy bag”, and guide the students as they write in the medium of their choice: play, screenplay, or tv pilot! The writing sessions will be conducted through breakout sessions in small groups with laptops, improvisation sessions guided by the instructor and the other writers, and group edits.

The project will be presented as part of the Winter Works.

Tuesdays & Thursdays

November 28 - February 27

19 total sessions = 23.75 hours possible*

Winter Works Performance Dates - February 27 & 28

Transforming a Classic (final).mp4

Transforming a Classic: Science Fiction and the Detective Story

Teaching Artists: Francesca Chilcote & Emily Karol

Tuesdays & Thursdays

All Primes Welcome

Suspense, Mystery, Impending Doom, and Secrecy are themes in the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Robert Louis Stevenson. These stories have been adapted for tv, film, and the stage, and are well loved by all ages. After the success of Studio 39's last adaptation and production, “Transforming a Classic” is back with “Science Fiction and the Detective Story.”

Collaborators will read and dissect “The Tell Tale Heart” and the “Pit and the Pendulum” by Poe, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” and “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes” by Doyle, and “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Stevenson. Through a series of prompts and activities, we will adapt one of these tales which will be produced in the Fall of 2024 at Studio 39 in partnership with Design & Production (pending).

Creative Writers with interest in retelling stories from a new view point, Visual Artists who like to find inspiration from written material, Actors who are interested in script writing, Design and Production aficionados that are curious on how to develop material from the storyboarding and workshopping phases are all strongly encouraged to join for this unique project!

As part of the Winter Works, this group will introduce audiences of the production to come.

“It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.” -- Edgar Allan Poe

Electro-Rock Orchestra

(Winter and Spring Trimester Project)

Teaching Artist: Athena Hiotis

Tuesdays & Thursdays for Winter AND Spring Trimesters

THIS PROJECT IS 45 HOURS DUE TO THE 2 TRIMESTER COMMITMENT

While an audition is not required, musicians should have experience.

Strings, Guitar, Piano/keys/synth, Drums, Percussion, Bass, Vocal

Electro-Rock band is a chance to make music without the limitation of a traditional rock band. In this class, we're going to be adding onto the regular rock layout by expanding on what sounds instruments can make and which instruments we play with. By introducing pedals, synths, and instrumentals not typically found in a band, we can create music that is unique and borrows from different styles.

This ensemble will be just as much about experimentation as it will be about learning songs and performing. You'll also be learning about efficient ways to load your gear on and off stage; how to properly sound check; and improving your stage presence to match not just the song, but the production surrounding you .

Be prepared to present a set for our audience that mirrors the level found in music industry, not just with our music performance but the production as well.

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