Fine Arts

ART STUDIO 1 (Foundations)                                                             801

Full Year, One credit

Art Studio 1 is a foundation course that introduces students to 2-D and 3-D art forms. Through black and white and color media, students learn the basic elements, principles and vocabulary used to define the Visual Arts. They will experiment by producing images through direct observation and imaginative work. Various techniques are taught to all students to begin to build a portfolio that demonstrates a range of skills and expression from realism to abstraction. Students also learn to critique their work in a group setting and will self-assess using a standard rubric. The curriculum includes a museum field trip and culminates in a Digital Portfolio.

ART STUDIO 2                                                                                      802

Full year, one credit

Prerequisite: Art Studio 1 with a final grade average of B or better

This class more thoroughly explores drawing, painting, printmaking and 2D design. It is part of the four year art sequence track culminating in Advanced Placement Art during a student’s senior year. The curriculum expands to include in depth studies of art history and contemporary art, as well as gallery and/or museum field trips. Students will be introduced to additional rendering in black and white and color media.  The year culminates in an exhibition to further expand student’s understanding of the role of the artist in the world. An interdisciplinary, conceptual, 3D or group project is a possibility as a final.

ADVANCED STUDIO ART (formerly Art 3/4)                                                      815

Full year, one credit              

Prerequisite: Art Studio 1 and 2 with a final grade average of B or better or with permission from the instructor

This is offered only to juniors and seniors who are serious art students. There is an emphasis on developing a personal style, refining skills and discovering solutions to solve design problems. The curriculum’s focus is on drawing from life, using mixed media, creating visual responses to social and political issues, exploring art history and researching and responding to contemporary art. Students will produce a well-rounded portfolio during the year that demonstrates a variety of experiences including drawing proficiency, 2D design, spatial awareness, life drawing and color theory. Students will be engaged in thinking and writing about their own work as well as the art of others through reflective journal entries, critiques and gallery/museum visits. Digital portfolios can be included with senior college applications while juniors will work on part of the AP Studio portfolio for senior year.

(AP) ADVANCED PLACEMENT ART & DESIGN                                                      805

Full year, one credit

Grades 11 and 12

Prerequisite:

Studio Art 1, 2 and Art 3/4, permission from the instructor and 

a department portfolio review of nine completed pieces. 

Three required summer assignments must be completed by the start of the course.

The Advanced Placement Program in Art & Design is intended for highly motivated, advanced students interested in the serious study of art and contemporary art history. This course involves significantly more work than the scheduled school periods allow. Therefore additional hours are required after class and at home. Weekly critiques of student work and monthly student/teacher meetings are also required.

The Advanced Placement student will prepare a portfolio of pieces that must be photographed and uploaded in high quality digital format to the College Board. In addition, five original works are submitted to the College Board in May, along with a written statement. All work is returned to the student in the summer. Successful completion of this course may result in one year of college elective credit.

Students must decide by the end of the first quarter whether or not they intend to take the AP Art Exam (drawing, 2D design, or 3D design) or if they will drop back to Art 4 credit for the remainder of the year.

(AP)  ADVANCED PLACEMENT ART HISTORY______________________________826

Full year, one credit

Prerequisite: Students need to have completed World History with a grade of A- 

This course will attempt to answer the following: What is art and how is it made? Why and how does art change? and How do we describe our thinking about art? Through these essential questions, students explore the big ideas of AP Art History. With these core questions as the foundation, this course is organized into ten cultural/chronological units, emphasizing daily practice of questioning techniques. These enable our students to develop critical thinking and visual literacy skills with which they can gather meaning from any artwork they encounter throughout their lives. 

This is a college-level survey course that covers the history and development of art and architecture in the world from ancient times to the present. Students will begin to understand works of art from around the world within the historical context by examining issues such as politics, religion, patronage, gender, function and ethnicity. Students will compare art across cultures and make global and thematic connections throughout the year. Successful completion of this course may result in one year of college credit.

STUDIO IN CERAMICS   (SEM)                                                                                    808

One Semester, ½ credit

This course is an introduction to a wide range of ceramic pottery and sculpture. Ceramic work provides an outlet for self-expression in three dimensional design. The course will assist and direct the student in developing and refining the tactile and modeling skills which three dimensional sculpture requires. There is an emphasis on hand-modeling and constructing techniques using the slab, coil, and raw clay as basic three-dimensional building forms. Students are encouraged to create their own style through a variety of glazing and finishing techniques.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (SEM)                                                                           821

One Semester, ½ credit

 Prerequisite: Art Studio 1 with a final grade average of B or better.

This course is an introduction to photography through digital imaging and editing. Students will explore image making using digital cameras and imaging software, such as Adobe Photoshop. Students will learn how to manipulate various aspects of their cameras and how to work with studio and natural lighting. General topics covered include still life, landscape, portrait and street photography.

DIGITAL ART I    (SEM)                                                                             812

DIGITAL ART II     (SEM)                                                                             813

One semester, 1/2 credit

 Prerequisite: Art Studio 1 with a final grade average of B or better

**Offered every other year 

This course is an introduction to design thinking and the concepts used for the creation of digital art and design projects. Students will learn elements and principles of design and explore effective visual communication methods. They will work on projects such as logos, brochures, illustrations and posters. Students are introduced to art history and contemporary design works. The II level class expands students’ knowledge with more complex and conceptual projects. They will additionally learn animation and produce a portfolio of their work for the semester.