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The Visual Arts Department at SCPA fosters creative expression through rigorous instruction in both traditional and digital art forms. Our mission is to help students develop strong observational skills, refined techniques, and a personal artistic voice—preparing them for further study in college, entry into creative industries, or a lifelong engagement with the arts.
Preparatory Division (Grades K–6)
Preparatory Division (Grades K–6)
In grades K–3, students explore a range of visual art materials and concepts through broad creative experiences. In third grade, they audition for placement into the arts discipline that best suits their interests and strengths.
From grades 4–6, Visual Arts students begin focused skill development in drawing, painting, sculpture, and design. Admission is through the CPS lottery (K–3) or by audition (grades 4–6).
Pre-Professional Conservatory
(Grades 7–12)
Pre-Professional Conservatory
(Grades 7–12)
The Visual Arts program for grades 7–12 is part of SCPA’s Pre-Professional Conservatory. Admission is by audition, including for current sixth graders continuing at SCPA. The high school Visual Arts program (grades 9–12) is also a designated Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway, offering students professional-level training in preparation for college or careers in the arts and creative industries.
Students engage in an intensive curriculum that includes fine art, design, and digital media. Courses include drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography, design, digital arts, and motion graphics. Advanced Placement (AP) Art courses are also available, allowing juniors and seniors to earn college credit while building competitive portfolios. Through this comprehensive studio and academic program, students develop and refine technical skills, explore personal expression, and build strong portfolios. The curriculum emphasizes critique, exhibition, and problem-solving, helping students become holistic learners who think creatively, critically, and pluralistically.
The CTE framework further supports students with opportunities to earn Adobe industry certifications and participate in real-world learning experiences that enhance college and career readiness. Whether students pursue careers in the arts or other fields, visual art education at SCPA fosters visual literacy, innovation, and lifelong creative thinking.
The program stresses a strong emphasis on:
developing processes based on research, concepts, and personal expression
craft and technique
observational skills
Classroom ACTIVITIES Include
Classroom ACTIVITIES Include
instructor-guided demonstrations
class lectures
studio
critiques
journal/sketchbook keeping
career and project research
homework
visiting artists and designers
field trips
exhibitions
Adobe Certification
Adobe Certification
An Adobe certification is an OED career tech industry-recognized credential that effectively validates a student’s skills in Adobe digital media software.
A student earning certification has approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience with the software, is familiar with product features and capabilities, and is also familiar with relevant career concepts.
SCPA students can earn certification:
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Animate
AP 2D & 3D Classes
AP 2D & 3D Classes
Students can be selected to earn college credit in AP Drawing, AP 2D Design and/or 3D Design. Working within the framework of assignments based on specific concepts and/or limited to specific materials, students in these classes learn to work in an independent manner as mature artists.
SCPA Visual Arts Disciplines
SCPA Visual Arts Disciplines
Drawing & ILLUSTRATION
Drawing & ILLUSTRATION
Students explore observational drawing using graphite, charcoal, pastel, ink, vectors, and pixels in traditional and digital compositions utilizing line, shape, texture, space, and value.
Painting
Painting
Students learn the basics of acrylic and oil painting and explore value and color relationships. Students work on a variety of projects ranging from still life, portraits and landscapes.
3D & Ceramics
3D & Ceramics
3D Classes integrate three-dimensional problem-solving in terms of both content and materials. Students work with various materials ranging from plaster and wood to found objects.
Ceramics Students learn the fundamentals of hand-building, wheel-throwing, glazing, and kiln-firing techniques. Students work on projects ranging from simple vessels to more elaborate functional objects and sculptural projects.
Digital Art & Design
Digital Art & Design
Observational artwork created from real-life objects created using vectors and/or pixels.
Photography
Photography
Images capture with a film or digital camera printed on quality photography paper.
Animation
Animation
Work of up to five minutes of timeline-based art.
Mix Media
Mix Media
Observational artwork created from a real-life object utilizing a mix of mediums. 9”x 12” or larger. These must be exhibition-quality works.
Paper cutting
Paper cutting
Paper cutting or paper cutting is the art of paper designs. It has evolved uniquely worldwide to adapt to different cultural styles. One traditional distinction most styles share in common is that the designs are cut from a single sheet of paper as opposed to multiple adjoining sheets, as in collage.
Fibers
Fibers
Fiber art refers to fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic fiber and other components, such as fabric or yarn. It focuses on the materials and the manual labor on the part of the artist as part of the works' significance and prioritizes aesthetic value over utility.
Character Design
Character Design
Character Compositions and Character Model Sheets encompass the entire concept, style, and personality of a character. Characters are based on observation of an actual person, including consistent human proportions, not objective gender, and include a background that adds to the narrative of the character. Fan art is not acceptable. All characters must be original.
Print Making
Print Making
Students are introduced to a variety of printmaking methods; linocut, woodcut, and screen printing.
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