SVVAA Program

Shades Valley Visual Arts Academy Career Pathway: We invite students at Shades Valley High School to enroll in visual arts courses that are currently offered with the choices of Art basic, Art I, Art II consecutively, then can continue on to choose from Art III, Art IV, 2D (drawing, painting, graphic design, digital media) and 3D Art (sculpture, ceramics). Students interested in pursuing a career pathway in art may enroll in a minimum of 4 courses to qualify for the fine art endorsement on their diploma with a 3.0 GPA or higher, and to be recognized as a Visual Arts Academy graduate upon successful completion of coursework by senior year. Job internships are also a possibility for students interested in careers in art, or that may complement their studies in other academy programs such as business, theater arts or engineering.

The Shades Valley Visual Art Academy offers opportunities for students to display and sell their work locally through a variety of local venues in addition to building upon their artistic skills and developing a strong portfolio. This program also offers a global perspective to the curriculum, providing opportunities for students to connect with other students worldwide, as part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms training that Mrs. Ritchey received in 2017 with the US State Dept. Fulbright TGC IREX fellowship program with a two week experience teaching in Morocco, that she shares with students in the classroom through globally-focused projects.