Courses Offered

This course will give students a chance to experiment with what other visual art classes offer, providing a chance to grow and develop an understanding of multiple processes and a variety of materials and mediums, as well as, an overall appreciation for art. 

In this course you will:

• Complete two-dimensional and three dimensional artworks, such as drawings, paintings, prints, and sculptures, to learn the concepts, language, and techniques of the visual arts.

• Develop skills related to and an understanding of the visual arts through a series of assignments on the elements and principles of design, drawing techniques, printmaking methods, color techniques and theory, and sculpture techniques.

• Gain an understanding of the tools and vocabulary used in the visual arts and be able to discuss your work using these art terms.

This course is great for those needing an Art 1 credit but has a genuine interest in art and prior knowledge and skills they wish to build upon.

Studio Art is an introductory and experimental studio art class for beginning artists. The focus of this class is on applying the Elements and Principles of Design to your own personal artwork using a variety of media and approaches while incorporating choice.  Studio Art is about growing as an artist and stepping outside of your creative comfort zone while developing independence in your artistic choices.  You will be asked to grow, experiment, and test many new approaches to art in order to develop and refine your personal artistic style. 

Drawing II: Drawing is the most essential type of visual art that serves as a basis for success in almost all other areas of art. Students in Drawing II will explore and refine their skills in a variety of drawing media, including pencil, charcoal, pen & ink, and pastel as well as their overall technical skills. They will become familiar with different drawing styles and techniques by expanding on personal themes, applying design skills, and studying and analyzing artwork. Special emphasis is placed on realistic drawing through observation, elements and principles of art, developing a successful composition and technical practice.

Drawing III and IV: Students will take techniques and concepts learned in Drawing II and explore larger, more pervasive themes from areas including art history, current events, and personal experiences. Students will focus on learning advanced drawing techniques, exploring alternative mediums, and depicting challenging subject matter. 

You will explore the creative side of drawing while continuing to develop strong observational skills. As you transition from Drawing II, here is what to expect:

1. More creative freedom. Each piece you create will have objectives that you must achieve, but you will be responsible for the development of the concept, style, and composition.  

2. Choices. You will have an opportunity to choose which medium you prefer to work with for most projects unless the focus of the project is a specific medium or technique.  

Painting 2:

Students in Painting 2, 3, and 4 will explore and refine their skills using tempera paint, watercolor, ink, and acrylic paint and acrylic mixed mediums. They will become familiar with different painting styles and techniques by expanding on personal themes, applying design and technical skills, and studying and analyzing artwork. Special emphasis is placed on realistic painting through observation, elements and principles of art, and technical practice.

Painting 3 & 4:

Students will take techniques and concepts learned in Painting 2 and explore larger, more pervasive themes from areas including art history, current events, and personal experience. Students will focus on learning advanced painting techniques, exploring alternative gel mediums, and depicting challenging subject matter specifically focused on realistic and portrait painting.

Painting 3 students will be assigned specific structured assignments and can eventually work to producing independent experimentation and artwork by the Spring semester. Tailored specifically towards each student displaying adequate time management skills, they may fill out a project proposal sheet explaining in detail what they would like to paint and how it will improve their skills/ teach them a new technique or develop further on a technique they already know.

Printmaking II:

Students will interpret and organize multiple solutions between natural and man-made environments. Students will become familiar with

different drawing styles and techniques by expanding on personal themes, applying design skills, and studying and analyzing artwork. There

may be a cost associated with taking this course.

Printmaking III:

Prerequisite: Printmaking II

Student will become familiar with different cultural drawing styles and apply a variety of drawing techniques. Students will apply design skills

in creating their artwork. There may be a cost associated with taking this course.

Printmaking IV:

Prerequisite: Printmaking III

Students will use problem-solving techniques to create multiple solutions through imaginative thinking to artwork that demonstrates

personal intent. Students will create work singularly and/or in a series using a variety of media in their area of concentration. There may be

a cost associated with taking this course.

Ceramics 2:

Students in Ceramics 2 will learn the basic scientific foundation behind the process of working in clay and develop technical skills such as pinch pot, coiling, and slab construction.  They will refine their skills through a variety of projects that provide structural guidance and allow for personal expression.  An introduction to contemporary ceramic artists will allow for a wider exposure to global artistry and deeper conceptual thinking.  We will also cover process writing about technique and reflective journaling about finished work.

Ceramics 3 and 4:

Students will continue to develop their hand building skills through realistic human representation and abstract sculptural design, as well as functional thrown pottery.  In the second semester, they will develop artistic independence by producing project proposals that allow for personal exploration of concept and design.  

Sculpture 2:

Students will expand on the skills learned in Art 1 or Studio Art by experimenting with different techniques and materials including clay, wood, wire, paper, cardboard, plaster, and ready-made/found objects.  They will develop key techniques and formal construction ideas that allow them to engineer sound and stable sculptural structures.  Through the combination of skills and techniques, students will learn to create expressive and meaningful sculptural ideas that show their own personal voice.

A special emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the elements and principles of Art in relation to 3-dimensional design, and expressing artistic intent, process, and reflection.  These concepts will be recorded in a digital sketchbook throughout the course so that students can reflect on their growth and understanding of 3-dimensional design.  

Sculpture 3 & 4:

Students will take techniques and concepts learned in Sculpture 2 and explore larger, more pervasive themes from areas including art history, current events, and personal experience. Students will focus on learning new and inventive ways of expressing their ideas through advanced sculptural techniques; exploring alternative forms of sculpture such as assemblage, installation, and time-based media; and explore high level conceptual art.   They will also expand on their conceptual vocabulary by explaining content and message through personal reflection and artistic analysis.

Course Description:

AP 2D has been developed to accommodate serious art students who have expressed an interest in completing the AP 2-D Design Portfolio. Through studio practice, application of design concepts and informed decision making, these students will assemble a body of artwork that demonstrates a high level of quality and growth over time of content, technique, and process. Students will investigate all two parts of their portfolios as required by the AP College Board: Sustained Investigation and Selected Works. All work will be documented through-out the year by digital photos.               

This is a very rigorous course where we will be experimenting with a lot of mediums and creating a lot of work to build an extensive collection (15+ pieces) of conceptual and cohesive artworks.

The Sustained Investigation section of the portfolio will consist of 15 high quality artworks that clearly demonstrate that the student has developed a body of work by investigation of a theme or idea (conceptual art). The Sustained investigation (SI) section must show growth and discovery. While creating and developing ideas and concepts for SI, students are required to keep a process portfolio, aka sketchbook, where they will work through problems and experiment with materials and the art making processes. In the Drawing Portfolios, this SI artwork and photographs of process portfolios will be digitally documented and submitted online to College Board along with written statements provided by the student explaining their conceptual ideas, materials and processes.

The Selected Works (SW) section of the portfolio consists of 5 physical pieces of work that are chosen from the SI or independent work the student has made throughout the school year and sent to the AP Board for judging. In the Drawing Portfolios, this SW will be matted and physically sent to the College Board in portfolios provided by the College Board.

Course Description:

AP Drawing has been developed to accommodate serious art students who have expressed an interest in completing the AP Drawing Portfolio. Through studio practice, application of design concepts and informed decision making, these students will assemble a body of artwork that demonstrates a high level of quality and growth over time of content, technique, and process. Students will investigate all two parts of their portfolios as required by the AP College Board: Sustained Investigation and Selected Works. All work will be documented through-out the year by digital photos.

This is a very rigorous course where we will be experimenting with a lot of mediums and creating a lot of work to build an extensive collection (15+ pieces) of conceptual and cohesive artworks.

The Sustained Investigation section of the portfolio will consist of 15 high quality artworks that clearly demonstrate that the student has developed a body of work by investigation of a theme or idea (conceptual art). The Sustained investigation (SI) section must show growth and discovery. While creating and developing ideas and concepts for SI, students are required to keep a process portfolio, aka sketchbook, where they will work through problems and experiment with materials and the art making processes. In the Drawing Portfolios, this SI artwork and photographs of process portfolios will be digitally documented and submitted online to College Board along with written statements provided by the student explaining their conceptual ideas, materials and processes.

The Selected Works/Quality works (SW) section of the portfolio consists of 5 physical pieces of work that are chosen from the SI or independent work the student has made throughout the school year and sent to the AP Board for judging. In the Drawing Portfolios, this SW will be matted and physically sent to the College Board in portfolios provided by the College Board.

3 Dimensional AP Art and Design 

AP 3-D has been developed to accommodate serious art students who have expressed an interest in completing the AP 3-D Design Portfolio. Through studio practice, application of design concepts, and informed decision making, these students will assemble a body of artwork that demonstrates a high level of quality and growth over time with regard to content, technique, and process. Students will investigate both parts of their portfolios as required by the AP College Board: Sustained Investigation and Selected Works. All work will be documented throughout the year by digital photos.               

This is a very rigorous course where we will be experimenting with a variety of media and creating a large body of work to build an extensive collection (10+ pieces) of conceptual and cohesive artworks.

The Sustained Investigation section of the portfolio will consist of 15 high quality images that clearly demonstrate that the student has developed a body of work by investigation of a theme or idea (conceptual art). The Sustained investigation (SI) section must show growth and discovery. While creating and developing ideas and concepts for SI, students are required to keep a digital sketchbook showing how they experiment with materials and have worked through problem solving to show the art making processes. Students will be required to provide a written statement that explains their conceptual ideas, materials, and processes.

The Selected Works (SW) section of the portfolio consists of 5 photos of a student’s best work.  They may come from the SI or independent work the student has made throughout the school year. Photos of these works are sent digitally, along with the 15 photos from the SI, to the College Board for judging. 

It is HIGHLY recommended that students have at least a year of high school Art 1.

HL = Over the course of 2 years

SL = Over the course of 1 year

Students will use their time in the course to develop the 3 components that will be submitted to IB as the exam: Comparative Study, Process Portfolio, and the Exhibition. For more information regarding these items and the program, please visit Ms. Cason's Website.

The IB Diploma Programme visual arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. It is a thought-provoking course in which students develop analytical skills in problem-solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as art-makers. In addition to exploring and comparing visual arts from different perspectives and in different contexts, students are expected to engage in, experiment with and critically reflect upon a wide range of contemporary practices and media. The course is designed for students who want to go on to study visual arts in higher education as well as for those who are seeking lifelong enrichment through visual arts. 

Supporting the International Baccalaureate mission statement and learner profile, the course encourages students to actively explore the visual arts within and across a variety of local, regional, national, international and intercultural contexts. Through inquiry, investigation, reflection and creative application, visual arts students develop an appreciation for the expressive and aesthetic diversity in the world around them, becoming critically informed makers and consumers of visual culture.

Having followed the visual arts course at HL or SL, students will be expected to:

1. Respond to and analyze critically and contextually the function, meaning and artistic qualities of past, present and emerging art, using the specialist vocabulary of visual arts.

2. Develop and present independent ideas and practice, and explain the connections between these and the work of others.

3. Explore and develop ideas and techniques for studio work through integrated contextual study and first-hand observations.

4. Develop and maintain a close relationship between investigation and a purposeful, creative process in studio work.

5. Produce personally relevant works of art that reveal evidence of exploration of ideas that reflect cultural and historical awareness.

6. Develop and demonstrate technical competence and artistic qualities that challenge and extend personal boundaries.

AP Art History is an introductory college-level art history course. Students focus on the understanding of art history through analyzing the form, function, content, and context of works of art.  Historical context is studied as they explore concepts like culture and cultural interactions, theories and interpretations of art, the impact of materials, processes, techniques, and understanding purpose/audience through art historical analysis.