Visual and Media Arts

Weight: 3

Course Length: Semester

Pre-requisites: Interior/Structural Design 

Criteria for admissions: none

Advanced Interior/Structural Design is a half-year course as a continuation of Interior/Structural Design. Students will continue developing their skills as professional designers as they focus on one specific design field, such as: Architecture, Interior Design, Furniture Design or Monument Design. Students will continue to engage with professional designers through analysis of structures, spaces, industrial art, and forms to improve their understanding of the elements of art and principles of design. Design concepts will be created in AutoCAD, including orthographic projections, three-dimensional renderings, and three-dimensional models. 

Weight: 10

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: 10 Credits in Art; 

Criteria for admissions: A score of 90 in second year art course; teacher recommendation; either Painting and Drawing or Honors Studio Portfolio Development is required, but it is recommended to take both.

This is an extremely demanding course that is designed to be similar to first year foundation courses offered at art schools and in college art programs. Students will be expected to complete approximately 30 original artworks that are finished and completely resolved. Students are required to work in home as well as in school in order to fulfill course requirements. Bi-weekly or monthly critiques will be held to assess works in progress.  The drawing portfolio focuses on drawing and painting. Its primary concern is for the student to demonstrate their skills and the ability to use materials, techniques and design to create original and innovative works in both drawing and painting.  The course is divided into three sections: Breadth, Concentration and Quality. The goal of the Breadth section is to stress diversity and demonstrate a range of approaches. The student is expected to try different materials, subject matter, supports, and compositions to increase the variety of visual exploration. Twelve digital images are required from this section.  The Concentration section is the exact opposite of the breadth. This is the section where the student will focus on one subject or visual exploration and demonstrate a sustained investigation. The concentration must be clearly focused, the works must relate directly to each other and they must show a development of the idea. Twelve digital images are required from this section but can include detail views, process documentation, sequential storyboards or film stills. The works in the Quality section are selected works that are specifically sized and are sent to the AP review board for scoring. Students are permitted to send to in works from another section if it meets the size requirements or they may create works specifically for this section. All works must meet size and material requirements or they will be rejected. These works should also be the very best the student has done, for they will be scrutinized far more carefully then the work submitted in digital images. It is very important that they are complete visual statements.  Students will be required to write critical and comparative essays, in addition to their studio work. Each essay will be related to a section of the course and will investigate the relationship of a professional artist’s work to the area of study or a student’s work. These essays will help students understand the thought process necessary to create original artwork.  The final exam will be a project that synthesizes both the course content and the aesthetic theories covered throughout the year. The focus will be on the student’s ability to interpret and create original art based on the ideas worked with in the curriculum.

Weight: 10

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: 10 Credits in Art; 

Criteria for admissions: A score of 90 in second year art course; teacher recommendation; and Honors 3D Portfolio Development is required.

The Advanced Placement (AP) 3-D (Three-Dimensional) Art and Design course allows for highly motivated high school students to do college level work. The AP 3-D Art and Design course recommended for students that are serious about their work and may intend to enter an art school or a college art program, or are seeking to pursue an art related career. The work requires personal and original interpretations of each assignment along with a demonstrated mastery of visual and design principles through the creation of utilitarian objects and decorative sculpture using a variety of media based on student intent. The students will also be expected to write analytical and critical essays relating to their work and the work of various professional artists. Throughout the year, students will be creating artworks that will be submitted as a final portfolio for evaluation. This portfolio requires that student artwork show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concerns (and methods).

The 3-D Art and Design Portfolio attempts to teach students to create works of art relevant to themselves and to see those themes in the context of the history of art. In order to accomplish this, the students will study aesthetic, social, and personal motivations that go into creating a work of art. In this portfolio, student artwork should demonstrate an understanding of three-dimensional elements and principles including: point, line, shape, plane, layer, form, space, texture, color, value, opacity, transparency, time; unity, variety, rhythm, movement, proportion, scale, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition, figure/ground relationship, connection, juxtaposition, and hierarchy. Students will be expected to understand and demonstrate these principles visually, as appropriate to the conceptual concerns of their work and investigations. The students will develop personal statements through writing to be submitted as part of their final portfolio evaluation. Student writing will identify the inquiries that guide their work and describe how their art shows evidence of practice, experimentation, and revision. AP 3-D Art and Design is an extremely demanding course that is designed to be similar to first year three-dimensional courses offered at the college level. Students will be expected to complete a minimum of fifteen original artworks that are finished and completely resolved. Students are required to work at home as well as in school in order to fulfill course requirements. Critiques will be held to assess work in progress.

The AP 3-D Art and Design Portfolio is divided into two sections: Selected Works and Sustained Investigation. The Selected Works will include five completed artworks that demonstrate a synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas. For each work included in this section, students will submit a writing that explains the concept behind each piece along with the materials and processes used. The Sustained Investigation section may take on various sculptural forms but must demonstrate a consistent connection of inquiry. Students will submit fifteen images of artworks demonstrating practice, experimentation and revision. A sustained investigation of materials, processes, ideas, along with 3-D skills. For this section, students will submit a final statement describing how their sustained investigation portfolio shows evidence of practice, experimentation, and revision guided by their inquiry or question(s). The topic of investigation is up to the student and should be based on their own unique experiences, ideas, and/or concerns.

In order to prepare students for the submission of their portfolios, students will be required to write critical/comparative essays, be active in class critique/discussion, as well as participate in various art-making processes throughout the year. The students will study both contemporary and historical art, as appropriate to the context of their work and assignments through various digital presentations, magazines, Internet sites, books, and field trips as appropriate. Exams will be artworks that synthesize both the course content and the aesthetic theories covered throughout the year. The focus will be on the student’s ability to interpret and create original art based on the ideas worked within the curriculum. All artwork and writing will be assessed based on the AP Art and Design framework.

Weight: 10

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: See Social Studies criteria; Social Studies teacher recommendation

Advanced Placement (AP) Art History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college level course. The content of this curriculum supports students in becoming skilled in critical analysis of major forms of artistic expression including architecture, painting, and sculpture from the past through the present. Students will examine artwork from a variety of cultures as a reflection of its historical and sociocultural context. This course provides opportunities for students to apply their knowledge of history, geography, politics, religion, languages, literature and the visual arts.  The AP Art History curriculum and content is structured around the big ideas and essential questions that frame explorations of the nature of art, art making, and our responses to art. Each content area is represented by a number of exemplary works of art within a prescribed image set of 250 works. AP Art History required course content is defined to support students’ in-depth learning, critical analysis, and understanding of connections among global artistic traditions by focusing study on works representing the diversity of art through time and place. The image set consists of approximately 65 percent works from the Western tradition and 35 percent from non-Western artistic traditions. Students will also be asked to attribute works of art outside the image set based on their knowledge and understanding of works within the set; attributions should be provided in the same format and with the same level of detail as identifying information for each work of art within the image set. Students will include works they choose to study beyond the image set as AP Art History course content.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts 

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 4 college credits available from Ramapo College Program (grades 11-12) 

Students will create animated films using Adobe Suite /MAXON programs and traditional techniques. Projects will include traditional figure drawing, character design and development, and the design of the visual and narrative concepts of animated short films. Students will learn about the history of animated film and the principles of animation through in-depth written analyses of historically and visually significant short films. Students will be introduced to the processes behind creating an animated project through the creation of storyboards, character design, environment design, and sound design. Both the arts of hand-drawn animation and stop-motion animation will be explored.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Semester

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: none

In this course students will design and model 3D digital sculptures and products using an advanced computer modeling software. Students will learn about the fields of computer modeling and industrial design through the development of their own products and research into current innovations and materials. Students will learn how to create realistic objects that look 3D in a digital 2D space. This digital art course will require students to call on their knowledge of elements of art, principles of design, thumbnail sketching, and sculpture to develop digital sculptural artworks. Students will focus on utilizing elements of art and principles of design in a digital realm including; texture, color, form, space, depth, and function.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Semester

Pre-requisites: Digital Media

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 3 college credits available from Seton Hall Project Acceleration (grades 11, 12)  

An introduction to visual theory and technique, in conjunction with Seton Hall University’s Project Acceleration program, will offer college-credit to juniors and seniors who have taken Digital Media as a pre-requisite and have successfully completed the course of study. Digital Film Production is the foundation for any student interested in expressing themselves visually. Students will learn to use the visual language of film to communicate ideas and feelings through digital stills and digital short films. As outlined in the NJSLS, The course itself will encompass the tenets of visual theory, visual design, “the shot,” “the camera,” editing, theme and story, genre, acting, director’s style, as well as adaptations and censorship. Various movie clips and works will be screened to apply these tenets to successful practice. 

Weight: 3

Course Length: Semester

Pre-requisites: none

Criteria for admissions: none

"Digital Media" refers to the on-demand content and interactive and communicative nature of the internet. This course is designed to encompass technical and aesthetic concepts in creating this type of media. AS outlined in the NJSLS, students will develop skills through a series of lessons and assignments and will learn critical evaluation of produced content. Further, this course is designed to familiarize students with vocabulary, processes, and tools associated with media creation from pre-production skills through non-linear editing and exporting while still being able to “tell a story.” Ultimately, students will: develop production skills by creating video projects, web-based presentations, evaluating video shot techniques, and building a video sequence; learn project management skills, along with research and technical skills; understand file types, import media and export videos to the Web; recognize copyright issues and implications - both positive and negative - of social media in our society; improve skills in front of the camera by focusing on appearance, delivery, and content; write scripts for audio, gain presentation and announcing skills, develop workflow techniques, edit using Adobe Audition, and set up a podcast RSS feed.

Weight:  0

Course Length: Semester

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts 

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 4 college credits available from Ramapo College Program (grades 11-12) 

Students will practice the aesthetics of photographic composition using a digital camera (DSLR). Students will take photographs using a borrowed DSLR camera provided by the Art Department. Students will utilize Adobe Photoshop software at an advanced level to produce strong images with edited exposure adjustments and image manipulation techniques. In addition to photographic assignments students will critically observe, analyze, and evaluate historical and contemporary works by professional photographers.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 4 college credits available from Ramapo College Program (grades 11-12) 

Graphic Design is a part of the Visual Arts program at Mahwah High School (MHS) that covers the developing field of graphic design. The role of graphic design is expanding and changing with each passing day. Graphic design can provide us with the tools, techniques, and processes to better understand the visual culture that enables us to engage with our rapidly changing environment, develop and notice new connections, and work with them. Graphic design is best understood through experiential learning: the creative play of form and function. Through these processes, one can develop a personal aesthetic lexicon, understand graphic design, and understand our surrounding world. The projects contained in this curriculum are oriented around the experience and discovery of the students, as opposed to a static list of rules and client-oriented teaching strategies. This class offers various experiences through a synthesis of studio work, discussion, critique, and analysis. Students will utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills in conjunction with creativity, intuition, and exploration to expand and hone their understanding and skills as both creators and viewers of the visual arts. The course will explore disciplines and media related to graphic design, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, scanners, digital cameras, Etsy, printmaking, Dropbox, et al. Visual Arts is a prerequisite for this course.

Weight: 8

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: 10 Credits in Visual Arts, Painting and Drawing recommended

Criteria for admissions: Teacher recommendation 

Portfolio Development is designed to help students build a general portfolio that is required by art schools and college art programs as well as prepare students who intend to take AP Studio Art and/or AP Three-dimensional design as a senior. The students will explore self-portraiture, abstract artwork, observational studies, surrealism, collaborative art projects, and art in a series. Students will be expected to demonstrate art skills, organization, and conceptual thinking. The emphasis of the course will be on the creative and personal interpretation of each assignment.

Weight: 8

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts and 3D Design 

Criteria for admissions: Teacher recommendation 

Honors Three-Dimensional Portfolio Development is designed to help students build a general portfolio that is required by art schools and college art programs as well as prepare students who intend to take AP Three-Dimensional Design as a senior. The students will explore collaborative art practices, self-portraiture, abstraction, sculpture from observation, object, and art in a series. Students will be expected to demonstrate their interest in art, technical skills, and their conceptual thinking through personal writing and class discussion. The emphasis of the course will be on the creative and personal interpretation of each assignment.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: none

Interior and Structural Design is a full year course that focuses on the elements of art and principles of design as utilized by professional architectural, interior, and structural designers. Students will be introduced to and utilize computer-aided design software, presentation board development and advanced drawing techniques in order to best convey their individual and unique design concepts. The emphasis of this course is on professional design presentation through various digital and traditional forms of rendering and presentation. Concepts explored may include furniture design, space planning, monument design, building design, and home renovation. Students will also explore and analyze important structures, spaces, and contemporary concepts of various architects and designers throughout the course.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 3 college credits available from Bergen Community College (grades 11, 12) OR 4 college credits available from Ramapo College Program (grades 11-12)   

Painting & Drawing is an essential developmental course recommended for students who want to create a portfolio for art school or college. The course prepares students for all higher level courses and is strongly recommended for students interested in illustration. Painting & Drawing focuses on a combination of developmental skills, organizational principles, and the ability to personally interpret assignments. Students are expected to complete required projects in addition to works using their imagination and creativity.

Weight: 3

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: Visual Arts

Criteria for admissions: none

Dual enrollment: 4 college credits available from Ramapo College Program (grades 11-12)  OR 3 college credits available from Bergen Community College (grades 11-12)

The Three-Dimensional Design course is an in depth exploration of the art principle of form. The focus in this course will be the study and application of design elements in relation to the production of three-dimensional works. Students will become familiar with the various tools and techniques used to work in different mediums. The course offers both aesthetic and technical experiences so that students will be able to understand, appreciate and express themselves, generating conceptually meaningful artworks through various mediums. Students will develop these skills through practice and exercises resulting in good craftsmanship. The objectives of this course are to develop perceptual and aesthetic sensitivity and an appreciation and understanding of three-dimensional form. Students will continue to develop a vocabulary for intelligently discussing and critiquing art. This vocabulary will address issues of content, form and media.

Weight: 0

Course Length: Year

Pre-requisites: none

Criteria for admissions: none

Visual Arts is the introductory course to the Visual Arts program at Mahwah High School, and offers a varied experience through a synthesis of studio work, discussion, critique, and analysis. Students will utilize critical thinking and problem solving skills in conjunction with creativity, intuition, and exploration to expand and hone their understanding and skills as both creators and viewers of the visual arts. The course will explore disciplines and media including but not limited to drawing, painting, sculpture, and design. Visual Arts also serves as a sampler of the other art courses offered at Mahwah High School. Visual Arts is a course structured around the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, which are essential concepts that will become a part of your vocabulary when discussing art and the visual world. Some topics covered include perspective, figure drawing, still life, portraiture, color theory, illustration, painting, clay, art history and visual culture. This course will involve a great deal of art making, along with student participation in peer critiques and reflection on both their own art and the art of contemporary and historical artists in both the form of class discussions and written assignments.