Nyack Middle School

Visual Arts Electives

Overview

All students are encouraged to study the visual arts. The Middle School Art Program is designed to provide students with ongoing opportunities to investigate visual arts, design, art history and cross-cultural connections. Students will experience a variety of media, both traditional and non-traditional. Students taking art courses will be challenged in ways that will help them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills as well as artistic, technical and aesthetic sensibilities. Portfolio development and assessment is crucial throughout each of the art courses in order for students to see their progress and achievements over time.

6th Grade Course

This introductory course is offered for one quarter and introduces students to working in a variety of media. Students are taught to work from observation as well as working with the elements and principles of design to create both abstract and/or nonrepresentational work. One-on-one critiques, small group critiques and whole-class discussions teach students to reflect meaningfully on their own work both orally and in writing.

7th Grade Course

This course teaches students to build upon the basics learned in 6th Grade Art. Students work in two and three-dimensional media and have the opportunity to explore how color affects perception through a wide variety of artwork including working from the figure, the Hudson River landscape, one and two-point perspective, storyboarding and hand building with clay. This course also serves to prepare students for a full year in 8th Grade Art, Introduction to Studio Art, or Computer Graphics. One-on-one critiques, small group critiques and whole-class discussions teach students to reflect meaningfully on their own work both orally and in writing.

8th Grade Courses

Art: 8th Grade

This elective course is offered for students who wish to take an advanced Middle School art class or those with a possible interest in studying visual arts at Nyack High School. Advanced-level units and projects teach students to explore and redefine what constitutes drawing, painting and sculpture. Students are taught how to combine approaches to making art, such as creating three-dimensional paintings. One-on-one critiques, small group critiques and whole-class discussions teach students to reflect meaningfully on their own work both orally and in writing. 8th Grade Art students also have the opportunity to participate in the annual Halloween Window Painting Project in the Town of Nyack.

Computer Graphics: Design and Animation

We are very excited to offer this new course, housed in our Inspire Nyack Middle School Mac Lab. This course teaches students the basics of using Mac computers and Adobe software to create a variety of graphic design and animation for both personal use and community projects. Students will learn how to effectively use programs such as Adobe Photoshop as well as Adobe Illustrator and Flash to tackle different kinds of design and illustration problems. One-on-one critiques, small group critiques and whole-class discussions teach students to reflect meaningfully on their own work both orally and in writing.

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