Art

This course is for students who want an opportunity to advance to a higher level of understanding of and skill development in two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. Students will further develop their personal vision within their choice of medium. Students will develop a portfolio of artwork for use in competitions, exhibitions, and possibly for application to postsecondary programs. Advanced Art is offered for honors credit, and carries the expectation that students will work independently outside of class time.

This course is designed to give the first-year art student experience in a wide variety of techniques and approaches to fine arts disciplines.  This introduction to art will instill a strong basic vocabulary of techniques, terms and materials upon which students can build their future studies.  Through a variety of two and three-dimensional projects, the art elements of color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value are encouraged through applied art experiences and exposures to the works of past and contemporary artists.  This course is for any student who would like to better their abilities as an artist.

This course is designed to give the first-year art student experience in a wide variety of techniques and approaches to fine arts disciplines.  This introduction to art will instill a strong basic vocabulary of the means an artist uses to organize elements within a work of art. Through a variety of two and three-dimensional projects, the visual components of balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, rhythm, unity, and variety are encouraged through applied art experiences and exposures to the works of past and contemporary artists.  This course is for any student who would like to better their abilities as an artist.

Ceramics will concentrate on the artistic expression of creating functional and nonfunctional forms through the medium of clay.  Hand-built objects will be the beginning focus of the class.  Techniques will include pinch pots, coil pots, slab construction and sculptural methods of working in clay.  As the course advances, wheel throwing will be explored.  Basic and advanced skills, materials, and concepts will be covered in depth.  Principles of kiln firing, and glaze applications are also a basic component of the course. 

Students will learn and apply fundamentals of various software applications such as Illustrator and Photoshop. Advertising and marketing projects coordinate technical skills such as image editing and drawing with organization, management, communication, and teamwork. This class is project-based, students will create graphic media in the ABC art computer lab. Additional technology such as laser printers and the Intuos tablets will be used.

Expand your understanding of the visual and technical elements of photography.  The creative aspects of photography are critical to expressing your view of the world and are a vital component of this studio class.  Students will be involved with composition, choice of subject (i.e. portrait, landscape, still life and architecture) and special effects (filters, double image, cloning, color manipulation, filters).  These explorations will be accompanied by a strong emphasis on the technical foundation that underlies all effective photography.  The main focus of the technical aspects of photography will be digital cameras or phones.  The digital techniques will include using the digital camera, uploading photographs, organization of photos, the manipulation of photographs using appropriate software applications.  Historical and contemporary photographs will be studied to give further insight into the art of seeing. 

This course is designed as a survey class, which will explore drama from a variety of disciplines, including theatrical styles and theory, literature, performance and design.  Its aim is to equip students with physical, vocal and creative skills that can be used outside of a theatrical setting as well as basic theater skills and knowledge. Students will take a hands-on approach to all units, developing a spectrum of writing, performing, designing, and literary skills and knowledge.

This course introduces the multiple functions of drawing and treats drawing as a vehicle for conveying ideas.  Students will draw from observation and will also learn to organize and present totally invented work.  The properties of line, value, shape, texture and space are handled individually and in combination as elemental to the drawing process.  Consideration is given to contemporary and historical drawing practices with emphasis on the breadth of the drawing experience and its usefulness across disciplines.  Various drawing mediums will be explored.

Intermediate Art is an extension of ideas, techniques, and media introduced in the Foundations course.  Greater depth of ideas and more sophisticated technical execution are emphasized.  This course is designed to serve as a transition from a highly structured foundations program to one that immerses the student in the process of making decisions.  The student will foster his/her creativity, develop a critical eye, and formulate a personal vision.

This course is intended to accommodate students desiring artistic experiences beyond those offered in the art program in preparation for post-secondary art studies.  This will provide students the opportunity to expand their personal knowledge, to acquire research skills, to pursue and develop individual projects and to work closely with a resource staff member.  Such areas might include fashion design, commercial art, life drawing, graphic design, etc.  College portfolios will be prepared for students who are continuing in art after high school.  Any student who wishes to can take this course for a full year AP Studio Art credit.  Rigorous AP studio requirements will be the focus of the class, and the student will be required to submit their portfolio to the College Board for AP grading assessment.

This studio course explores the study and practice of Sculpture.  Students will be introduced to the historical styles of sculpture, such as Representational, Relief, Found, and Mechanical vs. Organic.  During this exploration, advanced skills such as carving, building, blending, and the use of textural components will be an integral part of each student’s construction.  This class will not only focus on the use of clay but will include wood, metal, and other found objects that help support each student’s individual vision.