Visual Arts

Portfolio Review

A student who is invested in their creative and artistic development, who might be moving on in a creative field, may submit a portfolio for review that demonstrates a strong base of knowledge in the level they would like to enter. 

DRAWING AND PAINTING I

Year Course 

5 credits

Prerequisite:  None 

Open to: All

This is a drawing and painting course with an emphasis on developing and refining

observational skills as well as an excitement for the arts. Students will learn academic methods and work with classic materials. Self-portrait, still life, and landscape assignments will be given. In addition, students are required to make a commitment to doing quality work and bring creative thinking to each assignment.

DRAWING AND PAINTING II

Year Course

5 credits

Prerequisite: Drawing and Painting I, B or above

Open to: So. - Sr.

This course is sequential to Drawing and Painting I. Landscape, still life, perspective, portrait, and figure drawing assignments will be given. Proportion and composition issues will be addressed with pencil, marker, charcoal, conte crayon, pastel, ink, watercolor, and acrylic. Students will be required to purchase a Sketchbook for weekly drawings.

DRAWING & PAINTING III 

Year course

5 credits

Prerequisites: Teacher Recommendation
    Open to: Jr., Sr.

This course is open to all juniors and seniors with a strong experience in visual problem solving. All students will develop a portfolio of advanced drawings and paintings, construct a series of connected works based on a theme, and develop a personal artistic voice through exploring advanced studio topics, artistic behaviors, and sophisticated drawing and painting concepts.

AP DRAWING

    Year Course

    5 credits

    Prerequisite:  Teacher Recommendation

    Open to: Sr.

Seniors who elect this course must show a high level of competence in project development, visual problem solving, technical skill, and personal expression. This advanced placement course challenges students to experiment with a wide range of drawing materials and approaches, analyze their own work and the work of others, and guide discoveries through sophisticated visual examination. There will be a strong focus on working independently and intensely to develop a rich artistic process. Students will ask and answer questions during the art making process, use these questions to guide their art making, and document that process of inquiry. In addition to exploring various artistic practices, techniques, drawing concepts, and subjects, students will produce a series of 15 related works that: demonstrate a sustained investigation of a self-chosen theme, search for answers to questions about personally relevant art making concerns, and analyze the results of making thoughtful artistic decisions. Choices about medium, style, and content for the series will be made by the student, in consultation with the teacher. Each student will display their Sustained Investigation at a mid-year exhibit. Students must pay for the AP Examination, as directed in the Student Handbook.

CERAMICS AND SCULPTURE I

Semester Course

    2.5 credits

    Prerequisite: None

   Open to: All

Students will explore and innovate visual concepts in ceramics & sculpture that have evolved during the 20th and early 21st centuries. Students will explore four sequences: foundational techniques, process-based work, realism & observational techniques, and personal aesthetic & narrative. Class discussion, critique, and written reflection are an important part of the creative process and a requirement for this course. 

ADVANCED CERAMICS AND SCULPTURE

Year Course

 5 credits

Prerequisite: Ceramics and Sculpture I, B or Above

Open to: So. – Sr.

In this course, students will use the skills they have learned in Level I as a framework to inform 3D artworks. Students will start to shape and focus their personal style and voice through exploratory and open-ended prompts. This course will address advanced 3D concepts through a Contemporary Art lens, such as process-based works, unconventional/non-traditional works, installation and LCD projections. Class discussion and critique are an important part of the creative process and a requirement for this course. Due to the open-endedness of this course, students may take this course two times for full credit so that they can reinterpret, revisit, and/or refine their artmaking skills and personal expression.

DESIGN I 

Year Course

 5 credits

Prerequisite:  None

Open to: All 

This course is recommended for students interested in visual communications design. Students will be taught multiple areas of process in order to make both conceptual and commercial design artworks. Working both physically and digitally, students will create text-based graphics, packaging, posters, paintings, advertisements, and more in order to communicate visual messages to viewers. Students will use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop heavily in the course. Some projects will involve learning how to operate and use the vinyl cutter to create vinyl graphics.

DESIGN II

Year Course

 5 credits

Prerequisite: Design I, B or above

Open to: So. – Sr.

This course is a continuation of the Design I course. Students will build on the skills they learned in Design I and work on more advanced digital and physical projects. They will continue developing their skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop as well as learning Adobe InDesign and Dimensions. There will be projects with actual clients from in and outside of the school to model real world experiences. Students will go deeper into understanding and utilizing conceptual and commercial design.

DESIGN III

     Year Course

     5 credits

     Prerequisite:  Teacher Recommendation

     Open to: Jr., Sr.

This course is offered to students who want to be challenged with advanced design concepts. Students will continue to explore materials and techniques to present portfolio quality work. Projects will continue to push students to utilize their conceptual and commercial design skills and practices. This course will challenge students to go deeper into the realm of digital and physical art-making to create hybrid artworks. Many projects will model client to designer relationships but will also be independently student-driven.

DESIGN IV/DUAL ENROLLMENT WITH SNHU

     Year Course

     5 credits

     Prerequisite:  Teacher Recommendation

     Open to: Seniors

This course is for advanced design students who are prepared to engage deeply with complex creative challenges. This advanced course encourages students to push beyond traditional boundaries and explore innovative approaches to creating meaningful visual work using a broad range of digital and physical media with industry-standard equipment. Emphasis will be placed on the development of a rigorous, personalized artistic process. Students taking this class are eligible to receive dual enrollment credit from Southern New Hampshire University. 

CONTEMPORARY ART THEORY & PRACTICE

     Year Course

     5 Credits

     Prerequisite: Ceramics and Sculpture I, Design I, or Drawing & Painting I, B or above

     Open to: So.-Sr.

In this course, students will deconstruct traditional, formal, and technical ideas of artmaking with a focus on making artworks that are relevant to their contemporary lives. Guided by open-ended prompts, students are given the choice and independent responsibility of developing their own conceptual ideas and visual language in a medium of their choice (drawing, painting, sculpture, design, photography, video, dance, creative writing, song writing, etc.). 

INTERIOR DESIGN 

   Year Course

   5 Credits

   Prerequisite: Ceramics and Sculpture I, Design I, or Drawing & Painting I, B or above

   Open to: So.-Sr.

This course provides an introduction to interior design. Students will explore the history of interior design, types of furniture and design styles. The function and aesthetics of interiors will be covered. The course will focus on creation, organization and placement of spaces. Students will focus on the skills used by interior design professionals to create space and flow planning, decorating rooms and working in client-designer relationships. 

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY 1

   Semester Course

   2.5 credits

   Prerequisite: None

   Open to: All

This course will provide an introduction to materials and techniques that give students the opportunity to engage in the art of digital photography. Students will create a body of work using photographic techniques with their phones. Post production photo manipulation will be done using Adobe Photoshop software. NOTE: You will need to take photographs for homework for  class assignments.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY 2

    Semester Course

    2.5 credits

    Prerequisite: Digital Photography 1, B or Above

    Open to: So., Jr., Sr.

This course is for students who have taken Digital Photography 1 and wish to immerse themselves in more complex photographic investigations. Students will proactively troubleshoot throughout their photography process for each project they investigate. Students will work independently to select a theme, subject, or idea for each lesson to demonstrate competence in visual problem-solving, technical skills, and personal expression. Post-production work will include Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom software to manipulate and enhance photos. Note: Homework for this class will be in the form of photoshoots for each assignment.