Visual Arts Department

Middle School

MS.553/ MS Visual Arts

This yearlong course challenges students to create works ranging from drawing, painting, mixed media, printmaking, and ceramics. Students may take MS Visual Arts in both 7th and 8th grades as the curriculum rotates to foster growth in the skills and practices necessary for art at the upper school level.

Upper School

A.516/ Studio Art [LH]

Prerequisite: Open to all 9-12th Graders. 8th Graders may enroll with art teacher recommendation.

Studio Art is an introductory studio course which provides a comprehensive foundation in drawing and painting that should assist students in their artistic development in any area of art. Students expand their skills incorporating principles of art and design as they experiment with a wide variety of media and methods. Studio Art provides abundant opportunities to hone perceptual skills through assignments which focus on direct observation. Exercises, projects, and exposure to diverse artists, help students acquire a deeper appreciation for learning directly from their materials and the ability to see what at first they did not see. First semester coursework emphasizes compositional design and achieving depth in the picture plane using both linear and aerial perspective. During the second half of the year, Studio Art introduces technical painting skills. Through diverse paint and mixed media exposure, in-class critique, gallery visitation, and Art History exploration, students develop a sense of artistic voice and learn about the cultural contexts that make works of art significant to a wider audience. Students receive coaching to develop their works in response to a variety of critical response methods which develop confidence composing original thoughts and expressing personal ideas in front of an audience. Upon completion of the Studio Art sequence, students may qualify for Advanced Art. (1 credit)

A.524/ Ceramics I (Fall and Spring Semester)

[LH]

Open to 9-12th graders

Students in this course will learn how to hand build clay forms using the slab and coil methods and learn the basics of how to “throw” on the potter’s wheel. The course instruction will also include glazing and firing techniques. (0.5 credits)

A.525/ Ceramics II (Fall and Spring Semester)

[LH]

Open to 9-12th graders; Prerequisite: B in Ceramics

I

Students in this course will continue to explore the possibilities of creating with clay. Students will advance their skill and techniques in the methods of their choice. This course gives students an opportunity to use their prior knowledge and experience for deeper and broader exploration in ceramics. (0.5 credits)

A.523/ 3-D Studies [LH]

Open to 9-12th graders

This studio course explores the elements and principles of 3-D design. It is divided into 3 distinct units. Form & Space develops the fabrication skills necessary to practice the four basic methods of sculpture: additive (construction), manipulative (clay modeling), subtractive (carving), and substitutionary (casting). The second unit, Form & Function, introduces skills, strategies, and technology that are essential to designing functional forms and structures. Areas of focus include: product design, interior design, and architecture. Students receive training on key production tools. They are coached using current methods of design thinking and have opportunities to improve their design using a variety of critical response methods. The culminating unit, Form & Culture, explores the intersection of Art and Culture. Students are introduced to site responsive art, installation art, monumental art, performance art, community art, mixed media and new media art projects. Emphasis is placed on investigation of identity, exposure to art theory, performative research, and cultural literacy. Students will design independent projects for exhibition and participate in collaborative exercises that challenge and reinforce concepts relevant to their independent work. Upon completion of the 3-D Studies sequence, students may qualify for Advanced Art.

(1 credit)

A.511/ Advanced Art

Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation plus full year of Studio Art or 3-D Studies, or Portfolio Assessment

This course is for students with interest in focusing on the advancement of artistic techniques and preparation of portfolio development. Students will work with various drawing, printmaking and painting media. Successful completion of this course will yield an extensive student art portfolio. (1 credit)

A.350/ AP Studio Art I

Prerequisites: Advanced Art, ADA or Portfolio

Assessment Lab Fee: $50

This course enables highly motivated students to produce college level work in studio art in preparation for AP Studio Art: 2D Design Portfolio or AP Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio. Students develop a portfolio of up to 15-24 works in a variety of media as outlined by the College Board syllabus. Each student completes their portfolio year with an “AP Show” in the School art gallery. (1 credit)

A.545/ Introduction to Photography (Fall and Spring Semesters) [LH]

This is a single semester course designed to introduce the student to photography as an art form. Students will learn to use a DSLR camera, gain a basic understanding of the principles of exposure, learn to choose camera settings appropriate to the subject matter and shooting conditions, and cover some basic concepts of artistic composition so that they can produce good images intentionally rather than haphazardly. Students will also be introduced to basic image organization and retouching using Adobe Lightroom. The goal of this course is to graduate students with sufficient command of both photographic technology and photographic technique that they can take pleasure in crafting compositions that match their artistic vision. Access to both the DSLR cameras and the image editing software used in this class (Adobe Lightroom) will be provided by the school. (0.5 credits)

A.351/ AP Studio Art II

Prerequisites: AP Studio Art I Lab Fee: $50 This course enables highly motivated students to continue college level work in studio art in preparation for AP Studio Art: 2D Design Portfolio or AP Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio. Students develop a portfolio of up to 15- 24 works in a variety of media as outlined by the College Board syllabus. Each student completes their portfolio year with an “AP Show” in the School art gallery. (1 credit)

Students will be provided with school issue DSLR cameras but are expected to provide their own external hard drive (SSD drives are recommended; 200 GB is sufficient). There is an equipment replacement fee if the camera and/or lens is damaged or lost. Replacement fee is up to, but not to exceed $650