Arts/Visual Arts

Students explore art from around the world through project-based activities. Based on directed investigation, students reinterpret selected forms to promote understanding of themes, purposes, symbolism, and traditional formal characteristics. Students compare various cultural responses in art to universal themes, gaining respect for diverse perspectives and the rich heritage shared by cultures from around the world. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students explore the aesthetic foundations of art using beginning photography techniques.  This course may include color and/or black and white photography via digital media and/or traditional photography. Processes and techniques for image capture and printing may include handcrafted pinhole cameras, hand tinting photographs, mixed media, photo collage, cross-processing, emerging technologies and new media. Content covers the basic mechanics of a camera, compositional foundations, printing images, and evaluating a successful print. Student photographers use art criticism to evaluate, explain, and measure artistic growth in personal or group works.

Students become proficient in, and refine, their use of concepts, terminology, techniques, and applications of digital imaging to create original work. Students produce digital still and/or animated images through the single or combined use of computers, digital cameras, digital video cameras, scanners, photo editing software, drawing and painting software, graphic tablets, printers, new media, and emerging technologies. Students increasingly independent approach to their work promotes risk-taking in the completion of conceptually based, self-directed work. Through the critique process, students evaluate and respond to their own work and that of their peers to measure artistic growth. This course incorporates hands-on activities, the use of technology, and consumption of art materials.

Students learn to translate their two-dimensional skills into three-dimensional forms through the exploration of natural, abstract, and synthetic sculptural forms using materials that may include, but are not limited to, clay, plaster, and mixed media. These student artists develop perceptual, creative, technical, and problem-solving skills in a sculptural context. Students focus on safety procedures for process, media, and techniques. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students investigate a wide range of media and techniques, from both an historical and contemporary perspective, as they engage in the art-making processes of creating two-dimensional works, which may include drawing, painting, printmaking, and/or collage. Student artists reflect on their own artwork and that of others through critical analysis to achieve artistic goals related to craftsmanship, technique, and application of 21st-century skills. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students take an inquiry-based approach to exploring, researching, and analyzing works of art across time and cultures. Through the study of art exemplars and project-based activities, students learn to identify the functions, forms, media, styles of art, cultural ideas, and themes related to a variety of time periods and geographical places, and will express their own interpretations in a variety of ways. The course lays a foundation for the art criticism process, examining and comparing how artists have solved visual problems and made meaning across time, place, and culture. Career options related to art history and criticism are also explored. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students begin an exploration of the structural elements of art used when creating 3-D forms. Additive and subtractive processes are used to manipulate and construct sculptural or ceramic forms in media that may include, but are not limited to clay, wood, plaster, found objects, and paper maché, with consideration of the workability, durability, cost, and toxicity of the media used. Student artists examine the effects of attention to detail, size, position, overlapping, visual pattern, and texture, and these considerations will be reflected in the surface and structural qualities of completed art forms. Students in the 3-D art studio focus on use of safety procedures for process, media, and techniques. Student artists use an art criticism process to evaluate, explain, and measure artistic growth in personal or group works. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students explore media and techniques used to create a variety of 2-D artworks in drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage. Students practice, sketch, and manipulate the structural elements of art. Student artists use an art criticism process to evaluate, explain, and measure artistic growth in personal or group works. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students refine techniques used to create a variety of two-dimensional (2-D) artworks in drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage. Investigation of artworks from Western and non-Western cultures helps students to expand their understanding and appreciation of the role of art in global culture. Student artists use an art criticism process to evaluate, explain, and measure artistic growth in personal or group works. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students extend to an advanced level techniques used to create a variety of 2-D artworks through developing skills in drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage. Students manipulate the structural elements of art to promote creative risk-taking in 2-D artwork. Student artists use an art criticism process to evaluate, explain, and measure artistic growth in personal or group works. This course incorporates hands-on activities and consumption of art materials.

Students are introduced to the rigor and routine of the art production process including:  planning, producing, and reflecting on art.  With an emphasis on studio arts, students explore a wide range of 2D and 3D media, skills and techniques, as related to contemporary and historical art perspectives.  Projects may include but not be limited to:  drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media, pottery, and sculpture.  Students develop technical skills, foster their expressive abilities and employ the use of the elements of art throughout the production process.

Students investigate contemporary and historical art themes using 2D and 3D media, skills and techniques, while engaging in the art production process within a studio arts environment.  Projects may include but are not limited to:  drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media, pottery, and sculpture.  Students create new meaning from various media formats, and communicate artistic ideas through the intentional use of the elements of art within their work.  Students interpret meaning in their artwork and the artwork of others through discussion, on various artistic concepts, viewpoints, and themes, drawing their own conclusions and employing this knowledge both expressively and technically.

Students use 2-D and 3-D media, skills & techniques toward a desired project outcome within a studio art environment through the exploration of contemporary or historical art viewpoints.