OUR COURSES
Fine Arts
Studio Art 1
STUDIO ART 1
Grade Level: 9-12 Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: f
Prerequisite: None
Course Description: This class is designed
for any student who wants to learn drawing, painting, printmaking, colored pencil, charcoal, acrylic, multimedia, and more.
Students do not need to know how to draw or paint nor will they be graded based on talent, effort will be the what is measured.
This is a project-based course with hands
on work. Students learn about artists and
different kinds of art trends from the perspective of the time line for art history. Students focus on basic art making techniques utilizing the elements of art and the principles of design.
This course is the foundation for students
considering careers in architecture, interior design, industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, fine arts, animation and other fields related to the arts.
Studio Art 2
STUDIO ART 2
Grade Level: 9-12 Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: f
Prerequisite: A passing grade of C or above from Studio Art1 or permission from instructor.
Students in this class will use the foundation art and design skills learned in Studio Art 1 and apply them to more advanced projects exploring a variety of new media and techniques. Students must have an understanding of the Elements of Art: line, shape, form, value, color and space. Studio experiences include drawing, painting, illustration, multimedia, and printmaking projects. Each student will demonstrate progress over time by developing a body of work and organizing a portfolio. Emphasis will be on broadening skills, developing creativity, studio production, and portfolio development. Students will be expected to frequently reflect upon their work; identifying their strengths and limitations in order to direct their work. Students will analyze and critique their own work, work of their peers, and the work of professional artists. This is a fast paced class and students should be prepared to do work outside of class. Students who want to be admitted without taking Art 1 will need to show a portfolio of their artwork to the teacher for admission. This course will require student creating and updating a blog.
Studio Art 3
STUDIO ART 3
Grade Level: 9-12 Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: f
Prerequisite: A passing grade of C or above from Studio Art2 or permission from instructor.
The main focus of Studio Art 3 is preparation for AP Studio Art and Design 2D, Drawing and 3D. The end goal is to create both a digital and physical portfolio of curated works that can be applied to their AP Studio Art and Design Portfolio. In order to meet this goal, students will need a strong foundation in the arts, including: technical ability, compositional proficiency, and the ability to critique, revaluate, and reengage with a work of art. The goal of this course is to teach students the above listed skills and prepare them for the rigors of the AP Studio Art and Design course.
In Studio Art 3 students will utilize their knowledge of the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design to explore new media and subjects. Studio experiences will include, but not be limited to: skeletal studies, traditional figure drawing, creating commentary on social issues, a wide variety of portraiture, plein aire painting, and macro composition still life. Students will work in a wide range of media including: watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, chalk pastel, printmaking, and mixed media. Emphasis will be on broadening skills, developing creativity, studio production, and portfolio development. Discussion, reevaluation, and reflection are critical to the artistic process. Students will be expected to frequently reflect upon their work; identifying their strengths and limitations in order to direct their work. Students will analyze and critique their own work, work of their peers, and the work of professional artists.
Students will plan for success and independence in their artistic endeavors. It is important that students learn to be self-directed in the creation of their portfolio because next year in AP Studio Art students complete a year long sustained investigation into a particular style and/or subject. This course prepares students for the highly individualized sustained investigations that are required in the AP Studio Art and Design courses. To this end, students will focus on honing their craftsmanship, refining their technical abilities in a wide variety of media, and composing dynamic artworks. This is a fast paced class and students should be prepared to do work outside of class. All documentation of work will be uploaded to a blog created and maintained my the student.
Click the images below for information.
Creating Art is NOT a task to be completed but an experience to be savored!
Additional Courses
Photo 1
Photo 1
Grade Level: 9-12 Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: f
Prerequisite: None
Digital Photo is a digital art class where students learn art theory concepts such as the elements of art, principles of design, composition, lighting, camera handling techniques, history of photography, commercial applications, and photography related careers. Because of the project-based nature of the class, students will be able to create meaningful pieces to add to their portfolios. Digital Photo is an art course that uses cameras, computers and software (Photoshop) as tools to create artwork. Although general computer experience it recommended, prior knowledge of specific software is not required. Students will be required to create and maintain a blog to document their learning and projects.
Photo 2
Photo 2
Grade Level: 9-12 Length: 1 year
UC Requirement Fulfilled: f
Prerequisite: A passing grade of C or above from Photo 1
This course will expand upon the processes and techniques that students learned in Photo I. Students will learn more advanced techniques and creative processes as well as delve into the more technical aspects of photography. This course will cover more advanced photographic techniques, digital manipulations, printing, mounting, scanning, and print display. Students will focus on more photo career related skills. Students are encouraged to submit projects for student publications, competitions and displays. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to work independently with cameras, scanners, printers and computers. Students will compile a digital and real portfolio that can be used to demonstrate their abilities for college entrance or employment in the visual arts field.
AP Studio Art and Design 2-D, Draw, & 3D
AP Studio Art Drawing is a course designed for students who wish to learn and are ready to create art at the college level. This course enables students to take the AP Art Studio Drawing exam. Students are expected to exhibit a higher level of responsibility, artistic expression, sophistication, and to demonstrate individual style, technique and ideation. In addition to requiring students to work at an advanced level, this class allows students to prepare work for and submit the AP Portfolio in Drawing for review in May covering three areas showing breadth of skill, depth and scope of quality of work, and a chosen visual area of concentration. AP Studio Art is based on building a body of artwork made up of 24 to 29 pieces of artwork that is submitted to the AP College Board in the beginning of May. This portfolio is the exam. The portfolio is made up of three sections; Quality, Concentration, and Breadth. AP Studio Art is a yearlong class. AP Studio Art students and Advanced Art students meet within the same class period. All levels will work on the development of an art portfolio.
General Arts Education
CONQUER YOUR OWN STYLE
Gardner’s five minds for the future
The Disciplined Mind
The Creating Mind
The Synthesizing Mind
The Respectful Mind
The Ethical Mind
“One cannot begin to develop an educational system unless one has in mind the knowledge and skills that one values and a vision of the kind of individuals one hopes will emerge at the end of the day.”
Howard Gardner
Teaching art is basically teaching children how to see the world differently. Often teachers want to classify some children as just possessing a natural talent for art. However, if we dig deeper these skills are a window on how these children are utilizing their whole brain. This ability transcends art and gives the students a leg up in all academic endeavors.
Bloom's
Taxonomy
How we
think
How we
Learn
Teaching Philosophy:
Gathering and respecting ideas from these pioneers in education, this curriculum was created with Rousseau philosophy of a child centered setting where inquiry based projects are given in mind. Children are naturally curious and desire to learn, thus they will be given the choice of projects designed utilizing an exploration of media and self.
Students will learn to see as an artist via the active act of cognition instruction. Further, ideas were inspired by Kant’s idea that individuals view and interpret the world through their own unique lens. Creating art allows for expression of their vision.
Dewey makes a strong case for the importance of education not only as a place to gain content knowledge, but also as a place to learn how to live. In his eyes, the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one’s full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good in society. This Arts curriculum will be presented in such a manner that the students will be encouraged to relate information to prior experiences and look towards dreaming of a better world.
The teacher role is that of a facilitator and partner in the learning process. The primary goal is for students to gain a passion for exploration and independently discover meaning in their own art.
