Current Course Offerings
Students are encouraged to go beyond minimum requirement. The arts are the soul of human imagination and expression, a record of achievement, and a strong means of communication. In art they can sharpen their visual reading skills, and learn new tools that can be used throughout their life.
One full credit in the Fine Arts is a requirement for graduation for all students. Students have the opportunity to study , sketching, painting, mixed media, and printmaking techniques, as well as ceramics and other three dimensional art forms.
Art I: Foundations in Art
Level U
1 credit, Grades 9-12
The study of visual art offers students the opportunity to explore their creative expression through a vast array of media while learning about all facets of the artistic process.
This Foundations in Art class encompasses a variety of components, including Art History, Theory, Aesthetics, Critique, Art making, materials, and techniques. Students will begin by learning basic drawing skills and color theory and move on to apply that knowledge (along with the Elements and Principles of Design) across a variety of media including (but not limited to) sculpture, acrylic painting, watercolor, environmental art, collage, printmaking, mixed media, and ceramics.
Local artists may be invited into the classroom to share their experience and talents with students. Field trips to museums and studios are included in the curriculum when possible.
Students are instructed in concepts, use of materials, and techniques, while being encouraged to approach their work through unique interpretations. Although this course is heavily assignment based, students will have a lot of opportunity for creative choice and expression within most assignments. This course is a prerequisite for all other art courses.
Class size is limited to 16.
Ceramics (Clay)
Level 3
1/2 Credit (meet every other day), Grades 10-12
In this course students will learn a variety of handbuilding construction methods in clay (ie. coil, slab, pinch, sculpting) and be introduced to the basic skills and techniques of wheel throwing to create a number of functional and decorative ceramic art pieces.
In addition to clay construction methods we will also explore a wide range of decorating and finishing techniques, including but not limited to: underglazing, bubble glazing, carving, sculpting, slip trailing , sgraffito, etc.
Class size is limited to 12 due to material cost and space.
Intermediate Drawing & Painting)
Level 4
1/2 Credit (meet every other day), Grades 10-12
In this course students will expand on their basic drawing skills. Students will improve their skills in observational drawing, shading, painting, color theory, and composition through still life, figure drawing, and drawing and painting from photographs and collages.
Students will work with a variety of drawing and painting media, including but not limited to: graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, pastels, markers, watercolor, and acrylic paint.
Class size is limited to 16.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Art 1: Foundations in Art, or approved portfolio review.​
Book and Paper Arts
Level 4
½ Credit (meet every other day), Grades 10-12
In this course students will learn a variety of bookbinding and other paper art techniques. Students will explore various paper artforms, from origami and kirigami to collage, handmade paper creation to altered books, handmade art books, and a variety of printmaking techniques (block printing, collagraph printing, screen printing, gelli printing, etc).
Class size is limited to 16.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Art 1: Foundations in Art, or approved portfolio review
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Mindfulness through Art
Level 3
½ Credit (meet every other day), Grades 10-12
This course will open students up to a variety of meditative art practices.
This class will be more focused on the process of creation than creating “finished” works of art for display. The art exercises (mindful drawing, watercolor, paint pouring, etc.) students will take part in will be designed to focus their energy on creative, hands on tasks to calm both mind and body. Many mindful art practices/exercises will be drawn from the following reference books: Drawing Your Own Path: 33 Practices at the Crossroads of Art and Meditation by John F.Simon Jr., Paint Yourself Calm: Colourful, Creative Mindfulness Through Watercolour by Jean Haines, and Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing: A Creative Path to Awareness by Wendy Ann Greenhalgh.
Class size is limited to 16.
AP Studio Art
1 credit Level 5 grades 11-12
AP Studio Art is a conglomerate of three AP courses: AP Drawing, AP 2-D Design, and AP 3-D Design. Each of these courses are designed to be an introductory college-level studio art course. Students will choose which of these courses they wish to pursue based on their own personal artistic strengths and interests. Students will refine and apply skills and ideas they develop throughout the course to produce a sustained creative investigation on a topic of their choice. Rather than the traditional AP Test most AP courses work toward, AP Studio Art courses culminate in a portfolio submission with related written responses.
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Class size is limited to 16.
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Prerequisite: Successful completion of Art 1: Foundations in Art and at least one other art course or approved portfolio review
Class size is limited to 16.