Visual Arts Course Offerings
Colleges do recommend that if you are considering a career in fine arts (illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, etc.), in applied arts (graphic design, web design, fashion, architecture, etc.), or in art education, that you take at least four of the below courses in order to create a portfolio of work for admission to an accredited four-year college visual arts program. Below any courses labeled "Art" may be taken concurrently with courses labeled "Photography" (with the exception of Art I and Photo I). Art IV and Photo III may be taken for 2 credits, with permission from the Visual Arts Department Chairperson and the courses Instructor.
Visit your Instructor's homepage for syllabus and more information!
Art I: Foundations of Studio Art
As the foundation course, Art I: Foundations of Studio Art is the prerequisite course for the comprehensive high school art program and fulfills the one-credit Fine Arts graduation requirement. Studio problems are designed to build creative and critical thinking skills through practice in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, crafts, and other art disciplines.
Art II/Art II GT: Developing Ideas in Art
This course challenges students who continue at this level to refine their skills in fine arts media and creative problem solving. These problems become increasingly complex and require students to draw upon knowledge of both traditional and contemporary art from diverse cultures. Works of art that reflect a personal aesthetic and exhibit breadth and quality become the basis for a cumulative portfolio including a sketchbook/journal.
Prerequisite: Art I. Students wishing to take Art II must complete Art I with a C-average or better. Students wishing to take Art II GT must complete Art I with an A-average and recommendation from their Art I Instructor. Art III Honors/Art III AP: Portfolio Development
This course challenges students to take risks, experiment with new art media, and explore new ideas through researching traditional and contemporary art from diverse cultures. Each student is expected to handle visual arts media with a sense of quality, breadth, and concentration on a particular interest or problem as evidenced in a cumulative portfolio including a sketchbook/journal. Each student will clearly articulate his/her intent in a written artist’s statement. This course is also designed to prepare students for admissions to a four-year college level visual arts program where portfolio reviews are almost always required. Students enrolling in Art III AP are REQUIRED to submit their portfolios for the Advanced Placement Examinations in the spring semester of their senior year.
Prerequisite: Art II or Art II GT. Students wishing to take Art III must complete Art II or Art II GT with a B-average or better. Art IV Honors/Art IV AP: Personal Directions in Art
In this course, students develop a body of work informed by research of contemporary and master artists, cultural exemplars, and peer dialogue. Students maintain a sketchbook/journal to accumulate and investigate ideas, themes, and media. The portfolio reflects a breadth of experiences, concentration on a specific theme and the quality execution of artworks and is defended by a personal artist’s statement. This course is designed to allow students to develop a unique and personal body of work while preparing them for admissions to a four-year college level visual arts program. Students enrolling in Art IV AP are REQUIRED to submit their portfolios for the Advanced Placement Examinations in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: Art III Honors or Art III AP. Students wishing to take Art IV must complete Art III Honors or Art III AP with a B-average or better. Art Studio Honors/AP: Studio Art: Drawing, 2-D Design, and 3-D DesignThe course challenges students to take risks, experiment with, and expand upon art media competencies, and explore personal concepts in developing a thematic body of artwork. Students reach the work of contemporary artists exploying studio processes that enable them to communicate personal concepts and ideas. Each student in the course is expected to handle visual arts media with a sense of quality, breadth, and concentration on a particular interest or problem as evidences in a thematic cumulative protfolio and sketchbook/journal for the purposes of college portfolio applications.
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Art III, Art IV, or New Forms in Art GT. |
Photo I: Introduction to Photography
In this course, students apply the language of art in producing fine art photographs. Primary experiences will center around the use of a 35mm single lens reflex camera, film processing, darkroom techniques, print manipulation, and the presentation of work. Technical skills evolve through the introduction of pinhole photography and contact printing. Experiences throughout the course will include composing, exposing, processing, enlarging images in the darkroom, and basic experiences in digital imaging.
Prerequisite: Art I. Students wishing to take Art II must complete Art I with a C-average or better. Students wishing to take Art II GT must complete Art I with an A-average and recommendation from their Art I Instructor. Photo II Honors/Photo II AP: Portfolio Development
In this course, students refine and master technical skills as well as experiment with alternative approaches and materials as they compose unique photographs. Additionally, students will develop a photographic portfolio that demonstrates quality, shows breadth of formal, technical, and expressive experiences and concentrates on a specific theme or problem. Through collaboration with peers and instructors students will develop a personal aesthetic viewpoint. In-class and independent problems further the development of skills and techniques. This course is also designed to prepare students for admissions to a four-year college level visual arts program where portfolio reviews are almost always required. Students enrolling in Photo II AP are REQUIRED to submit their portfolios for the Advanced Placement Examinations in the spring semester of their senior year.
Prerequisite: Photo I. Students wishing to take Photo II Honors or AP must complete Photo I with a B-average or better. Photo III Honors/Photo III AP: Personal Directions in Photography
In this course students will develop a thematic body of work that can be used for college admissions, scholarships and student exhibitions. As students move from the second to the third level in photo studio, the content sharpens in focus upon self-assessment and evaluation. Students continue working in a sketchbook/journal to refine personal imagery based on the study of master artists. This course is designed to allow students to develop a unique and personal body of work while preparing them for admissions to a four-year college level visual arts program. Students enrolling in Photo III AP are REQUIRED to submit their portfolios for the Advanced Placement Examinations in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: Photo II Honors or Photo II AP. Students wishing to take Photo III Honors or AP must complete Photo II with a B-average or better. Photo Studio Honors/AP: Studio Art: 2-D DesignThe course challenges students to take risks, experiment with, and expand upon art media competencies, and explore personal concepts in developing a thematic body of artwork. Students reach the work of contemporary artists exploying studio processes that enable them to communicate personal concepts and ideas. Each student in the course is expected to handle visual arts media with a sense of quality, breadth, and concentration on a particular interest or problem as evidences in a thematic cumulative protfolio and sketchbook/journal for the purposes of college portfolio applications.
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Art III, Art IV, or New Forms in Art GT. |
New Forms in Art - GT
The course challenges students to take risks, experiment with, and expand upon art media competencies, and explore personal concepts in developing a thematic body of artwork. Students reach the work of contemporary artists exploying studio processes that enable them to communicate personal concepts and ideas. Each student in the course is expected to handle visual arts media with a sense of quality, breadth, and concentration on a particular interest or problem as evidences in a thematic cumulative protfolio and sketchbook/journal.
Prerequisite: Art II or Photo I. Grades 11,12.
Prerequisite: Art II or Photo I. Grades 11,12.
Art History - AP
The Advanced Placement offering in History of Art is designed to provide the same benefits to high school students as those provided by an intoductory college course in art history. In this course, students examine major forms of artistic expression from the past as well as the present and from a variety of cultures. It is recommeded that students in this course take the AP Exam when it is offered in May.
Prerequisite: Art I. Grades 11,12.
Prerequisite: Art I. Grades 11,12.